Punchard Question for a Moron

No wonder people lose interest in machine knitting....it is so dag-gum
confusing. Everything seems to be in "code-language" and encrypted
that you pretty much have to know the "secret language" to keep up.
Well, I don't. So, for a completely mind boggled person who has a
literal ton of punch cards....is there any way I can know what pattern
they would knit up to? I do have two pattern stitch guide books:
1. The Harmony Guide to Machine Knitting Stitches
2. Punchard Pattern Vol. #3

But, my punchcards have numbers like No 36 KHC (blue ink)
or No. 6-03 etc (red ink)
They don't seem to correspond to anything in those books.
How does anything relate?
I would love any assistance at this point! Thanks a bunch!
Joy

Joy Hardie wrote:

But, my punchcards have numbers like No 36 KHC (blue ink)
or No. 6-03 etc (red ink)
They don't seem to correspond to anything in those books.
How does anything relate?
I would love any assistance at this point! Thanks a bunch!

If the ones in red also have little arrows on the sides, they're lace
patterns.

Green ones are often for knit/purl combinations.

Blue usually are for stitches like tuck, slip, fair-isle. In many cases,
the same card can be used with different settings to make quite different
fabrics.

Sheila

| On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 14:56:52 GMT, Joy Hardie wrote:

No wonder people lose interest in machine knitting....it is so dag-gum
confusing. Everything seems to be in "code-language" and encrypted
that you pretty much have to know the "secret language" to keep up.
Well, I don't. So, for a completely mind boggled person who has a
literal ton of punch cards....is there any way I can know what pattern
they would knit up to? I do have two pattern stitch guide books:
1. The Harmony Guide to Machine Knitting Stitches
2. Punchard Pattern Vol. #3

But, my punchcards have numbers like No 36 KHC (blue ink)
or No. 6-03 etc (red ink)
They don't seem to correspond to anything in those books.
How does anything relate?
I would love any assistance at this point! Thanks a bunch!
Joy

Those numbers on the cards will only correspond to the manual of the
machine they came with, or to the pictures on the package if they were
purchased as supplemental pre-punched sets.

There are thousands of possible designs for punch card patterns, most of
which you have to punch yourself, starting from blank cards. Any numbers
on those would only refer to the stock number of the blank card itself, or
a hand-written note by the person who punched it. The books usually show
you what the fabric made with a particular punch pattern will look like,
which isn't always immediately obvious from the card when you're talking
slip stitch or tuck stitch, but fairly obvious with fair isle.

KHC may mean that particular card came with one of the color changer
attachments and would only be shown in that manual. Look for similar cards
to that one in the multicolor slip stitch section of your pattern books.
Those kinds of cards have a distinctive striped appearance to the punch
pattern caused by the need to knit 2 rows of one color then 2 of the
contrast color. Looking at the card is almost like looking at shadow
knitting, but the end result looks more like fair isle.

If you do punch your own card from one of the diagrams in the Harmony Book
or other pattern volume, by all means, make less cryptic notes on the card
for yourself!

Again, for the cards you have, check your manuals first, then if they
aren't in there, compare them to the diagrams in the other books you have,
disregarding the numbers. There is much overlap in these pattern books.
Harmony #X may be identical to Pattern book #YY or pre-punched card #Z.

If you still can't find them, do a couple of swatches in fair isle, and
whatever other pattern you think may apply. Some cards will not work for
tuck and your manual should mention the criteria. It may also be covered in
Harmony, but I don't recall off hand. It's a matter of having spaces
between tucking needles and also not having the same needle tucking for too
many rows in succession.

Helen "Halla" Fleischer, Fantasy & Fiber Artist
http://home.covad.net/~drgandalf/halla/
Balticon Art Program Coordinator http://www.balticon.org

Thanks Sheila and Helen for all the great info!
I know these must somehow be commercially made because the number
is in a colored block and...well...it just looks like it is. I will
take all your advise and remain confused for the rest of the
afternoon. I really don't know how you people make heads or tails of
this stuff. It feels like getting a sewing machine without an owners
manual.
Joy

Joy Hardie wrote:

Thanks Sheila and Helen for all the great info!
I know these must somehow be commercially made because the number
is in a colored block and...well...it just looks like it is. I will
take all your advise and remain confused for the rest of the
afternoon. I really don't know how you people make heads or tails of
this stuff. It feels like getting a sewing machine without an owners
manual.

What machine do you have? Do you have the manual for it?

Sheila

Joy Hardie wrote:

Thanks Sheila and Helen for all the great info!
I know these must somehow be commercially made because the number
is in a colored block and...well...it just looks like it is. I will
take all your advise and remain confused for the rest of the
afternoon. I really don't know how you people make heads or tails of
this stuff. It feels like getting a sewing machine without an owners
manual.
Joy

It's an invitation to exploration. When you have knit off
a few inches with each card, you can attach the swatch, or
number it so that you have a quick reference. After
you've done a few, you'll start to see what some of the
cards will do. Some will remain a mystery until knitted
because the machines do work miracles, you know. ;-)
--

Joanne @ stitches @ singerlady.reno.nv.us
http://bernardschopen.tripod.com/
Life is about the journey, not about the destination.

I have a Brother and I DO have the Instructions for it.

On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 13:26:23 -0500, S Viemeister
wrote:

Joy Hardie wrote:

Thanks Sheila and Helen for all the great info!
I know these must somehow be commercially made because the number
is in a colored block and...well...it just looks like it is. I will
take all your advise and remain confused for the rest of the
afternoon. I really don't know how you people make heads or tails of
this stuff. It feels like getting a sewing machine without an owners
manual.

What machine do you have? Do you have the manual for it?

Sheila

Joy Hardie wrote:

I have a Brother and I DO have the Instructions for it.

Different model Brothers came with somewhat different card sets. Which
model do you have?

If you have the original cards, look at the section in the manual which
tells you which stitch types each of those cards is suited to. There's
usually a chart, and often colour photos of some samples.
If you don't have the original cardset, perhaps someone here could
scan/photocopy them for you - you could then punch your own.

Play around with them - make swatches, using different yarns and tensions.
A single card can produce a number of very different fabrics.

You'll start to get a feel for it, really! Once you've made your swatches
with the basic set, you should find it easier to to work with the
'unknowns'.


Sheila

Brother KH 881...but I also have a Bulky. Both have ribbers. And,
the stacks of punchcards don't appear to be original sets with either.

Joy



On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 17:56:26 -0500, S Viemeister
wrote:

Joy Hardie wrote:

I have a Brother and I DO have the Instructions for it.

Different model Brothers came with somewhat different card sets. Which
model do you have?

If you have the original cards, look at the section in the manual which
tells you which stitch types each of those cards is suited to. There's
usually a chart, and often colour photos of some samples.
If you don't have the original cardset, perhaps someone here could
scan/photocopy them for you - you could then punch your own.

Play around with them - make swatches, using different yarns and tensions.
A single card can produce a number of very different fabrics.

You'll start to get a feel for it, really! Once you've made your swatches
with the basic set, you should find it easier to to work with the
'unknowns'.


Sheila

Joy Hardie wrote:

Brother KH 881...but I also have a Bulky. Both have ribbers. And,
the stacks of punchcards don't appear to be original sets with either.

I don't think I have a set of 881 cards, but I'm pretty sure I have a set
for the 260. Our scanner is currently non-functioning, but it should be
replaced some time after the holidays.

If you want/need scans of the originals, remind me in January.

Sheila Viemeister

(for email, replace firstname.lastname with my first name and my last name)