#knittingpirate — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #knittingpirate, aggregated by home.social.
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Finishing one sweater project and swatching for the next.
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/05/11/in-which-the-pirate-finishes-and-begins-3/
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And finally, A HAT.
It might fit a child but still, I have proven my concept!
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Yet another attempt at machine-knitting this hat (and this time you can see the glorious teal of the knitting machine). I made the plain part of the ribbing longer so it could be folded up. I figured out how to get the decreases to flow nicely from the ribbing pattern. I... ran out of yarn. Anyway here it is still hanging from the needles just after the decreases, which I totally fudged because, again, running out of yarn.
It's such a cool stitch pattern! I want to use it for everything. It uses up so much yarn though... maybe this will be a baby hat.
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I remembered to push the buttons this time! ...but I'm not sure I like how the fabric poufs out after the switch from plain ribbing. I'm going to try again with the mistake-y plain rib from the first attempt as the brim ribbing, and then the tuck rib for the body of the hat.
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If you don't push the tuck buttons, you don't get tuck stitch no matter what needles you select.
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The vintage pushbutton knitting machine developed a set of sticky buttons shortly after it came home with me, which was annoying but not terribly surprising for a 55 year old mechanical object.
I tried to see if I could fix it without taking it apart, but that didn't work. It wasn't actually the buttons that were the problem, it was the sliding needle selector plates which are controlled by the buttons. They're supposed to slide, but they were sticking to each other.
So with great apprehension I took the machine out of its case without breaking a single plastic rivet (there's a trick to it!), removed the pushbutton set, took the needle selector plate assembly apart and cleaned each plate with simple green, then put it back together. Now the buttons are all nicely clicky again and I'm so very pleased with myself.
(I bet this is the same thing I'm going to have to do with the punchcard machine... which is "only" 47 years old. If only the 38-year-old electronic machine could be fixed so easily!)
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I'm working on recreating a hat that I saw in a picture. I was able to find hand-knitting instructions for the cables, but the technique for shifting stitches around on the machine isn't quite the same as doing it by hand. It's easier than I thought it would be, actually :)
This sample is knit at a tension that is too loose for the yarn, but I'm pleased to have figured out how to do the transfers.
Next up, figuring out how to do the decreases for the crown…
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Some hand-knitting techniques translate easily to the machine, but others... not so much. I've been trying different methods for hat decreases to see which is easiest and still looks good. Details & side views at the blog:
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/04/12/in-which-the-pirate-learns-new-hat-decreases/ -
Okay so... I picked up another electronic knitting machine, because the one I already had *won't stop beeping*, and there's no way to make it shut up short of de-soldering the beeper from the circuit board (tempting, but I'm not sure it's fully functioning if something's making it beep like that).
I thought I'd test out the new one by making a hat. Hats are always nice, and if they're a little big or small - well, they'll fit somebody.
And check out this historic artifact that I found in the section of its memory for user uploads!
Blogpost about the new-old machine, if you're interested: https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/04/10/in-which-the-pirate-acquires-another-knitting-machine-2/
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Continuing with my punchcard experiments... this wolf pattern was published in a knitting magazine over 20 years ago. But howling wolves never go out of style, right?
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/03/23/in-which-the-pirate-howls/
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200 clean(ish) standard gauge knitting machine needles after being soaked in 91% isopropyl alcohol and a few drops of oil. I think the pattern of schmutz they made on the cloth is kind of neat.
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I'm looking through one of the pattern books from the vintage knitting machine, and in my head it sounds like a very prim lady from a girls prep school is reading it in a perfect British Educational Filmreel accent.
I don't usually hear words in my head in specific accents as I'm reading them, but this? oh yeah.
Anyway I think maybe I'm gonna try a lace pattern? This one looks pretty.
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After some trial and error, I got the tags to print properly. Now I just have to pop them out and tie them on.
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Custom flip-top mitts (Fleeps!) for my mom. Details on the blog:
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/03/25/in-which-the-pirate-handknits-for-hands/ -
I found the stitch pattern for these cats on Pinterest, then punched my own card for it and knit a hat. Details on the blog: https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/03/24/in-which-the-pirate-has-cats/
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Trying new-to-me techniques on an old knitting machine...
