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  #1  
Old October 7th 06, 07:40 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.machine-knit
dooney
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Posts: 1
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Hello:

This is my first message after having bought the Ultimate Sweater
Machine. I decided to try machine knitting again and I could not
resist the 1/2 off price offer I found. It is a new machine. I had
two Singer machines years ago and decided to return to hand knitting
and sold them both. Now I want to hand knit and machine knit, but I
didn't want to spend as much as I would have to on a sophisticated
machine. The Sweater machine seems to be perfect for my needs. I am
just now setting it up and the directions and instructions for knitting
are familiar to me after having refreshed my memory from viewing the
video. I am glad there is a group like this so I can clarify if I need
to do so.

So I will be off and knitting. Even if I only use it for the bulk of
the sweater, other items. I don't mind finishing off collars and
ribbings by hand. Yeah...the best of both worlds, I would say. Pauline

Ads
  #2  
Old October 8th 06, 03:38 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.machine-knit
Judy P
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Posts: 22
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Hi Pauline, I have a sweater machine too..Haven't made any thing on it
yet.. What I have tried, has ended up on the floor... I hand knit and
crochet..
judy

  #3  
Old October 8th 06, 04:49 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.machine-knit
Leah
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Posts: 114
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On Sat, 7 Oct 2006 22:38:28 -0400, (Judy P) wrote:

Hi Pauline, I have a sweater machine too..Haven't made any thing on it
yet.. What I have tried, has ended up on the floor... I hand knit and
crochet..


Judy

It sounds to me like you might be in too much of a hurry when using
your machine. I've had an ISM for over 10 years, and the USM carriage
for 3-4 years now. New knitters I've helped with their ISM/USM have
dropped work most often because they were in too much of a hurry to
get the row done and end up with dropped stitches because pushing the
carriage too fast makes needles jump out of alignment ahead of it, so
they don't knit right, and the work can drop as a result. If your
work drops really early after you cast on, it could be that your hem
didn't drop down properly after the first row, causing the knitting to
bunch up and then drop. Try tugging very gently on the hem after you
knit the first row to make sure it's hanging freely under the machine,
especially if you did a closed edge cast on, because R1 tends to be
quite tight when doing an E wrap.

Another problem Bond newbies have is that they either pull the yarn up
too tight at the beginning of the row or not tight enough, so side
edge stitches don't knit right and can drop. You want it snug, but
don't yank the yarn too hard.

Another issue that Bond claims with their new higher tech plastic is
that the USM no longer needs to be waxed for use. I don't know if
they've even put that into their instructions, but as a seasoned ISM
user, I can tell you that when trying out my USM KP and carriage, I
found that it definitely needed to be waxed. Get an unscented 100%
paraffin white wax candle. It should be unscented because essential
oils used to scent them can stain your yarn, same with a dyes to make
a colored candle. You can find the little white unscented tea lights
in almost any store. Pull it out of the metal tray and wax the area
where the needles go into and through the KP. If your carriage is
jamming on the retaining bar rail at the front, wax those joints
before beginning each large project (say after each sweater). I also
wax the back of the machine where the carriage hooks in on the top of
the joints and at the backs of the joints to help the carriage slide
more freely. With continued use, your bed and carriage will loosen up
a little bit and be overall easier to use, but if you find it getting
stiff to work again (and noisier than you remembered it being), try
waxing it again, especially if you let the machine sit a couple of
months between projects.

Another issue new Bonders have is they are either holding the carriage
to the bed too tightly or not tightly enough. You want the carriage
to glide freely, but not bounce.

It's also very important to make sure there is no tension on the yarn.
Pull out enough yarn to complete your carriage pass, and if you run
out, stop the carriage and pull out enough. I usually pull out enough
for 2 rows, then repeat. Some Bonders use a fishing tool called a
line stripper to quickly pull lengths of yarn for knitting out and
have it shot into a basket before working, so they don't have to stop
and pull out more yarn while knitting. If you try and use it straight
out of a center pull skein, it results in tight rows, which can result
in dropped work.

If you are dropping stitches on the same 1-2 needles, then it's quite
possible that in man handling your machine, you bent one or more
needles, so it's not knitting properly, and the work will drop in
approximately the same place consistently, so check for bent needles
if you're dropping in the same area.

Also, check your hem. If you don't have a ravel cord and are just
using the thin elastic that comes with the machine, you might have
nicked your hem, which can cause dropped stitches, as can outright
cutting through it. Also check to make sure your weights are
distributed evenly in the hem. If the hem leans down on one side, it
can cause stitches to lift on the other side of the bed and eventually
fall off. Also, and I've done this myself, check the instructions to
see you are putting the hem on right. Until I got used to it, I
dropped my work, because the hem wasn't hung on the machine right.

