Archive of Thread: Idea for attaching hand-knit ribbing (sort of reverse ribbing). Anyone see a flw in my thinking? Back

5 years ago

I am using my Brother Bulky (290?, has the punchcard). I am going to make a sweater. Have never done it, successfully. I was wondering about adding ribbing that has been hand-knitted. I did make a child’s sweater. I did the ribbing by hand. I made a swatch to see what size needles I needed to match the knittng machine gauge.

 

After I hand-knit the ribbing, I transferred the stitches to my knitting machine. It worked, but there was a little curve, or whatever at the join. It was not just a smooth transition from ribbing to stockinette, like it would have been if I was hand-knitting and was just switching to stockinette. No, I do not have a photo of it. This sweater was done over a year ago. 

 

I am not sure if that is always the case when attaching hand-knit ribbing, or if I was twisting stitches. I would not know if I did twist because I have no idea if there is a special way to transfer the stitches. I may not have even done each stitch the same way. It was a while ago, so I don’t know how I did it. I have a different question. Just giving background of my thinking.

 

I am going to start another sweater. This time it is for me. I really do not want to reform a bunch of stitches for 2â€? of ribbing,  ot a fan of mock ribbing. Last night I got the idea of starting on waste yarn. I would knit a large section of waste yarn. Then I would unwind a LOT of yarn and make a ball out of it. This is to be used for the ribbing later so I don’t have to attach a new end when it is time to do the ribbing.

 

My idea. Stop knitting the waste yarn section so I would be starting the sweater at the proper side of the knitting machine, most likely right side of the machine. I start where the ball winding (enough is wound to do all the ribbing, plus a little extra to be sure) stopped on that skein and start knitting the sweater where the ribbing would have ended, making sure the yarn end will be at the proper end of the knitting machine. I would knit the entire front. After it has been removed from the knitting machine, I would transfer the stitches at the waste yarn to the knitting needles, making sure the yarn end is at the top of the knitting needle when they are done being transferrd, and then knit the ribbing and do a stretchy bind off.

The wound ball would not be dangling. I would have enough slack for it to be loosely in a bowl holding the strand of yarn connecting it out od the way.

 

I was thinking that it might make a smoother transition from the machine knitting to the ribbing. I think it would be easier to pick up the stitches at the waste yarn when the sweater is no longer on the knitting machine than to transfer the stitches off the knitting needles onto the knitting needles.

 

Has anyone ever done this reverse way of adding the ribbing? Does anyone see a flaw in my thinking that I am not seeing? I am not experienced. This is a very simple sweater pattern. No fancy patterns, etc. Straight shoulder, dropped shoulders. I was just now thinking the first row or 2 rows could be a half or whole tension number larger, then switch to the proper tension. I would do that on the back and front so they would be even. It would only add a fraction of an itch to the length, not a problem.

 

The reason I do not want to have to attach a new skein to the bottom at the waste yarn when starting the ribbing is that I want a strong smooth transition. So I want it to be like it would have been, the same skein the ribbing was done in would just be continued into the stockinette. 

I have thought about getting a ribber, but they are expensive and I have not been able to do enough machine knitting and get comfortable enough with it to spend the additional money.

 

Thank you for any thoughts.

 

Cynthia

5 years ago
Cynthia,

Sound like you've put a lot of thought into this.... but it also sounds like a whole lot of extra, unnecessary work ... are you over thinking things?

1. There shouldn't be any different transition between the hand knitting and the machine knitting.
Maybe a visual will help.

Notice the loops at the top of the image ... that's how the stitches should hang on the machine - imagine the machine needles sticking out of the loops

 

2. I suggest you practice this before starting another sweater.  Cast on 10-15 stitches with a smooth, light color yarn, hand knit a little ribbing,then carefully hang the stitches on the machine (being extra careful not to twist them).

Then knit a couple of inches and drop the work from the machine

Take a close look at the join ... 

