FAIR ISLE OR TWO COLOUR KNITTING - the basics

for Studio/Silver Reed steel bed punchcard machines

by Roni Knutson.

 
 

Insert card - make sure it's level, rotate and clip together (front over back) - rotate to row 1 and lock (the lock is right beside where the card goes in).

The carriage must have one free pass past the locked card (to memorize pattern) - this can be accomplished by either:-

a) one or two rows in main colour, or

b) release carriage for a free pass by putting cam lever to slip, side levers on 'o', move carriage across in front of locked card and then back - reset carriage, or, if you have it, use the quick "jam" release and slide the carriage across and back or,

c) Insert card and lock on correct row of card just after casting on - pattern drums will pick up pattern while the hem is being knitted - card can be released and pattern knitting started immediately after the hem (be it plain or rib).


On your carriage, turn the selector to two colour (that's the little lever below the tension dial). Knit in or fairisle should be at approximately the 3 o'clock position. Unlock the punchcard. Make sure both side levers on the carriage are back. Insert the 2nd yarn into the feeder on the carriage. Unlike the feeder for the main colour, this does not lock, just be sure you have it in there correctly. Hold onto the end of the second yarn as you knit across and then hang a clothes pin on it to give it a little weight (very handy things, keep at least two near your machine). And that's it, just keep knitting. If you lock the card and just keep knitting your will get the same row over and over, which gives you more design possibilities. If you put the double length lever on you will get two rows for every one row punched on the card, which gives you even more design possibilities.


Slip and tuck are essentially the same, except that you don't have a second colour to put in. Tuck tends to "rise up" on the machine, so you will need to put weights on the work, especially if using a card that is heavily tucked. The purl side of the work is considered the right side of the work for slip and tuck (unless, you like the knit side).

 
 
Copyright©rvk Feb. 1999

Contact Roni

Home