For more hints and tips using the ISM/USM, you can visit Steph
Thornton's page he
http://www.stephthornton.co.uk/knitt...t/listhint.htm
It has a lot of goofy patterns offered for free (and one quite
annoying poster who is obsessed with using multiple dots instead of
proper punctuation), but there is also a ton of helpful hints and
tips, like using a crochet hook to "latch up" the rib instead of that
really annoying hooked "latchet" tool. I use a G or H hook to do up
worsted weight rib, I or J for bulky, and E or F for baby/sport/DK.

Another terrific site for Bond techniques and tools you can make
yourself is found at Heidi's Knitting Room, just don't let the glaring
RED background get to you LOL:
http://www.heidisknittingroom.ourfamily.com/

I hope that helps, because once you get used to your machine, it
really cuts down on the boring stocking stitch sections of knitting.
FWIW, I made 3 adult hats very slowly with my USM carriage before it
loosened up, meaning the sharp edges of the plastic started to wear
down from use so the carriage moves more smoothly across the bed, so
working the back of an adult sweater should do it, or do several
experimental swatches 50 stitches by 50 rows with stripes, lace, fair
isle, intarsia, and cables, which can be made into pillows or sewn
together into an afghan, which might be easier for you to handle than
the frustration of dropping half of the back of an adult sweater off
the machine.

Leah
  #4  
Old October 9th 06, 01:13 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.machine-knit
Russ Gordon
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default new to group

Leah

From a Knitting Newbe too, I certainly appreciated your "ultra" assistance
with your response to Pauline. However, I have two questions that I have
searched everywhere for. I purchased an "almost new" machine and am
curious regarding needles, about every fifth needle is sorta stiff, or, not
as
loose as the rest; although this does not seem to affect movement of the
carriage.
Nothing in the manual mentions this, which makes me wonder if it is normal
to others.
Should all the needles move in the same smoothness?
A circle of Wax was included, and directions show where to apply it. But, I
don't know how to get the wax where the needles go into and through the KP.
The hunk of wax is too large to rub it into the small canal. I've sort of
shaved it into
the particular areas of concern.

Thanks for any assistance.

"Leah" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 7 Oct 2006 22:38:28 -0400, (Judy P) wrote:

Hi Pauline, I have a sweater machine too..Haven't made any thing on it
yet.. What I have tried, has ended up on the floor... I hand knit and
crochet..


Judy

It sounds to me like you might be in too much of a hurry when using
your machine. I've had an ISM for over 10 years, and the USM carriage
for 3-4 years now. New knitters I've helped with their ISM/USM have
dropped work most often because they were in too much of a hurry to
get the row done and end up with dropped stitches because pushing the
carriage too fast makes needles jump out of alignment ahead of it, so
they don't knit right, and the work can drop as a result. If your
work drops really early after you cast on, it could be that your hem
didn't drop down properly after the first row, causing the knitting to
bunch up and then drop. Try tugging very gently on the hem after you
knit the first row to make sure it's hanging freely under the machine,
especially if you did a closed edge cast on, because R1 tends to be
quite tight when doing an E wrap.

Another problem Bond newbies have is that they either pull the yarn up
too tight at the beginning of the row or not tight enough, so side
edge stitches don't knit right and can drop. You want it snug, but
don't yank the yarn too hard.

Another issue that Bond claims with their new higher tech plastic is
that the USM no longer needs to be waxed for use. I don't know if
they've even put that into their instructions, but as a seasoned ISM
user, I can tell you that when trying out my USM KP and carriage, I
found that it definitely needed to be waxed. Get an unscented 100%
paraffin white wax candle. It should be unscented because essential
oils used to scent them can stain your yarn, same with a dyes to make
a colored candle. You can find the little white unscented tea lights
in almost any store. Pull it out of the metal tray and wax the area
where the needles go into and through the KP. If your carriage is
jamming on the retaining bar rail at the front, wax those joints
before beginning each large project (say after each sweater). I also
wax the back of the machine where the carriage hooks in on the top of
the joints and at the backs of the joints to help the carriage slide
more freely. With continued use, your bed and carriage will loosen up
a little bit and be overall easier to use, but if you find it getting
stiff to work again (and noisier than you remembered it being), try
waxing it again, especially if you let the machine sit a couple of
months between projects.

Another issue new Bonders have is they are either holding the carriage
to the bed too tightly or not tightly enough. You want the carriage
to glide freely, but not bounce.

It's also very important to make sure there is no tension on the yarn.
Pull out enough yarn to complete your carriage pass, and if you run
out, stop the carriage and pull out enough. I usually pull out enough
for 2 rows, then repeat. Some Bonders use a fishing tool called a
line stripper to quickly pull lengths of yarn for knitting out and
have it shot into a basket before working, so they don't have to stop
and pull out more yarn while knitting. If you try and use it straight
out of a center pull skein, it results in tight rows, which can result
in dropped work.

