Cleaning up for a sock

 

The white picot frills on the clown showed me the machine needed cleaning.  The cylinder was black, the base of the cam shell oozing black oil.  Soon done, plus extra oil on the uplift cam lugs.  And lo and behold the right uplift cam is now behaving itself so I can knit backwards and forwards without having that to worry about.  I tried out tabbed short socks (meant for wearing in trainers).  Each one has sort of three heels - a small folded one for the tab, a deep one for the heel and a normal one for the toe, so the machine got a good workout.

Next thing to try out is integral pockets.  Plan is to lift all needles out of work except 12, knit on those for 20-30 rows, knit all round again. Finishing edge will have to be done by hand.  The intention is for socks with teddy pockets.  Then to make mini teddies on the Knitmaster.  

I have some brown tweedy yarn, rather stiff, so has to be washed before sewing up.  The handknit pattern has to be adapted.  Due to the small scale of the arms, I decided to knit them wider and roll instead of stuffing them. 

Hung out to dry

 

One kitchen curtain.  Washed, stretched and lightly spray starched in hte vain hpe that it will be the correct size for the windom, which isn't loking likley!

Clowning About

 

 

  

I was looking for another circular sock machine project and came across these little clown purses in an 1989 magazine.  Althought I had done "full size" clowns before, I hadn't made these disembodied ones.  They were done on the Knitmaster, based on 40 sts.  Although they seem small, they would be too gi-normous on a circular I think, even the 60 cylinder.  However, ideal size for Christmas bauble, and as I had still got some of the lavender acrylic that B gave me , instantly thought of lavender bags.  An empty one will hold chocolate coins nicely, and then doesn't look too emaciated to hang back on the tree.  Dark green ones will have some spices and dried lemon verbena in.

 

  

And a full size clown on the 72 stitch cylinder.