The Answer Lady Innovative Ideas for Machine Knitters To contact the answer lady, use this new anti-spam e-mail address. Rewrite this address in the standard e-mail format with no spaces anywhere and the usual symbols for and and dot: kathryn d answerlady at hotmail dot com 1 Home Page THE ULTIMATE, ULTIMATE SWEATER MACHINE This is a 4 page instructional article, explaining how to join multiple Bond beds together to create a gigantic knitting machine. The size you choose is limited only by space and inclination. This method creates a very stable, sturdy machine with steel rods reinforcing the entire structure. It costs about $12 to make the conversion, assuming you already have the needle beds. After doing so, it becomes possible to knit seamless bedspreads. 10 color photos clearly illustrate every step of the project. Anyone with the skills to use a knitting machine can follow these instructions. $4 as an instant download This afghan covers an entire LARGE sofa and is knitted in a single piece on an extended Bond machine DEATAIL OF CABLED EDGE ONE PIECE AFGHAN WITH CABLED EDGE Once you have an ULTIMATE ultimate sweater machine, you can knit huge afghans and bedspreads. This one is 66" wide and as long as you like and can be made ONLY on extended bed machines. (sample was knitted on 240 needles) The cabled edge with ribbed backing is roll-proof and adds a designer touch. Make it with leftover cotton and cotton-blend yarns from worsted to bulky weight. Lion Cotton, Sugar & Cream and similar yarns are perfect. Pattern is only $2.00 and is AN INSTANT DOWNLOAD The technique below allows Bond knitters to make the FABULOUS FELTED FOOTWEAR, HATS AND BAGS found elsewhere on this website. For these patterns, a comb is much more convenient than the hem. Click the links above to see what fun you can have. MAKE YOUR OWN CAST-ON COMB copyright 2004 Kathryn Doubrley www.theanswerlady.com It is OK to copy this as long as you leave the copyright and website info attached TO MAKE A CAST-ON COMB YOU NEED: Wooden ruler, preferably with a metal reinforced edge 20 dress-making hooks of the type that look like twisted wire, size 2 or larger A piece of sturdy fabric 12”x9” To know the spacing of the needles on your machine (Bonds are 8mm apart, mid-gauges may be 6.5 or 7mm, bulkies are 9 mm, Passap Varios are 10 mm) 3 metal rings about 1/2" across. Look in the craft store or for hand knitting markers. Bond knitters may omit these. PROCEEDURE: fold the fabric long-ways and stitch near the fold all the way across the 12” dimension mark the stitching line with dots spaced at twice the needle spacing of your machine (eg: Bonds are marked every 16 mm) sew a hook at each mark so that the hook extends past the edge of the fabric. sew across the fabric again about 1.5” below the hooks to form a casing into which the ruler will slip. This keeps the comb rigid enough to manipulate. at the bottom edge, turn the raw edges inside and stitch them together. This forms a second casing into which Bond knitters may slide their weighted rods. Others who prefer these to ordinary knitting weights may find similar rods at the hardware store and have them cut to length. those without rods must sew the metal rings at the bottom edge, one at each end and one at the center. A small knitting weight hung in each one will be the appropriate weight. NOTE: This is a versatile technique that will allow you to make cast-on combs in various lengths for any purpose you require. Use a yardstick to make longer combs, trimming the length as necessary. Bigger combs will hold more weight so better quality yardsticks might be worth the investment.