If you are dropping stitches on the same 1-2 needles, then it's quite
possible that in man handling your machine, you bent one or more
needles, so it's not knitting properly, and the work will drop in
approximately the same place consistently, so check for bent needles
if you're dropping in the same area.

Also, check your hem. If you don't have a ravel cord and are just
using the thin elastic that comes with the machine, you might have
nicked your hem, which can cause dropped stitches, as can outright
cutting through it. Also check to make sure your weights are
distributed evenly in the hem. If the hem leans down on one side, it
can cause stitches to lift on the other side of the bed and eventually
fall off. Also, and I've done this myself, check the instructions to
see you are putting the hem on right. Until I got used to it, I
dropped my work, because the hem wasn't hung on the machine right.

For more hints and tips using the ISM/USM, you can visit Steph
Thornton's page he
http://www.stephthornton.co.uk/knitt...t/listhint.htm
It has a lot of goofy patterns offered for free (and one quite
annoying poster who is obsessed with using multiple dots instead of
proper punctuation), but there is also a ton of helpful hints and
tips, like using a crochet hook to "latch up" the rib instead of that
really annoying hooked "latchet" tool. I use a G or H hook to do up
worsted weight rib, I or J for bulky, and E or F for baby/sport/DK.

Another terrific site for Bond techniques and tools you can make
yourself is found at Heidi's Knitting Room, just don't let the glaring
RED background get to you LOL:
http://www.heidisknittingroom.ourfamily.com/

I hope that helps, because once you get used to your machine, it
really cuts down on the boring stocking stitch sections of knitting.
FWIW, I made 3 adult hats very slowly with my USM carriage before it
loosened up, meaning the sharp edges of the plastic started to wear
down from use so the carriage moves more smoothly across the bed, so
working the back of an adult sweater should do it, or do several
experimental swatches 50 stitches by 50 rows with stripes, lace, fair
isle, intarsia, and cables, which can be made into pillows or sewn
together into an afghan, which might be easier for you to handle than
the frustration of dropping half of the back of an adult sweater off
the machine.

Leah




  #5  
Old October 9th 06, 12:28 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.machine-knit
Leah
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 114
Default new to group

On Mon, 09 Oct 2006 00:13:12 GMT, "Russ Gordon"
wrote:

Hi Russ,

Should all the needles move in the same smoothness?


I have some needles that are stiffer than others and sometimes squeek
while I'm knitting, but not with the frequency you describe. I'd
check to make sure none of the needles are bent, because those who
give up their machines quite often state they never got it to work for
them, and it could be they bent some needles by trying to force the
carriage across the machine. Other things to check include seeing
that the table the machine is on is as level as you can get it. Check
the seams at the back of the machine where the parts fit together to
see they are relatively close in alignment. Also check the needle
retaining bars at the front to make sure they are relatively flat, as
it could be a matter of how closely fit the machine is after assembly.
Very unlikely is the possibility of a problem with your KP if it's a
green USM KP. The old ISM KP were a different plastic, and pieces
would sometimes chip off them; I had to replace my #3 ISM KP due to a
chip, so if it's a clear plastic ISM KP, there could be a chip or
crack causing needles to stick, but my carriage stuck more frequently
than the needles did when going across the row than what you've
described.

A circle of Wax was included, and directions show where to apply it. But, I
don't know how to get the wax where the needles go into and through the KP.
The hunk of wax is too large to rub it into the small canal. I've sort of
shaved it into
the particular areas of concern.


I apply wax to more areas than the ISM book stated, as my personal
experience with the USM carriage upgrade I got dictated that it was
necessary for me to lube additional parts on the machine to help the
USM carriage glide more freely. I'm glad to hear Bond is including
wax with the USM; when I got the USM carriage upgrade kit, they
specified I would never need to wax the KP again!

You also should check the needle channels themselves, because if the
machine sat before you got it, there could be yarn bits, dust or maybe
even some wax build up from prior use. If it's not a waxy buildup,
you can use canned air that's used to clean computer equipment to blow
the gunk out of the channels. A Q-Tip might work, but if there's wax,
then cotton from it might get stuck in the channels. I have to admit
I'm not sure what to recommend if you've got wax jammed in the
channels. I'd probably use a plastic tapestry needle tip to loosen it
up, and then canned air to blow it out. If the problem is really bad,
you may need to take the needle retaining bars off one at a time and
wipe the needles themselves clean as you clean the channels and check
all the needles to see if they're bent.

