Passap to Japanese, a quick guide

Passapese isn't that hard to learn, although it does look like some sort of code to the untrained eye.

• Where the passap pattern talks about the front bed, you work on the main bed, and vice versa (ie the beds are reversed).
• N = knit everything
• LX = knit everything, but where a pusher is in rest position, do not knit - equivalent to partial knitting on g a Japanese machine
• CX = circular knitting - on a Passap, this is done clockwise
• GX = free move on one or both beds
• Lock = carriage
• Stitch size (ss) = tension dial setting. Passaps go from 1 to 8 with increments of 0.25, Japanese machines go from 0 (sometimes minus) to 10 (or more) with increments of a third.
• KX = knit with pushers up, tuck with pushers down
• EX = knit to left, tuck to right (fisherman's rib)
• SX = preselect pushers (does not knit) - equivalent to a preselect row on Brother/Toyota
• AX = knit or tuck, depending on pushers
• BX = knit or slip, depending on pushers
• DX = knit to right, slip to left with pushers, knit to right, tuck to left with pushers in rest
• FX = knit when pushers in work, tuck to left and knit to right with pushers in rest
• HX = knit to right, slipt to left with pushers, slip in both directions with pushers in rest
• Orange strippers - these are used for double-bed work
• Black strippers - these are used for single-bed and circular work
• Arrow keys - these reverse the selection of the pushers on the back lock, so if you had 10101 it would create 01010
• Handle up, handle down - these refer to the racking position. Handle down is half pitch.

For further info, see this post

FO: Dishcloth-a-rama

DSCN0057
Originally uploaded by steel breeze

The crochet one happened because I had leftovers.... :)

Addiction

Ok so I'm Jonesing on lizard ridge again at the moment - made a hand-knit LR dishcloth last week, and the project on the chunky machine is also lizard ridge related. Some clever soul on Ravelry came up with a crocheted "gecko edge" version, too...

I also cast on this at the weekend, the sudden snow on saturday night having curtailed my plans to get a bit spendy in Birmingham this weekend. It's kind of addictive, too - I'm using Texere Olympia, which is a rowan colourscape chunky knock-off, and I think I'll have that much yarn left over that I might well add top-down sleeves, too...

Watched "Mad Max 3" (dire, don't bother!) and "Bronson", which was rather creepy.

Stashdown update #1

End of January 2012 and I’ve 121 stash entries on Ravelry. Target is to get it below 100 by the end of the year. So why oh why am I being taunted by adverts for Kauni? It’s just not fair!

Of course, the Rav stash is only about 95% accurate, and there are some photos missing. It’ll have to do.

Been doing some updates on the Machine Knitter's Treasure Chest site lately. Hand-coding with Wordpad is somewhat tedious, but it's all I have on this 'puter.

And no, the sheep cushion is not for sale, but thanks for the interest. Maybe I should start a production line...

February eye candy

First olympic cushion! Shown "stuffed" with another cushion


Quick handknit case for the other half's video camera. No, I'm not sure why I bought one ball of Rowan Spray either, except that it was on sale (which is never a good enough reason).


Popping into Hobbycraft is always dangerous to my wallet, even if I DON'T buy yarn. Hmmm...

Cushiony

Well, I knitted two pieces for a cushion last night - a chocolate brown with cream sheep on. I think the next one might be a knitweave one (more swatching is required).

Fairisle works better on a 950i when you remember to remove the contrast yarn for the plain rows. Otherwise, tangles ensue!

Sewing the cushion up tonight, I hope.

Cushions for the Olympiad

If you've not been paying attention, you might not have realised that the Wool Sack is running a drive to make cushions for all of the Olympic athletes. They need to be 40cm square - the only caveat is that they have to be made from British wool. You don't even need to stuff them - just sew up three edges. They've been having stuffing stations at the major yarn shows. I got rather excited until I realised that the wool I've bought from Uppinghams is actually from New Zealand. Texere have British wool, though.

I've had some wool donated to me - two cones each of natural white, brown and grey - and I have plans to make at least one cushion this weekend, maybe two. I need to try and get that passap top finished, too. I'm also posting half of the donation to the Manor House machine knitters, for them to produce some cushions hopefully.