Why should I go to the MKAV Seminar?

This question was put to me by one of the new wave of machine knitters. Why would I spend quite a bit of money to spend a weekend listening to presenters I have never heard of, demonstrating projects of unknown merit, on machines different from the one I own?

For a start, it is a pleasant way to spend a weekend. The Hemisphere Conference Centre http://www.hemisphere.com.au/?gclid=CKarzqCPk6cCFUeApAodSjUzfg is a part of Holmesglen TAFE, with lots of good lunch and morning and afternoon teas (special dietary requirements catered for with notice) included in the deal. Friday and Saturday night dinners optional extras.

There is an hotel within the centre where many of the local as well as the interstate knitters stay. It too is a model establishment. Book early if you hope to stay.

It is the biggest gathering of machine knitters you are likely to find. And all of them thrilled to explain just how to do that technique in that ...pullover, baby blanket, cactus sculpture or whatever.

There will be traders of all things machine knitting. Even Reynolds, the last(?) new machine dealer in Australia, is expected. Tony Bennett, from WA will have a trading stand as well as being a star presenter. There is no arrangement for checking out the traders without signing on for the Seminar. If you are desperate, but able to afford one of the optional dinners, you could maybe come as a guest and hope that the traders have time to trade as well as eat.

Then there is the ' Think not what your Country can do for you' element. The machine knitting community is too small to have separate and exclusive groups. The community needs the new knitters to bring new ideas and new ways of doing things into an organisation formed in a previous era.

And there is always the possibility that you will get something out of the presentations. Don't worry that most of the presenters use Brothers and you use a Singer. the differences don't count. And some things are not machine dependent at all. Tony Bennett, who has made a living from all things machine knitting for years now, has a mantra, 'It's not a mistake, it's a design feature' And his loyal followers shout out the coda, 'And you can charge extra for that!'


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A bigger version

Trying out the different technologies to put photos on a blog. I wonder if this gives  better definition of the penguins?  Click on the image for a much closer view.

I found it!

 

I thought that this photo had mysteriously vanished from my files. I'm so happy to have found my favourite machine knit group project. And a Southern hemisphere festive icon.

It was displayed at the last MKAV Seminar, in the Club Projects competition. (yes, there is another coming up. and the Brunswick club can put in our own entry if we are strong enough) Due to the tyranny of democracy it did not win the popular vote - the display from the largest club took out that honour. The numerically strong and stylistically daring Moonee Ponds group might have taken the popular vote with Barbie and Ken and friends all kitted out in winter woollies, frolicing in the snow, except that it is known that several members gave their votes to the penguins.

If anyone wants to worry about whether machine knitting counts as hand made, just consider these penguins. All made from the same pattern, by different knitters on different machines, using whatever scraps of suitably coloured yarn came to hand. Each penguin a distinctive character.

Made by the knitters in Elaine's East Malvern club, concept developed by Joan.

A Christmas project

If you are related to me, and geographically close, you are almost certainly going to get a scarf for Christmas. Provided I keep up my one completed project a day pace. I'm already a day behind, but the day is barely middle aged.

Being in the southern half of the planet, it is best to take into account the summer solstice, and make something that can be worn in hot weather.
A perfect project is the floating squiggles scarf, invented by Angela McGregor, energetic and creative machine knitter, and current President of the MKAV.

This is the version I made immediately after Angela made her rust and mustard version on a bulky machine loosest tension

My black and pink version is made on a standard gauge knitting machine, using every second needle. It could just as well be hand knitted, but in that case I would use garter stitch and large needles.

The yarns used are Avril Silk / Stainless steel, and Habu Nerimaki. These are available in Melbourne from Dairing http://www.dairing.com.au/ and from other retailers both local and international.

The stainless steel yarn holds its interesting memory characteristics. The cotton yarn does not weigh it down used so sparingly, and it shows off the beauty of the thick and thin slub yarn. And it is super easy.
Here is the pattern, for anyone in need of a quick but interesting gift project.

Pattern
Cast on 41 stitches
Knit with loosest tension, stocking stitch
Every 3rd row, add the Nerimaki into the yarn feeder, remove at the end of the row
Knit 300 rows, give or take
Cast off

Notes. Don't break the decorative thread, just take it out of the yarn feeder and hitch it over the end of the machine until you pick it up again a couple of rows later.

If you are using a retail sized cone of the stainless yarn, Just knitting to the end of the cone gives a reasonable length for the scarf. The Nerimaki will go a long way used in this pattern. You might get two scarves out of it.

The compliments of the season to you all

spreading the virus

Hello there, let me introduce myself. I'm a new machine knitter and right now I am doing my very best to pass on the machine knitting virus. Not that machine knitting is new, and not that it really needs me, but ever since my Singer 321 found its way from the op shop to me, the disease has taken hold and is spreading.

I really wasn't looking to catch a new craft affliction. I have plenty of work managing my sewing and hand knitting disabilities, as well as the occasional period recovering from forays into more obscure craft lands, but this one got me when my resistance was down and I am beginning to suspect it might be a disease with no cure.

And now it seems quite a few of my friends have been struck down and like the enabler I have always been, I am now sourcing machines and yarn and passing on details of clandestine Tuesday night knitting sessions for fellow sufferers.

I am also doing my best to try and come up with helpful ways to ease the passage through the early stages of infection, the time when everything is exciting but also kind of scary and overwhelming. When so much more is unknown than known and when our minds start to fight the infection with every minor frustration.

Persistence is the key, but so too is company. I feel a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Association, and Christine in particular for helping me keep the faith, solve problems, clean the machine, lend expertise and share many hours of companionable knit talk.

I'm buying up coned and lace weight yarns like there's no tomorrow and just loving seeing all the different fabrics the machine can make. Right now I'm hard at work on my first proper garment and I'm already planning a second. I can't wait to publish the patterns on Ravelry and see others try them too.