Machine Knitting provides you with the  fantastic opportunity of creating the garment of your choice that suits YOU; it enables you to select the style, the yarn quality, as well as the colour, texture and size.

In principle machine knitting is no more difficult than casting on, casting off, increasing, decreasing and putting on hold. These very basic skills can be acquired from the instruction book supplied with the machine or in one, maximum two lessons. However there are a few other aspects to consider. For instance where to apply a particular technique to achieve a certain style, texture or finishing. Patterns in general will give you a lot of the information required, but specialized topics have to be developed over a period of time. Machine Knitting Monthly, a magazine totally dedicated to machine knitting will not only give you useful information about knitting it will also keep you abreast with the latest in machine knitting.

What makes a perfect garment?

It is the right combination of yarn, colour, style and most importantly the finishing. While style and colour is a question of taste the yarn and the finishing is the essential feature that will determine the general appearance of any garment.

THE YARN

It takes the same effort to produce a garment in a good quality yarn as it does in low quality. Also a good quality yarn is much easier to knit with. With good quality yarn no fancy stitch patterns are required to give it some texture and the garment a reasonable appearance because the yarn speaks for itself.

And, very importantly, if a mistake is made or if you change your mind, good quality yarn can easily be unravelled and re-knitted.

THE FINISHING

To achieve easily a neat finish and good appearance it is necessary to incorporate certain methods whilst knitting. One very simple example is a cast-off : if your cast-off is too tight there is no way of achieving a perfect seam with this tight cast-off; whereby, if you work the correct cast-off the finishing is easy and you can produce a perfect seam.

Hence my books on finishing are called KNIT TO FINISH. It describes in step-by-step instructions, all supported with diagrams and photos, the techniques required when knitting a garment and the finishing of a garment, applicable to all types of domestic knitting machines without any extra gadgets as those supplied with the machine.

What machine is the best?

All domestic machines are very much the same and most importantly it is not necessary to have an expensive and sometimes complicated machine to produce a nice, good looking, smart garment. Standard gauge machines including double bed machines like Passap, Pfaff and Singer produce excellent results and patterns are easily available. All the Designs and Patterns featured on this site are knitted on standard gauge machines. Knitted garments sold in boutiques are very often produced on a domestic standard gauge machine. Fine gauge machines are desirable but there are not many patterns available.

A Ribber attachment is the most useful accessory for any knitting machine. It allows you to work professionally ribbed welts and cuffs, as well as many different front bands and trimmings. In addition, it lets you create a variety of different textures and, if the machine has a two or more colour pattern facility, a variety of double bed/jacquard textures.