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/03/22/in-which-the-pirate-tries-new-things/
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I successfully knit the wolves, but it took so much manual needle selection 😭 The machine's been brought to the workshop for cleaning & figuring out what's wrong.
Next time I might just do more dark blue ribbing at the brim instead of the 'ground' effect.
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Not only is the electronic knitting machine out of commission, but the 24-stitch punchcard machine is also mispatterning.
Good thing I picked up that 8-button one, I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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First sample off the 8-button knitting machine! I dropped a few stitches in the process of figuring out which needles do/don't select for tucking, oops. But she knits so nicely! The carriage hardly takes any effort to move.
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😇 . o O (You don’t really need it! Save your money.)
🔄️
😈 . o O (But it’s so cool! Maybe the seller will take a lower offer?)long blogpost about this beauty: https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/03/11/in-which-the-pirate-does-something-impulsive
video of needle selection mechanism: https://youtu.be/LEx08_ZiOk8
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It followed me home, can I keep it? 😂
I'll write a blog post about this vintage find in the next day or two, but here are some pictures for now :)
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Battery replacement didn't stop the machine from beeping, but it can't stop me from planning ahead - I tried something new and drafted a sweater pattern based on a fleece that fits me perfectly. I hope this works out!
Details on the blog: https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/02/28/in-which-the-pirate-measures-and-drafts/
#KnittingPirate #KnittingMachine #MachineKnitting #knit #sweater #PatternDrafting
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Battery replacement didn't stop the machine from beeping, but it can't stop me from planning ahead - I tried something new and drafted a sweater pattern based on a fleece that fits me perfectly. I hope this works out!
Details on the blog: https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/02/28/in-which-the-pirate-measures-and-drafts/
#KnittingPirate #KnittingMachine #MachineKnitting #knit #sweater #PatternDrafting
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Battery replacement didn't stop the machine from beeping, but it can't stop me from planning ahead - I tried something new and drafted a sweater pattern based on a fleece that fits me perfectly. I hope this works out!
Details on the blog: https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/02/28/in-which-the-pirate-measures-and-drafts/
#KnittingPirate #KnittingMachine #MachineKnitting #knit #sweater #PatternDrafting
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Battery replacement didn't stop the machine from beeping, but it can't stop me from planning ahead - I tried something new and drafted a sweater pattern based on a fleece that fits me perfectly. I hope this works out!
Details on the blog: https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/02/28/in-which-the-pirate-measures-and-drafts/
#KnittingPirate #KnittingMachine #MachineKnitting #knit #sweater #PatternDrafting
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Battery replacement didn't stop the machine from beeping, but it can't stop me from planning ahead - I tried something new and drafted a sweater pattern based on a fleece that fits me perfectly. I hope this works out!
Details on the blog: https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/02/28/in-which-the-pirate-measures-and-drafts/
#KnittingPirate #KnittingMachine #MachineKnitting #knit #sweater #PatternDrafting
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Perhaps all-over tuck stitch was not the best idea... I've had a critical gauge failure and will be unraveling all the pieces of the blue sweater, which was supposed to be the same size as the purple one.
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/02/26/in-which-the-pirate-refuses-to-be-disheartened/
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Perhaps all-over tuck stitch was not the best idea... I've had a critical gauge failure and will be unraveling all the pieces of the blue sweater, which was supposed to be the same size as the purple one.
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/02/26/in-which-the-pirate-refuses-to-be-disheartened/
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Perhaps all-over tuck stitch was not the best idea... I've had a critical gauge failure and will be unraveling all the pieces of the blue sweater, which was supposed to be the same size as the purple one.
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/02/26/in-which-the-pirate-refuses-to-be-disheartened/
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Perhaps all-over tuck stitch was not the best idea... I've had a critical gauge failure and will be unraveling all the pieces of the blue sweater, which was supposed to be the same size as the purple one.
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/02/26/in-which-the-pirate-refuses-to-be-disheartened/
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Perhaps all-over tuck stitch was not the best idea... I've had a critical gauge failure and will be unraveling all the pieces of the blue sweater, which was supposed to be the same size as the purple one.
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/02/26/in-which-the-pirate-refuses-to-be-disheartened/
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I reworked the shape of the top of my hat pattern, and tried again - this version is a lot better!
