CSM - things to try

Celticmemory, I didn't get the table in the previous pic. Dennis gets them made locally; that particular one was an aluminium casting that needed painting. I didn't get the yarn in the picture, either, but that is no big deal, I am hardly short of yarn!

I'm eyeing up the sock yarn packs at Web of Wool now. I need to practise:

• Ribbing
• Going from ribbing to stst, and back again?
• Short-rowing

I also want to make a set-up bonnet - far quicker than using that setter-up spidery thing!

Marytheknit has given me some ideas for a size 7 sock:

30 rows rib then 60 rows stst (ankle)
heel
60 row foot
toe

on T4.5. That seems a bit loose, but I will give it a go. Even if it's too big it's a starting point for calculating something that fits.

Six machines high and rising...

OK, so it's only temporary, but at the moment I have six, count 'em, SIX knitting machines in the house.

Saturday I picked this little baby up:



It's a never-used convertible Brother KX395 knitting machine. It can knit either 9mm or 4.5mm (so 3ply up to aran/chunky yarn), by changing some plastic combs. The 9mm combs stop every other needle from coming forward - the needles themselves are captive, so changing gauge is a snap. Manual patterning - it has slip and intarsia functions, and tuck can be performed by using the HOLD function - but dead easy to set up, really light. If this wasn't for a friend I'd keep it for myself, which is ridiculous, 'cause I have better machines than this! I love the dinky pink bow on the dial, too! Obviously somebody was trying to make it "female friendly" - the more complex machines are very business-like and in most cases beige not pink!

Because somebody felt a little sheepish regarding shrinking his knitwear, he took me to Uppinghams on the way back and bought £42.50 of lambswool. Should get a few jumpers out of that, haha! I didn't buy any for myself, there is probably enough in what the Cog bought for his n' her knits :)

On sunday, I went up to Ashbourne and picked this up:



It's a Cymbal 84/42 circular sock machine (CSM). A beautifully-restored antique.

We had an interesting (read: scarey!) drive through the Manifold Valley looking for Thor's Cave - we did find it, but it's some walk from the road and without a decent scale walking map we had to be content with just a drive by. The roads were incredibly narrow and I was glad the Cog was driving the Ka and that we don't have a 4 by 4. We did stop at a little stream somewhere in the valley, and had ice-cream and played pooh-sticks - alas, the brook was quite lazy and contrary and my "stick" decided to go in circles so I think I lost that one!

Yesterday I played around with the CSM for a bit - I can knit every needle or EON, but I had little joy with the ribber - the seller had it working Sunday so I expect it's just user-error - I managed to bend a ribber needle, but not too badly. It's very fiddly - going from st st to 1x1 rib involves removing needles - goodness only knows how the original female owners managed with gas lighting! The whole thing was a bit of a scam, really - you bought the machine and yarn from the company, and then submitted your socks. You built up more debt until they were happy with your output, and then presumably had to make lots of socks just to pay off your debt, before you got any profit at all for yourself.



Yes, I can knit tubes with it. They are coming out a bit big for my foot (although ideal for knee socks). I shall have to try and find some patterns!

I knitted and finished up the second Fleece Artist sock this morning. I can't help thinking I am just making more socks for the Cog to shrink, but never mind.


Current mood: tired

Quick update

Finished the left front of the DB cable jacket, need to cast on for the right front. Got loads of yarn left (that was unpicked from first attempt). Shows you how much bigger the first attempt was!

Got some lace kit on order, hope it turns up in time for college in June. Ordered some thread today. Can't wait to get started!

March regional guild day

In my annoyance at yesterday's shrunken jumper events, I completely forgot to mention I ran a "sock knitting on the knitting machine" demo at the regional guild day in Cambridgeshire this Saturday. It was a very early start - BMI Baby kindly delayed my getting home from Schipol by an hour on Friday, so Friday evening was spent travelling, bolting down chips at 10pm and then sleeping.

I decided to wear "Clarisse", and discovered it's a lambswool/angora mix - judging by the mess it left on the driver's seat of my boyfriend's car, anyway! Hmmm... it's soft and cosy, but I'm not sure I appreciate picking fluff out of my eyelashes and mouth all day - it's like wearing a cat! I got my machine set up pretty quickly, and discovered a setting screw has gone AWOL, so the ribber was only really properly attached at one end. Luckily it held together ok. I also mistakenly grabbed a 3ply yarn to demo with, so the demo socks (more like a fat baby bootee) came out a little thin. Knitman (Colin) turned up, resplendant in purple patent docs and matching cashmere sweater, and he bought a very sexy snakey light, that mounts over the bed of a knitting machine and can be posed over wherever is required. Definitely one to go on the xmas list!

