...I'm having such a good time...! ...so, this house is certainly starting to look like a knitting factory :-D My Bond knitting machine has been permanently set up for the last couple of weeks (giving all of my hand knitting and other stuff a bit of a holiday!...I will get back to it all, but I'm just having so much fun with the machine right now) :-)I have been sorting through all of the patterns on my 'wish list', and seeing how easy it would be to adapt them....and so far..so good.
Instead of following the patterns as they are written, and trying to get gauge etc, I found it easier to just make up a similar pattern by looking at the picture, and designing it with my Knitware program. I started with this Rowena cardi from Knit 2 Together by Tracy Ullman and Mel Clark...it's just a really basic pattern (that knitted up in a couple of hours), with a really unique tubular edging that is meant to have ribbon threaded through. I'm doing all of the edgings by hand, which along with the seam sewing, is taking longer than the stocking stitch body!
I've also started the Bobble Rib Flower Pullover from Nicky Epstein's Knitting Over the Edge...I just LOVE this jumper and have been planing to make it for ages...the stocking stitch body is done, other than the flower to be swiss darned (duplicate stitched) onto the front...and then, just the ribbing, which will probably take ages. Not sure yet, but I think I might make it bobble-less...?!
I love the successful resurrection of my Bond knitting machine :-)
I do remember now, why I stopped using it all those years ago...I tried to get too adventurous. I figured that if I was going to use a machine to knit, then I wanted it to do everything, including all the ribs and fancy stitches etc...that was my mistake :-( Really, the Bond is a brilliant machine, but it's best feature is it's stocking stitch. By doing all of the stocking stitch on the machine, and all the rest by hand
(fusion knitting) I've got the best of both worlds (and at a very speedy pace!). My girls are calling it 'cheat knitting' ;-DI tested it out on this basic raglan jumper, using Knitware and the 3 balls of self striping yarn I bought from Big W a few months back.
I found some more knitting software called Wild Stitches
which is due for release on September 1st, so I'm really looking forward to giving that a try :-)
...but in the meantime, I'm re-visiting all of my old knitting books and mags to see which patterns I can convert to the Bond (like I need an excuse to spend hours with my head in knitting books!!)
...and a better photo! ...and even better still...it's now a finished singlet :-D
This is the first time that I've used my Bond knitting machine in about 20 years... (can't believe that it's still in perfect working order!). I figured that an easy camisole/singlet would be a good way to ease back into using it...and so far, so good :-) It's probably a bit longer than I wanted, but once the i-cord straps on, it should be good. 
One of the problems I had with the Bond before, was trying to find good patterns to make on it, but now that I don't need specific patterns (thanks to my free Knitware program :-D), finding something to knit is as easy as! ... and it is so, so , SO quick :-)
That didn't stop me however, buying this hardback copy of Square Knits by Angela King and Caroline Baker, from the Op Shop!...I remember drooling over this book when it first came out in 1985 (!), but at ten pounds, it was way beyond my budget ... I was more than happy to pay a dollar fifty for it this week though... and with all of the retro fashions in the shops right now, it doesn't even look that out-dated :-)
My Tube Top from Fitted Knits is really easy, and nice to work on...the centre panel has a Rusted Root look about it, but the pattern is a whole lot easier to follow :-) I'm going to add straps to it, not only because I think it'll look better, but also to help keep it up...it's turning out bigger than I imagined, but as I was planning on wearing something underneath it anyway, it shouldn't really matter..(my fingers are crossed!)*edit* I've just realised that the singlet picture is too dark to see...I'll try taking some better shots this afternoon, now that the sun is out :-)
...I'm having such a good time...! ...so, this house is certainly starting to look like a knitting factory :-D My Bond knitting machine has been permanently set up for the last couple of weeks (giving all of my hand knitting and other stuff a bit of a holiday!...I will get back to it all, but I'm just having so much fun with the machine right now) :-)
I've also started the Bobble Rib Flower Pullover from Nicky Epstein's Knitting Over the Edge...I just LOVE this jumper and have been planing to make it for ages...the stocking stitch body is done, other than the flower to be swiss darned (duplicate stitched) onto the front...and then, just the ribbing, which will probably take ages. Not sure yet, but I think I might make it bobble-less...?!
