Taking on a challenge!!!!

Ok so ive decided to be really adventurous and attempt a rather funky project. Its a good friend's birthday in June and ive said that im going to make her a jacket. She's an artist and an art teacher so as you would expect - she's quite wacky in terms of colour and pattern.

She has several jackets that i really like, one of which is a black and white weaved jacket, and the other is a funky coloured jacket that looks very Kaffe Fassett orientated. So, ive told her that im going to make her a jacket to beat all jackets and make her one thats crazy in terms of colours and patterns - and to top it off im going to do it reversible - ie 2 jackets for the price of 1!!!!

A bit adventurous i know but i feel im ready for it. I dont want the knitted fabric too thick so im going to do each piece in 3ply, which when felt with another piece of knitted 3 ply gives the sort of thickness i want; not too thin not overly thick and heavy.

In terms of shape - its going to be open fronted and i will use buttonholes and buttons (i may even use a different colour and shape button per buttonhole just to be crazy and different) The shaping is going to be kept to a minimum so keeping with the straight lines and as little shaping as can be done - just to make it easier for me; plus she has said she prefers straight lines in clothes.

Its all going to be done in Fair Isle on the Knitmaster 700, using just 2 punchcards - one being a leaf pattern that blends together to make more of an arty pattern rather than repetitive prints of leaves. The other side is going to be more uniform block shapes very similar to Kaffe Fassett's Tumbling Blocks pattern.

Im going to use 4 colours throughout - these being yellowy gold, rusty red, limey green and purple. Im going to change the yarns in the yarn feeds every so often so that the colours blend throughout the knitting and give an overall more interesting look.

Its going to be interesting - i hope i can get it right. Fingers crossed!!!

Will give you all an update when i get going with it - im still yet to punch the second card!!!

Catch you later

Phil

Update

I havent really been knitting much this past week. Im working on a green/blue vest at the moment; im doing the hems by hand so im working on that in the evenings.

This weekend has been spent in the garden, busy clearing up, painting fence panels, and the sheds, along with trimming hedges, sowing seeds and mulching one of my borders.

Hope it will be nice weather this week, especially on Wednesday when i have a day off.

Have a good week everyone!

Phil

Photos of Knitmaster HK-160

I went to pick up the new machine tonight. Here are some photos i took - i havent really had time to use it. Think it could do with some oil, as the carriage is a bit stiff but will have a proper look at it tomorrow.

The previous owner must have really looked after it as the box looks like it could have come out of the factory yesterday!!! its immaculate.

The lady i bought it off must have been organised too. It came complete with a lever arch file containing loads of punchcards, patterns and of course the instruction book. She had even included the test swatches she had made with some of the punchcards. Ive put them on display behind the machine in the photo. Its just like the MK70 but doesnt fold and the needles are held by little gates. It reminds me a bit of a cross between the 4500 and the 700. Similar needle bed of the 4500 in terms of width and weight, yet the same principles as the 700 carriage. The only difference is that when you move the cam lever around if you were to move from stockinette to say tuck, the side levers automatically go back, whereas on the other machines you have to move them back yourself. Quite cool!!

Going to have a play with it tomorrow and test some of the cards.

Thats all for now.

Phil

Knitmaster HK-160

Well, i dont really know what to say. Ive been naughty and bought another machine! Oooops but i have told myself thats got to be the last! (Apart from the 302 Ribber of course)

Ive always wanted one though, as i tend to use lots of double knitting thickness wool, and even though i can knit it on the chunky, because the gauge is different, im only limited to the 110 needles on the 155 which isnt enough for making anything my size at the gauge required for the DK. Also DK doesnt work on the standard in my opinion. It either jams in the carriage, or knits a very uncomfortable stiff fabric - too tight!!

So ive invested in the HK-160 6mm machine with punchcard facility. Its going to be nice getting to know a machine a bit different to usual Knitmasters. Im intriqued at there being no sponge bar in the needle bed though - i suppose a blessing really. One less thing to check.

Im going to pick it up one night this week as the seller only lives fairly close. I will obviously be uploading some pics when it arrives home.

Catch you later

Phil

Grey Aran Keyhole Neck Top

Here's what ive been knitting these passed few days. It was knitted on the Knitmaster 155 (ribbng curtsey of the new SR155 ribber!)

Its knitted in some 80 % Acryclic 20 % Wool Aran i bought last week, and has knitted up really nice. I have some more of this type of wool but in a brownish colour, so i think im going to do something similar but with a crew collar and im going to try and make a hood for it.

Hope you all like it.

PS Think i may try and get some more things knitted on the 700, as i am now the owner of an SC3 linker that i bought the other day. I hate casting loads of stitches of at once so i thought ide get one. Plus i can have a go at linking some garments together.

Catch you later

Phil