Had a busy morning demo-ing, and had a quick scout around the Bring n Buy area, but there were no machines for sale (was hoping to pick up a KX350 plastic bed for a friend). Packed up promptly before the main speaker started. It was billed as "Bill King's latest work" but I recognised a few of the samples and they're at least 18 months old, so I decided to duck out - there was nowhere to sit, anyway, and I didn't really fancy standing for two hours, wonderful though Bill is! So I ducked out, and made it back to Rugby for about half 3.

Oh, I won some men's toiletries in the raffle, and then promptly left them somewhere. Because, I am a doofus!

Weaving and frustration

Remember this? Nearly broke my sewing machine trying to apply the zip? Well, the owner tumble-dried it this weekend. I have constantly told him not to tumble-dry wool, but it's like talking to the cat (oh, he also did three pairs of my handmade socks). He's an intelligent guy, but he has some kind of mental block when it comes to laundry instructions. I should make him knit the next one (or only ever make him things in acrylic). What with that, and him ripping a big L-shaped hole in the bedroom's net curtain (by shutting it in the window), a curtain which is made from fabric Dunelm no longer carry? I have bought eighteen quid's worth of net to replace it, now I just need to find the time to make new curtains. He is persona non grata at the moment. Gah!

Finally got a pic of my first attempt at weaving. It's rather nice, but the warp could have been thicker. Not sure what I shall do with it yet.


Current mood: annoyed

FO: Clarisse tabard after washing

FO: Clarisse tabard after washing
Originally uploaded by steel breeze

Not a great picture, but it was late and I was in the midst of packing for Holland.

Not shown, a pic of the finished weaving. Pic didn't come out unfortunately. It's a bit too short for a scarf unfortunately, it's more of a cravat! :)

Off to the Netherlands now for my last training stint.

For whom the postman cometh...

Well, when the postman comes, he sometimes delivers twice. I picked up this:



which is an excellent book full of weaving eye-candy, and it's all done on a basic rigid heddle loom. Book is divided into colours and has at least 3 projects for each colour, plus some wacky ones including weaving with plastic bags (sound familiar?!) and weaving in twigs found on the beach. Definitely worth a look - I picked my copy up on Ebay, because I have some "birthday money" in the ol' Paypal account to spend.

This also turned up:



from Alibris. I originally ordered it at the end of March, but the first copy never turned up so they cancelled it for me. I'd love to buy it from Amazon, but it's twice the price and ships from the US anyway.

I have my eye on a few other books, but it will have to wait a while. I have extra expenses at the mo, what with the additional car insurance and petrol, so will have to keep a careful eye on finances this month.

Finished the back of the DB patchwork aran cardigan on Monday - the weather was pitifully traditional for a May Day bank holiday (cold, overcast and wet), so I stayed indoors and cracked on with the left front (now on row 30 something). Slight panic on arrival in Schipol; forgot I'd popped the knitting in a suitcase pocket, and had the thought of nearly 2 hours in a taxi with nowt to do staring me in the face, and only a ball of yarn, a counter and no knitting needles for company. I can't read when travelling in a car, it gives me motion sickness, but knitting is ok because I can look up and take in the surroundings.

Work is organising a training course in some software I already use (in fact I was the only user in the company until recently). They've provisionally booked some dates, and almost every single one means missing college or something else. Might have to take the red-eye and get there for 11am instead - it's not a fun start to the day, 'cause it means leaving the house at 3.30am. Not good when you want your brain to be able to take in information - also means a red-eye coming back to the UK, too! Am waiting until I find out how basic the course is - not much point going, if it's just reinventing the wheel for me.

In Holland for the rest of the week, and debating whether to go down the gym, or whether to be a lazy git and skip straight to the restaurant. I fancy mexican tonight. The Cog is diligently showing me up by spending all his free evenings down the gym - he even went on May Day! It shouldn't be allowed! The hairdryer here is actually a reverse extraction fan so not much cop, and I don't relish sitting around with wet hair really.

I have a top floor room with balcony this week - alas, the weather does not wish to cooperate and let me sit out there without a coat on.

Secretly? I want to be at home, zipping about in the Ka. And I miss the KnitWits, too!