Rather than shaving your wax and possibly gumming up the needle
channels, there are 2 other options you can look into to lube the
needle channels. Most KM companies recommend a machine oil to lube up
your machine. I would not recommend the ones used on metal machines,
but there is a machine by Silver Reed (AKA Studio and Singer in the
past) that's also a hobby plastic machine called the LK-150. It comes
with it's own machine oil. You can see about purchasing a bottle of
that and putting it on a Q-Tip and applying to the affected channels,
but faster to apply and probably less messy would be the silicone
spray lubricant you can find that's used on the ISM/USM quite often.
There are a couple of names recommended: Lori Lin Knitting Machine
Lube (they also make a yarn spray which goes on the yarn and not the
bed) and Bond America's Easy Knit Spray.

To purchase any of the above, just type in the names, LK-150 machine
oil, etc., to find where you can purchase it. I've had good service
from many places on the web, so I can't really recommend one over the
other, and you may actually need to shop several places if you want
more than one of the items I mentioned to lube your machine to see if
that solves the problem. I'd try the silicone spray first if wax
wasn't working for me and no needles are bent. I've used the LK oil
on my LK-150 and had to knit a throw away swatch to get the excess oil
off the machine before continuing to knit with it and will probably
switch to the silicone spray next time I'm going to lube my LK.

Thanks for any assistance.


NP. I remember being new and frustrated with my machine, but I stuck
with it, and I hope others do, too, because it really is a joy to use
once you get used to the quirks and learn some maintenance tricks.

Leah
  #6  
Old October 10th 06, 01:52 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.machine-knit
Judy P
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Posts: 22
Default new to group

Leah, Thanks..I am sure I was going to fast..I have had my machine 10
years too. But is has been in the box, waiting for me to retire..I
haven't messed with it this year..Been hand knitting and crocheting..But
I haven't given up..
Thanks again,
judy

  #7  
Old October 10th 06, 12:19 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.machine-knit
Leah
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 114
Default new to group

Hi again Judy,

Leah, Thanks..I am sure I was going to fast..I have had my machine 10
years too. But is has been in the box, waiting for me to retire..I
haven't messed with it this year..Been hand knitting and crocheting..But
I haven't given up..
Thanks again,


NP! I just hope I gave some useful advice. I really do enjoy my
machine now that I've learned some maintenance tricks and hope that
others do the same. You will be able to knit faster with it once the
carriage gets a little wear on the sticky spots. I know exactly where
my USM carriage sticks now and why, and I was considering using an
emery board to lightly file that edge, but just working it across the
bed has made that part loosen up enough I don't think it will be
necessary now. I did use the emery board on the mold spots on a set
of cheap Luxite crochet hooks because they were catching on the yarn,
and I didn't have any sandpaper available, so I used the rough side of
the nail file then the fine to smooth all those hooks, which I use
when going out in public, so I don't risk losing any of my better
hooks. I also hand knit (flat and circular) and crochet, and I think
each method of crafting has it's own charms and uses.

Leah
  #8  
Old November 20th 06, 03:01 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.machine-knit
Autumn
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11
Default new to group

http://www.worldknit.com/Merchant2/m...e= bond_02005

Try this




"dooney" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello:

This is my first message after having bought the Ultimate Sweater
Machine. I decided to try machine knitting again and I could not
resist the 1/2 off price offer I found. It is a new machine. I had
two Singer machines years ago and decided to return to hand knitting
and sold them both. Now I want to hand knit and machine knit, but I
didn't want to spend as much as I would have to on a sophisticated
machine. The Sweater machine seems to be perfect for my needs. I am
just now setting it up and the directions and instructions for knitting
are familiar to me after having refreshed my memory from viewing the
video. I am glad there is a group like this so I can clarify if I need
to do so.

So I will be off and knitting. Even if I only use it for the bulk of
the sweater, other items. I don't mind finishing off collars and
ribbings by hand. Yeah...the best of both worlds, I would say. Pauline




  #9  
Old November 22nd 06, 04:26 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.machine-knit
Spike Driver
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 606
Default new to group

Autumn wrote:
http://www.worldknit.com/Merchant2/m...e= bond_02005

Try this




"dooney" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello:

This is my first message after having bought the Ultimate Sweater
Machine. I decided to try machine knitting again and I could not
resist the 1/2 off price offer I found. It is a new machine. I had
two Singer machines years ago and decided to return to hand knitting
and sold them both. Now I want to hand knit and machine knit, but I
didn't want to spend as much as I would have to on a sophisticated
machine. The Sweater machine seems to be perfect for my needs. I am
just now setting it up and the directions and instructions for knitting
are familiar to me after having refreshed my memory from viewing the
video. I am glad there is a group like this so I can clarify if I need
to do so.

So I will be off and knitting. Even if I only use it for the bulk of
the sweater, other items. I don't mind finishing off collars and
ribbings by hand. Yeah...the best of both worlds, I would say. Pauline




Thank you.

I have the usm and it works well.

It just came today and it makes it slick

Dennis
 




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