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Knitting Inductions, Workshops, and Exercises

All information on this page can be found in the Knitting Machine Handbook.

For the knitting machine there are two inductions and four workshops available to attend.

Main Induction Knitting Machine Workshops Advanced Induction
Knitting Machine Induction DesignaKnit Workshop Ribber Induction
Intarsia Workshop
Short Rowing Workshop
Tuck, Slip, and Colour Changer Workshop

These are bookable on ORB via these links:

Qualifying on the Knitting Machine

Attending the knitting machine induction does not automatically qualify you to use the machine unsupervised. In order to qualify to you must have:

  • Attended the knitting machine induction
  • Completed Exercise A and had it signed off by Rosie or Agnes

Once you have qualified, you are allowed to use the machine unsupervised (by booking on ORB) and you can now attend some knitting machine workshops. Please take note of the flowchart below to see which workshops you are able to attend.

InductionsInductions, Workshops, and WorkshopsExercises

Knitting Machine Induction

This induction is required to use the knitting machine and covers the basic skills and techniques needed to use it.
Duration 3 hours
Prerequisites None
Content Casting on (ewrap and weaving)
Fully fashioned increase/decrease
Cast on/off increase/decrease
Transfer tool cast off
Changing colour
Debugging (unpicking, rehooking dropped stitches)

Intarsia Workshop

Intarsia is a colour work technique that eliminates floats and allows for more than 2 colours per Row.
Duration 1 hour
Prerequisites Knitting Machine Induction
Content Knitting with Intarsia

Designaknit Workshop

Designaknit is a pattern drafting, garment design, and interactive machine control software for domestic knitting machines.
Duration 2 hours
Prerequisites Knitting Machine Induction
Content Creating a shape file (original pattern drafting)
Creating a stitch file from scratch (stitch designer)
Creating a stitch file from an image (graphics studio)
Using DesignaKnit stitch files with the Brother KH940

Short Rowing/Partial Knitting Workshop

Short rowing is a method that allows you to put needles ’on hold’ and knit a row without adding a new stitch onto every needle (called a short or partial row). This allows you to create interesting shapes including 3d and curved swatches (such as the heel or toe of a sock).
Duration 2 hours
Prerequisites Knitting Machine Induction
Content Increasing and decreasing in short rows
Creating 3d shapes

Tuck, slip, and colour changer workshop

Tuck and slip stitches are knitting techniques that can add dimension and texture to a piece by ’tucking’ or ’slipping’ the stitches instead of knitting them. The automatic colour changer allows you to change the yarn in the carriage every even numbers of rows automatically.
Duration 2 hours
Prerequisites Knitting Machine Induction, DesignaKnit Workshop
Content How to use tuck and slip stitches
How to set up and use the automatic colour changer

Ribber induction

The ribber is an attachment for the knitting machine that adds a second bed of needles, allowing you to create ribbed fabrics.
Duration 3 hours
Prerequisites Knitting Machine Induction, at least one workshop, and at least two exercises
Content What is a ribber and why do we use it?
Casting on
Pitch and half-pitch
Transferring stitches
1x1 rib
2x2 rib
Racking

Exercises

Below, you will find a list of knitting machine exercises. Each exercise is designed to follow a particular induction or workshop to help you practice what you have learnt and develop your knitting skills.

They are completely optional with two exceptions:

  • Exercise A must be completed in order to qualify on the knitting machine
  • You must have completed at least two of the other exercises (alongside attending at least one workshop) to attend the ribber induction

A. Induction Swatch

Recreate the swatch made in the induction with the following steps:

  1. cast on 10 needles using ewrap and knit a few rows
  2. using a fully fashioned increase, increase 1 stitch on the left-hand side every row for 3 rows (you should now have 13 stitches overall)
  3. using a fully fashioned decrease, decrease 1 stitch on the left-hand side every row for 3 rows (you should now be back to 10 stitches)
  4. knit a few rows
  5. using a cast on increase, increase by 6 stitches on the opposite side to the carriage (you should now have 16 stitches) and knit a few rows
  6. using a cast-off decrease, decrease by 6 stitches on the opposite side to the previous increase (you should now be back to 10 stitches) and knit a few rows
  7. change the yarn colour and knit a few rows
  8. cast off

B. Increases and Decreases

Using fully fashioned and cast on/off increases and decreases, create two of the following shapes (think carefully about how to do it before you start, some of these are harder than others).

C. Short Rowing

Create a flat swatch with three small bumps as below:

D. DesignaKnit

  1. Use graphics studio to covert an image to a stitch pattern
  2. Add you name into this design
  3. Knit it

E. Intarsia

Use intarsia to to create a swatch with the colour pattern matching one of the squares below.

F. Short Rowing and DesignaKnit

Create one of the following shapes using the designaknit original pattern drafting then knit it.

G. Intarsia and DesignaKnit

Using designaknit stitch designer and intarsia knitting, create a square swatch with the first letter of your name on it.

H. Tuck, Slip, and Colour Changer

Using designaknit, tuck stitches, and the colour changer, create a swatch with the below colour pattern.

I. Ribber

Create some swatches that demonstrate at least three of the following techniques:

  • 2x2 rib
  • Racking patterns
  • English or fishermans rib
  • Plated rib
  • Increases and decreases
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