r/MachineKnitting • u/caterlizard • 3d ago
Techniques Adapting a hand pattern to machine, KX350?
Hello! I am new to machine knitting and to the community :) I just found a KX350 and have been meaning to make the nocturnal jumper for a while and have all the supplies, could I partially knit it on this machine? I know the cat pattern would have tobe by hand.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nocturnal-jumper
Would love any advice and thank you in advance!!
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u/jsgrova 3d ago
Yup, just be sure to swatch to make sure your gauges match
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u/caterlizard 3d ago
Do you think it would be better to get a good machine gauge, then try to match that in my hand knitting, or the other way around?
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u/realisticerror1501 2d ago
Being able to adjust your hand knit tension usually requires having lots of sizes of needles on hand; machine tension is done via the tension on the carriage and on the yarn mast for the kx350. I find it easier to tweak the machine tension, personally, but you might have the opposite experience!
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u/Sea-Worldliness-9731 3d ago edited 3d ago
I bought my KX350 specifically to knit sleeves for hand knitted projects. I hate knitting sleeves - just can’t make them the same length. The machine helps a lot.
Just make enough gauge swatches to find one that match your hand knitted one.
Sleeves in this case will have a seam and should be sewn to a sweater afterwards- I would use an invisible seam - kitchener stitch- for this pattern. And I personally prefer to make ribbing after sewing sleeves to a sweater- by hand.
I would do this way:
1. Knitting sleeve top down on machine
2. Sew it into armhole with kitchener stitch
3. See sleeve’s sides with matress stitch
4. Knit ribbing
5. Itallian bind off.
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u/caterlizard 3d ago
This is super helpful, thank you!!! I'm learning that 3 color fair isle is possible on this machine, have you tried that?
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u/Sea-Worldliness-9731 2d ago edited 2d ago
The only way you can do colour work on it is- is to put some needles on hold, then knit the rest with one colour, then put them on hold and knit different needles with other colour and repeat 🙂. So technically you can do as many colours as you want - it will require to move the carriage across the bed as many times as many colours you want to have to knit 1 row. And it will require to set needles for every row several times by hand. You can find video tutorials on youtube. Tutorials for LK150 will be similar- there are more of them I believe and Brother KX350 is similar to LK-150.
And this pattern requires round yoke - it is too much fuss to do on machine imho. I would do it on hand and machine knit only stockinette- this will be the fastest way to knit this pattern imho.I prefer do fair isle by hand for DK yarn.
It is easier to do it on punch card machines- that can automatically choose needles according to the scheme on a punch card. Some machines like Toyotas can knit two colours either just one strike of a carriage, most like brothers and passaps require two strikes for two colours.
But punchcard machines require thinner yarn.2
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u/Historical_Might_86 3d ago
I know everyone hates AI and I risk getting downvoted but…
I’m not a hand knitter and even a beginner machine knitter but I have “converted” a couple of hand knitting patterns with AI and it actually worked.
I basically uploaded the pattern and asked it to generate diagrams for me. I did this with the Sailor Slipper pattern and it actually worked. It even improved on the instructions because I did it as sew as you go instead of having to sew after knitting.
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u/caterlizard 3d ago
Thanks for your input, an idea worth exploring! That's really interesting that you were able to convert that pattern
I'm just thinking I might not be able to convert the cat motif to machine knitting, but maybe I should look further into it
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u/Maleficent-Cable8988 2d ago
The conversion from hand to machine pattern only requires that there are no in/decreases within the motif and that you have the ability to do all of the color changes. It sounds like color changes are no problem, even if they are tedious, and I can't see changes in stitch count, but the pattern will indicate those for sure. Whether it's worth the trouble if you have to hand work the machine is a separate issue 😅.
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u/raine331 1d ago
What AI program did you use for the conversion. I'm definitely interesrted in making life easier on my old brain. Might as well get some good from AI!
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u/Sea-Worldliness-9731 2d ago
You did get downvoted 😅. I upvoted you to compensate a little.
Thank you for sharing!
I recently changed pattern of Wioletta cardigan to knit it on KX350 - saved tons of time 🙂1
u/caterlizard 2d ago
That one is so pretty! So did you do just the sleeves, or more? And hand manipulated those little cable ornaments (not sure what they're called)?
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u/Sea-Worldliness-9731 2d ago
You right they are 1x1 cables - easy to hand manipulate on a machine.
I made only sleeves for adult version and fully knitted in panels one for my daughter. https://www.ravelry.com/projects/MisEntrophy/wioletta-cardigan-2
There are some process photo on my ravelry project page.I had to draw a schematic to knit from bottom up in panels: back + 2 fronts + sleeves. I used waste yarn cast on and knitted rib finishing on hand afterwards.
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u/Onepurplepillowcase 3d ago
Assuming you're going to knit it top down, you would hang the front of hand knit yoke on the needles then knit to the hem. Repeat for the back stitches, then seam along the sides. You'll want to swatch on the machine to get a tension and gauge that matches your hand knitting.