5 years ago
It is more of a transition line than bump. I think the hand-knit ribbing does look neater, and I think it is more springy(?). When I hand reform the stitches on the knitting machine, it just seems like they are stretched and not as tight, and not as uniform as hand-knitting. When I did it on the knitting machine the second time, I did stitch those rows a tension tighter. They still looked stretched, not as even as hand-knitted, and not as uniformed, and I could see a transition line. I will give it another try with a practice piece when I finish this sweater. It may well be my reforming is stretching the stitches, although I didn’t see where I tugged at them and was consciously not doing that, when I did this a few times. I consciously pay attention and try not to pull the stitches when reforming.

When I hand-knit rib first and transfer to the knitting machine, it also may be that I am not sliding the stitches off my knitting needles to the knitting machine needles the same way and are getting some from the backside? Not sure if that would make a difference.

But, yes, I will play around with good practice yarn, not yarn that has been knit with previously.

Thank you. This is so appreciated.

5 years ago
If you are usually happy with how your ribbing to stockinette transition looks in handknitting, have you considered doing those first few rows of stockinette after the ribbing by hand and then transferring to the machine?  That way you'd get the transition you like without more than an extra row of two of handkintting. 

When I first started reforming stitches manually for ribbing, they looked a bit wonky but they evened up a bit with a firm stretch and then really settled out with blocking.  And, the more comfortable I became with the reforming process, the wonkiness diminished as well.  

Hope this helps.  Good luck!  Loretta

5 years ago
Brilliant, Loretta!

That way Cynthia doesn't have to worry about how to position the knit and purl stitches on the machine needles

5 years ago
Cynthia,

Although I have never used hand-knitted ribbing and rehung on the machine, I have a thought for you:  I have found that when I start my sleeve bottom on WY, then knit the sleeve from bottom to top, then bind-off the top of the sleeve and remove from machine, then knit my ribbing and transfer to MB, then rehang my sleeve bottom from WY and bind-off loosely (roughly your technique), I, too, get a bit of a "balloon" effect at the seam.  I DK if this is related to your problem or not, but is just a thought.

5 years ago
Another idea, Cynthia:  Are you familiar with using a punchcard to create "fake" ribbing?  It's not "real" ribbing, but looks like it.

5 years ago
Loretta, I like your idea. Since I have already knit the back, I will just do a couple more rows stockinette stitch before doing the ribbing. 

Sandee, not familiar with using a punchcard to create “fake� ribbing. I don’t use my punchcards yet. I did use them just to play with to see if they worked, but I am not experienced enough to actually add that to making a sweater.

Hopefully, I will get to that point. I have a lot of punchcards.

Thanks, everyone.

Edited to just correct typos.

5 years ago
Sandee, Can you comment more on the punchard to emulate ribbing idea?  I have a bulky I don't have a ribber for and curious as to the technique vs. reforming stitches . 

5 years ago
[QUOTE username=Patricia McCrindle  Patricia McCrindle userid=6388612 postid=1307885340]Sandee, Can you comment more on the punchard to emulate ribbing idea?  I have a bulky I don't have a ribber for and curious as to the technique vs. reforming stitches . [/QUOTE]

Hang on! Sandee shared it with me and I'm working with it right now ... too cool!   Stay tuned!
Sue

5 years ago
We are holding. I am very curious, too, for when I am more experienced.

5 years ago
Caste on in waste yarn and knit the piece. When you’re finished, pick up the loose stitches at the bottom and add the ribbing. Bind off in rib. You might want to reduce a few stitches across the row so your ribbing doesn’t flare out. Just take a cue from some handknitting patterns and approximate how many stitches you want to subtract, keeping your ribbing pattern intact.

5 years ago
I have done the cast in with waste and that is my plan. I will use smaller needles to make the stitches a little tighter. I was going to match the stitch gauge with the needles but instead I will find a pair of needles that will result in tighter stitches, by handknitting a swatch using the same yarn. If I have to, I will decrease a few stitches, evenly over the stitches. I plan to do this for my sleeves, too.

Once I get the whole sweater process smoothes out, I will work on fancier edges. Right now, the rib is about all I can tackle.