#knittingpirate — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #knittingpirate, aggregated by home.social.
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A conversation about knitting jokes in comic strips reminded me of this drawing I made of Husband and me.
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A conversation about knitting jokes in comic strips reminded me of this drawing I made of Husband and me.
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Best machine-knitting advice I've got:
"Move slowly, because stitches are easily startled... if you startle the stitches, they'll jump and run away."
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Best machine-knitting advice I've got:
"Move slowly, because stitches are easily startled... if you startle the stitches, they'll jump and run away."
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I'm glad to have friends who tell me about semi-sekrit yarn downsizing/destashing sales. This one had $5 cones...
Now, what am I going to make with such fine silk?
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I'm glad to have friends who tell me about semi-sekrit yarn downsizing/destashing sales. This one had $5 cones...
Now, what am I going to make with such fine silk?
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And oh yeah! I got to do a photoshoot with the green sweater before this wicked heat wave rolled in!
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/05/19/in-which-the-pirate-has-a-new-sweater/
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And oh yeah! I got to do a photoshoot with the green sweater before this wicked heat wave rolled in!
https://www.knittingpirate.com/2026/05/19/in-which-the-pirate-has-a-new-sweater/
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Hmmm, where on a sweater is the best place to put a band of colourwork? I don't want it too high... or too low... but this looks just right.
(This is a future machine-knit project. Please imagine 2" of solid ribbing at the hems/cuffs and also a neckline; the design software doesn't include that for some reason, but it will be on the actual sweater. I'm thinking black for the cuffs/hem and pink for the neckline.)
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Hmmm, where on a sweater is the best place to put a band of colourwork? I don't want it too high... or too low... but this looks just right.
(This is a future machine-knit project. Please imagine 2" of solid ribbing at the hems/cuffs and also a neckline; the design software doesn't include that for some reason, but it will be on the actual sweater. I'm thinking black for the cuffs/hem and pink for the neckline.)
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Sometimes I just sort of stare at what I've made for a while. Like... I did this? with my hands and some sticks and string? How freaking cool is that.
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Sometimes I just sort of stare at what I've made for a while. Like... I did this? with my hands and some sticks and string? How freaking cool is that.
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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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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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The Extra Lite Bright sweater is all done, washed, and laid out to dry! And I'm already swatching for the next one, which will be the Calluna Pullover with this gorgeous yarn I got for my birthday in January.
Calluna has two different patterned stitches, and gauge is specified for both along with stockinette. I don't want to assume that just because I get gauge in stockinette, I will also get gauge in the pattern stitches - or is that actually a valid assumption?
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The Extra Lite Bright sweater is all done, washed, and laid out to dry! And I'm already swatching for the next one, which will be the Calluna Pullover with this gorgeous yarn I got for my birthday in January.
Calluna has two different patterned stitches, and gauge is specified for both along with stockinette. I don't want to assume that just because I get gauge in stockinette, I will also get gauge in the pattern stitches - or is that actually a valid assumption?
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Got 18 rounds of ribbing done on each sleeve cuff, but my hands are done holding needles for tonight. I'm SO close to being done with this sweater (and so ready to start the next one!)
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Got 18 rounds of ribbing done on each sleeve cuff, but my hands are done holding needles for tonight. I'm SO close to being done with this sweater (and so ready to start the next one!)
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And finally, A HAT.
It might fit a child but still, I have proven my concept!
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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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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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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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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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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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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/ -
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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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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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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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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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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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/ -
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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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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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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This is a lot of yarn :)
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This is a lot of yarn :)
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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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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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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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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.)
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😈 . 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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😇 . 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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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 :)