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/02/24/in-which-the-pirate-reshapes/
#KnittingPirate #knitting #KnittingMachine #StrandedColorwork
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Well, I *tried* to knit today... but it was one of those days at the machine where if there was a setting to set, a button to push, a knob to turn, or a yarn to change, I forgot to do that thing.
Anyway I’m just gonna be over here unraveling this hat and re-winding the yarn so I can start again tomorrow, hopefully with more mindful attention to the instructions.
(Anyone who thinks machine knitting is "cheating" really ought to try it and see what the learning curve is like.)
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First attempt at a machine-knit shaped colourwork crown was... well, let's just say I'm glad I'd already considered this to be a prototype hat before I got started. I think a pompom will fix it, though :)
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/02/14/in-which-the-pirate-is-crowned/
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Seven years ago today I began making this blanket on my new-to-me knitting machine, a Brother KH-230, which I clamped to my coffee table because I had nowhere else to put it yet, and found myself headfirst down one of the most enjoyable hobby-related rabbitholes I've ever found.
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It's a good start even if it's not very piratical. (My first thought was to make the yarn tail into the 'teeth' of the skull, but it looked so cheesy.)
ETA: This is going to be printed in a very small size on a merchandise tag, so I can't put too much detail. I haven't done a print test yet.
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Having fun making hats (and building up inventory for next fall/winter's holiday market).
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/02/04/in-which-the-pirate-is-stranded/
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I have old cones of yarn meant for machine knitting (maybe weaving?), and I've been testing them to see if they're good. Once I knew the yarn wouldn't break apart under tension, I tried a few new stitches...
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/01/20/in-which-the-pirate-tests-cones/
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The previously knit-and-washed swatch is at the top of the picture, and today's piece is across the bottom - this fabric changes when it's washed, mostly shrinking vertically.
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Today I knit up the first sleeve of the tuck stitch sweater I've been planning. I should wash and measure it to make sure all my calculations were right before I go on and knit any other pieces, I know...
It does look like it will be the right size once it is washed and shrinks up a bit in the vertical direction! But I should make certain. That would be the right thing to do. *firmnod*
#KnittingPirate #Knitting #KnittingDesign #MachineKnitting #SweaterWeather
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Remade the hat with a more appropriate amount of ribbing :)
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Being in the car for 17 hours this week was key to finishing this pair of socks so quickly.
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2025/12/27/in-which-the-pirate-knits-so-quickly/
#KnittingPirate #Knitting #HandKnit #KnitSocks #OperationSockDrawer
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Finishing one pair, and starting the next!
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2025/12/21/in-which-the-pirate-finishes-and-begins-2/
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My new colourwork socks are done! I tried two different techniques for short-rowing on the heels, and both of them worked well. All sorts of details on the blog, if you're interested: https://www.knittingpirate.com/2025/12/10/in-which-the-pirate-cranks-out-socks/
#KnittingPirate #Knitting #MachineKnitting #OperationSockDrawer
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Second sock is done except for seaming and the toe, which will happen tomorrow.
#KnittingPirate #knitting #KnittingMachine #SockKnitting #OperationSockDrawer
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After making several plain stockinette sweaters on the knitting machine, I thought it was time to level up and try something more textured... and that calls for swatching. Details on the blog, if you're interested :)
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2025/10/22/in-which-the-pirate-swatches-8/
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New socks day! (Not that it's cold enough to wear them, yet.) I knit the cuff and legs on the machine, and then the plain parts by hand.
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2025/09/17/in-which-the-pirate-finishes-hybrid-socks/
#KnittingPirate #knitting #MachineKnitting #OperationSockDrawer
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I don't enjoy knitting fine-gauge colourwork on DPNs, so I knit the cuffs/legs of these socks on the machine, then switched to hand-knitting for the plain stockinette feet. And of course, I blogged about it :)
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2025/08/28/in-which-the-pirate-begins-hybrid-socks/
#KnittingPirate #Knitting #MachineKnitting #KnitSocks #OperationSockDrawer @knitting
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Despite multiple issues with the way the pattern was written, I'm really happy with these finished socks! They're thick, squishy, and warm. (And yes, the legs are the same length when one sock isn't turned sideways.)
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2025/08/27/in-which-the-pirate-finishes-cabling/
#KnittingPirate #Knitting #HandKnit #KnitSocks #OperationSockDrawer @knitting