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(Yarn is a long continuous length of
interlocked fibers)
Yarn is produced by spinning raw wool
fibers, linen, cotton, or other material on a spinning
wheel to produce long strands known as yarn
Textiles are formed by weaving, knitting, crocheting,
knotting, or pressing fibers together.
Yarn is a long continuous length of
interlocked fibers, suitable for use in the
production of textiles, sewing, crocheting,
knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking. Thread is a type of yarn
intended for sewing by hand or machine.
Modern manufactured sewing threads may be finished with wax or other lubricant to withstand
the stresses involved in sewing. Embroidery
threads are yarns specifically designed for hand or machine embroidery.
Knitting is a craft by which thread or yarn may be turned into
cloth. Similar to crochet, knitting consists of loops called
stitches pulled through each other. Knitting differs from crochet in
that multiple stitches are 'active', or in use, at the same time,
and crochet uses a single tool, a crochet hook, instead of a minimum
of two knitting needles. The active stitches are held on a needle
until another loop can be passed through them with a second
needle.
Which Machine
Uses Which Yarn?
Knitting machines are commonly referred
to as Fine Gauge, Standard Gauge, Mid-Gauge, and Bulky. This
generally correlates to the thickness of the yarn that each will
knit. However, there are so many variables that specific answers are
very difficult to get. Needle spacing and hook size are important
factors. Passap knitting machines have needles spaced at 3, 5 and 10
mm. Brother and KnitKing machines are available in 4.5 mm. The newly
introduced Artisan Knitting Machines are available in 7.0 and 4.5
mm. One need not think in terms of just those gauges: for example,
it is possible to knit on every other needle or even every third
needle. This can enable you to knit a heavier yarn that produces a
stiff fabric when knitted on every needle. The rule of thumb is
whether a yarn passes easily through the feeding eyelet if an eyelet
system is used. The Passap Vario knitter doesn't have feeding
eyelet, and the yarn size limitation is then determined by the hook
size of the needle.
For Passap's most popular machines, the
E-6000 and the DM-80, the 5 mm needle pitch will knit up to a sport
weight yarn. Please remember, that this doesn't mean it will knit
every sport weight yarn, but if the yarn passes easily
through the feeding eyelet, then you can likely knit it on these
machines. Generally, the Passap Vario will knit from 500 yards per
pound to about 4000 yards per pound. The Passap E-6000 and the DM-80
machines like yarns from about 1500 yards per pound to about 5000
yards per pound. The Passap E-8000 is happiest with 2500 yards per
pound to about 8000 yards per pound. Remember that these are
guidelines and are not guarantees!
There is no requirement that knitting
machines must only use conned yarn. Yarn in honks, balls and skins
can be used with knitting machines. Just make sure the yarn smoothly
feeds from the center of the ball and your knitting machine will get
along just fine!
Knitting machines give back what they are
fed: very hard yarn isn't going to improve by knitting it on a
machine. Poor quality yarn may be too difficult to knit because it
has not been finished to pass smoothly through the knitting machine.
Yarns with very big bumps may not knit successfully because the
bumps are too big for the needle hook and the stitch
drops.
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Terms You Will
Hear
When learning about knitting machines,
there is a vocabulary that can be very foreign. Here are some terms
to help you understand our lingo:
Standard Gauge: Knitting machines with 5
mm or 4.5 mm needle pitch. Also known as 6 or 7 cut machines.
Bulky Gauge: Knitting machines with 9 or 10 mm needle pitch.
Also known as 2 or 3 cut machines. Fine Gauge: Knitting machines
with 3 or fewer mm needle pitch. Called 8 or higher cut. Cut:
Generally means number of needles per inch on the needle
bed. Fair Isle: This is a type of knitting that originated in the
Fair Isles near Great Britain. The term has come to mean any type of
knitting that has a multiple color pattern knitted into the
fabric. Jacquard: A method to pattern in weaving that used a
punchcard system. As knitting machines came to use punchcards to
create patterns in knitting, Jacquard was used to describe a
repeating pattern in knitting. This is also referred to as Fair Isle
knitting. Double Jacquard: This is Jacquard knitting on one face
of a double knitted fabric. Full Fashioned: Knitting that is
shaped during the knitting process so that the finished piece has
bound off edges on all sides. Single Bed: This is a
flat bed of needles. It produces jersey, or stocking stitch
knitting. Some single bed machines have the ability to knit Fair
Isle patterns. Double Bed: This is a knitting machine with 2 beds
of needles. It can do knit and purl stitches in a single row. Passap
double bed knitting machines can pattern on both beds. The beds are
in an inverted "V" so that the knitted fabric is formed with the
yarn evenly tensioned between the beds. This is important because
the elasticity of ribbing, for example, can be affected by bed
distance and angle. Passap double bed knitting machines are fitted
to their chassis at the factory, so that the bed distance is within
a close tolerance for greater knitting consistency. The next two
terms apply to machines that aren't Passap knitting machines:
Main bed: The single needle bed that has
patterning capabilities. Ribber bed: The bed that, when put
with a main bed, gives the ability to make knit and purl
stitches on the same row.
Strippers: The Passap double bed knitting
machines knit without weights. The patented Stripper System pushes
the stitches off the needles as they are knit. This is opposed to a
weight dependent system that pulls the knitting from the needles.
Depending on what you are knitting, Passap Strippers come in
different shapes to facilitate the creation of the desired effect.
Lock: This is the mechanism that causes the needles to knit,
slip or tuck as it passes over the needle bed. Carriage: This is
the same thing as a Lock. Cam Box: This is the same thing as a
Lock. Bobbles: Yes, knitting machines can knit bobbles. There are
a number of ways to create them, and your Passap dealer can discuss
this with you. Cables: Yes, knitting machines do cables! This is
hand manipulated technique you can learn from your Passap
dealer. Schematics: These are the drawings of garment shapes that
are used to help a knitter see the individual parts of a garment.
Shaping features: Knitting machines use a number of ways
to help you create the desired shape of a knitted piece. There are
software programs that use a PC to design a shape and electronically
transmit the information to the knitting machine. There is a
built-in feature on the Passap E-6000 that enables a knitter to use
any of about 1000 published garment shapes with any yarn, stitch
pattern and knitting technique to make a garment to their unique
desires and size. This is the Form Program. Also in use, but no
longer available as a new product, is the Form Computer. It has the
same function as the Form Program but was sold for use with the
DM-80. Even older still, the Passap Forma, which used special paper
for the knitter to draw their desired shape to scale for the machine
to help the knitter create garments. Stands: Passap double
bed machines require a stand. There are 2 models available. The
Artisan mid-gauge comes with a stand. The Passap Vario, Brother and
KnitKing, and the Artisan standard gauge machines can be clamped to
any horizontal surface and do not need a special stand.
Check out How Machine Knit (double Knit)2 x 1 Rib Spandex In
this Video
Click on the picture to watch the video
please

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