Hand Manipulated Stitches- Machine Knitters

A friend of mine has just started exploring the delights of working with a knitting machine.

copyright Taunton Books

I hopped up and down,

pointing at this totally

awesome book that I

bought more than 15 years ago.

Luckily,

Hand Manipulated Stitches

for Machine Knitters

by Susan Guagliumi,

published by Taunton Press,

in 1990, is still available.

This book is stuffed full of

useful ways of maximizing

the creative possibilities of working with knitting machines.

It’s one of those ‘foundation’ books that you just have to have if you are going to be using the knitting machine as a tool in your fiber arts.

I am soooooooooo glad that it is still in print, and I hope that it will stay in print for a long long time…. this book is an excellent textbook on making gorgeous, complex fabrics on  the knitting machine. The secret is in  using simple tools that you use to move the stitches around in logical and fascinating sequences.

I’ve been working with knitting machines for decades. I actually bought my first knitting machine when I was 15 years old.

I have owned many different knitting machines over the years, and at this point, am down to just one- a rather simple bulky style machine that doesn’t read cards, but still allows me to make all manner of fun stuff.

Here are a few links to posts that I have written about  few knitting machine projects:

Working short rows to knit a round baby blanket: a-baby-blankie-for-fathers-day/
and here’s a quick tute on a super simple lace edging:
a-lace-edging-worked-on-a-knitting-machine

Using a knitting machine to make the edging for handwoven placemats: knitting-machine-edging-for-woven-placemats/

Knitting machines have much in common with looms, and many weavers are quite fluent on both knitting machines and looms. Both have so much potential for creating absolutely glorious fiber arts. Bliss. Pure bliss.