Introduction to Machine Knitting - Issue 5
Text and photos by Mika Kitahara
Hello, knitters around the world! I hope you have been productive and are having fun knitting. In the last amirisu issue, I introduced circular and flat knitting machines.
This time I will show you how I use my circular knitting machine to make hand knitting easier and more enjoyable.
●Create I-Cord with Knit Mill
As the name suggests, this machine has a handle that looks like the one on a coffee mill. It has 4 needles, and creates a string that is as thick as a common I-Cord.
How can you use this cord? You can create a bracelet or a necklace… what everyone can usually think of. How can we use it for hand knitting?
By picking up stitches from this cord, I get results similar to the I-Cord Cast On.
This helps you to knit something like a baby bib in no time.
(Photos ①②③)
●For Sock Knitters
One sunny morning, I did a little experiment. I dyed a sock yarn with Kool Aid.
First of all, I knit a tube using a toy knitting machine (the key is to knit with two strands). I washed it and then dyed it with food coloring at random, then wrapped it up and put it in a microwave. After that, I washed it again and let it dry.
When unraveled, I had two matching skeins for socks.
(Photos④⑤⑥)
① Knit with two strands using Knit Mill
② Pick up stitches from the cord
③ It creates an I-Cord Cast On
④ Knit in the round with two strands together
⑤ A very colorful fabric
⑥ The socks look like this