The manuscript for my latest book on machine knitting has gone to the publishers, (printers)

The Machine Knitter’s Guide to Partial Knitting; Seamless Pattern, Shape and Form

I wrote this post last July, and thought I would share it with you in retrospect, as the book has now gone to  print.

July 2025

Finally, after a long and fraught 18 months it is done!

I signed the book contract only a few weeks before we moved house. After several false starts with the sale of the house we thought we would be staying for a while and would lose the property we wanted to purchase. However, the way it happened in the end meant that we had to rush into moving in a 3 week window.

Which meant of course that we had to pack what we hadn’t already packed in a hurry, and organize everything else and then move and organize this end when we arrived. Settling in took far longer than anticipated due to unanticipated building work through last summer. It wasn’t until late autumn that I was able to safely unpack a machine and start to knit and write in earnest. Then the arrival of our first grandchild interrupted my flow for a while, the sun shone and the garden needed work done. All in all, let’s say life got in the way!

The last month has been full-on working on the book, so it was wonderful to finally send it off. Of course they will be editorial suggestions and corrections to do, and then a final check once it is laid out for printing, so it’s not finished yet.

May 2026

If you have persevered and read to this point, you might like to know what the book is about. This book, my third about machine knitting focuses on short rows, or partial knitting. It is suitable for any machine with holding position, single bed, double bed, plastic or metal bed, and any gauge. I particularly wanted to include the popular plastic bed, mid-gauge machines like the LK150. Rather than struggle to emulate the punchcard machines with repeating patterns, short row pattern and shaping can be as easily done on either type of machine.

What a lovely review of ‘Single and Double Bed Machine Knitting; the Designer’s Guide’

November’s edition of Machine Knitting Monthly has a great review of ‘Single and Double Bed Machine Knitting; the Designer’s Guide’. Amongst other nice things, they mention the broad scope of the book’s contents. I deliberately wrote so that it is suitable for any machine owner from Brother to Passap with lots of hints and tips to work on different types of machines. Thank you Machine Knitting Monthly!

Read excerpts from the review here.

Proofreading ‘Single and Double Bed Machine Knitting; the Designer’s Guide’

I am now part way through proofreading my latest book. It’s a lot knottier checking double bed as well as single bed instructions!

The book covers, without stating the obvious, single and double bed machine knitting techniques and design. Brother,  Silver reed/Knitmaster are the main machines, but Passap machines are also included in some sections.

Step by step instructions are illustrated as well as explained in the text and at the end of each chapter there is a Design Studio exploring how to develop the techniques discussed in the first part of the chapter.

It’s got to be done before Christmas, so early mornings and late nights are the order of the day. I’m baking mince pies when taking a rest from the screen.

If you enjoyed Translating Between Hand and Machine Knitting, or are looking for the definitive book on machine knitting I think to will want this book.  You will be able to pre-order soon so keep an eye out.

‘Single and Double Bed Machine Knitting’; The Designer’s Guide‘ will be published in Spring 2023. Yippee.

Passap E6000 has been woken up

After years in the doldrums of the spare room, I have finally got this machine somewhere I can get to work on it properly.

I am fortunate to have instruction manual, pattern book and several knowledgeable authors books on the subject, which have helped a lot. But still it took me a while to remember what I had forgotten and learn a few new things – or maybe I had totally forgotten these?

It’s an early model so at the moment won’t take downloads – (or is it uploads) from Designaknit, but I hope to rectify that soon. Meanwhile I need to get up to speed. Luckily it’s just the programming as I am confident on Duomatics and all their dials, buttons and foibles, and do love the knit quality from a Passap.

I am slightly ashamed to be sharing such a basic sample, but will do so nevertheless.

Pattern 1030 in single row tuck stitch Knit Tech 129.

Not being able to switch patterns mid swatch is really annoying compared to the Japanese electronics which are more flexible. It seems all the patterns and knit techs have to be input before to start. Or am I missing something?

I remembered that I can skip through a cast on that is already knitted and on the machine to a pre-programmed pattern using GX and empty rows. But am stumped by having to have input all my patterns before I start. I feel sure I worked out how to do this before…

Back to the machine for another test run now.