Curly the Bear for Machine Knitting

Curly the Bear has what I think is an interesting story behind it. Before purchasing my first machine, I bought a few magazines. One of them had a pattern for a wonderful teddy bear in it for standard gauge Japanese machines. However, in the end, I bought a Passap double bed machine, which works differently than the Japanese ones. I still wanted to make that teddy bear though. So I asked my teacher about it (my Passap came with 10 lessons) and she said "Oh, you can't make stuffed animals on a Passap." I was quite taken aback by that. I thought the statement ludicrous. I determined to figure out how to do it on my own.

The magazine with the teddy bear pattern disappeared. To this day, I don't know where it is. So I ended up figuring out a way to make one on my own. Curly was the result. I took him to my very next lesson and pointed out that stuffed animals can too be made on a Passap.

This particular pattern, however , is not written for the Passap machine. (I'm not sure I'll even put it up here because I don't think there'd be an interest.) Japanese machine owners kept asking me to convert the pattern for their machines, so I did. For 4.5mm standard gauge knitting machines, I present:

Curly the Bear by Precious Knits

Knit in 3/15 (fingering) weight acrylic, there are instructions for two sizes of Curly. The pieces are knitted flat, then sewn. Polyester fiberfill is used for stuffing. The hair is knit on the machine, then sewn on to the head. I used purchased shank back eyes because once they are on they are impossible to take off, but one could embroider eyes on just as easily. Either way, they should be safe for babies.

Linky --->   Curly the Bear

I do my best to make these patterns accurate, but even still there might be errors. Please let me know if there are by posting a comment here.

Live long and prosper! \\// 

The Pillow Car - A Machine Knitting Pattern

This pattern is for machine knitting.

The Pillow Car by Precious Knits

Back in the 90's I was very much into knitting machines. (At one point I actually owned 9 of them. Now I have just 4- my favorites and the ones I would actually use.) I wrote and published a few patterns. This one appeared in the now defunct Machine Knitters Source magazine. Later, under the name Precious Knits, I sold it at machine knitting seminars (also teaching classes) and by mail order. I have decided to offer the few patterns here that I wrote for free to all those machine knitters who are still hanging in there. I'm starting with this one.

The Pillow Car is written for  the 4.5 standard gauge machines like Brother, Studio, Silver-Reed, and Toyota. I know most of these machines are no longer being manufactured, but there are still a lot of people out there who own and use them.

Finished size is about 10 inches long. The little people are 5 inches tall. Yarn used is a 3/15 (fingering) weight acrylic. The toy is completely machine washable if you use washable yarn, and safe for babies.  

Linky ----->    The Pillow Car

I Won't Do That Again.

Well, I learned something. Don't post a pattern before it's been test knitted. My daughter found more errors than I could shake a stick at in the entrelac mitts pattern. I am mortified and embarrassed. I couldn't find anything wrong. Just goes to show, test knitting is valuable.

My apologies to the people who downloaded it before the corrected version. Rest assured, what's there now is correct.

A Rainbow for My Hand

 I have decided to go ahead and put this pattern online even though I'm not quite done with the test knitting yet. I'm just too excited about it.

This design was actually inspired by another design for Entrelac fingerless mitts. I have shortened it, written it for knitting on 2 circular needles rather than double points, and improved the instructions so it fits better, taking care of the problems I had with the other pattern.

 It features 2x2 rib for the cuffs and top with small Entrelac blocks in between. By decreasing and increasing the sizes of the blocks, I have succeeded in shaping the mitt for a better fit. It is written to fit a womans hand with about an 8 inch circumference. Finished length is 9 inches.

This design works best with yarns that have long color repeats. The model was made using Ty-Dy Socks from Knit One Crochet Too. Other yarns I would recommend are Noro Kureyon Sock, Mini Mochi from Crystal Palace Yarns, Poems Sock by Wisdom Yarns, and Zauberball by Schoppel-Wolle. (I'm curious how it would look using some of the Jacquard yarns, though.)


Click on the following link to download:

A Rainbow for My Hands

I do my best to make these patterns accurate, but even still there might be errors. Please let me know if there are by posting a comment here.

Live long and prosper! \\// 

ETA: 4/26/2011 Errors were found in the pattern. Official version now posted.

Captain Picard Would Wear These Socks

I have been a life long fan of Star Trek in all it's forms. I recently finished a pair of socks that I call my Star Trek socks.

 I decided to write up the pattern and share it. They're done in a sport weight yarn of Captain Picard Red, metallic gold, and black using size 3 needles. It's a fairly simple pattern.

 There's no reason why a person couldn't do them in Captain Kirk gold, Spock blue (you get two choices there), or even Deanna Trois lavender. Or perhaps you'd rather have Gorn green. Whatever the color you choose, I hope you enjoy these socks.

Click on the link to download:

Captain Picard Would
Wear These Socks

I do my best to make these patterns accurate, but even still there might be errors. Please let me know if there are by posting a comment here.

Live long and prosper! \\//