Question

If it's the one I have, it's by Jane F. Neighbors.

I don't think you even need double points to do most of the Royce versions of double knitting. The Neighbors book is the one that makes extensive use of circulars or double points so that you can knit in the same direction twice in succession with different colors. On straights you'd have to work

Helen "Halla" Fleischer, Fantasy & Fiber Artist

Somewhere I have seen a crochet baby blanket that was worked with a normal hook into the backs of the stitches, or maybe around the post, in alternating colors so that one color would predominate on each side. I think my friend Shirley was making one a while back, but I didn't really note how it was being done well enough to remember.

Helen "Halla" Fleischer, Fantasy & Fiber Artist

Ooooo, that sounds like it might be it! You mean maybe I wasn't dreaming after all? LOL

That's the name.

What I recall is that the Neighbors book gives different results depending on which way you do it. Most of the patterns would make good office suits but some of them were more fun. I didn't like the colors she used for the samples.

=Tamar

I hand knitted a hat that way once; my gauge went wildly bigger and the hat was a lot bigger than I'd expected it to be.

=Tamar

Yes Helen, my Brother knitting machine manual names it as "plating". You use a thin and a thicker thread, and knit with them at the same time, the threads are going throught two different places in your carriage. I have tried it recently and it does work.

Els

Hi Helen and Els,

The Toyota machine simulknit technique is used on a fairisle setting. The right side looks much like single bed fairisle, but the reverse is always the solid contrast colour, All the main colour fairisle floats are contained inside the fabric. It's very useful because you can use standard punchcards and it produces a non curling fabric. The plating feeder has a rotating feature which means you can stop during the row, turn by 180 degrees, continue, repeat as required to get a genuine positive/negative design. there's even a calibration on the carriage and bed so you can be accurate in changing colour.

Have to agree with you there! In some ways the black & white pictures are better, making it easier to imagine better colors. ;) I haven't done much with it, but it's a fascinating book to pull out and ponder from time to time.

Helen "Halla" Fleischer, Fantasy & Fiber Artist

That happens to some extent with the machine knit versions as well. Certainly on the "Double Jacquard" the yarn you normally use is barely half as thick as you would use for normal knitting or ribbing on that machine.

Helen "Halla" Fleischer, Fantasy & Fiber Artist

Oh my. That's a bit trickier than the Susanna Lewis book made it seem. Guess I will stick with my Brother machines, especially since neither brand is being made any more. :(

Helen "Halla" Fleischer, Fantasy & Fiber Artist

I've done plating, Els. It doesn't let you swap colors from one surface to the other in pattern like Simulknit, which uses 2 same-weight yarns. That pattern effect is what really intrigues me about it. Not that it's worth buying another machine, with a new set of controls to learn, just to be able to do that.

Helen "Halla" Fleischer, Fantasy & Fiber Artist

Norma , i spent my time in the train [ on way to wedding] To think about it . There are several methods i used to do . The not so easy method Cast on 1 color a 1 color b , by holding 1 color in your right hand and 1 color in your left hand , and this way you knit the whole part . not so easy and needs attention ,,,, the easiet way i found ,, to knit sideways and then make stripes of

Wow that sounds wonderful, my Brother machine is an simple one and an old model as well, I bought it secondhand, but I am very happy with what it can do.

Els

It sounds like your machine is a bit more complex than mine. It is amazing what can be done on a knitting machine today.

Els

It sounds wonderful though, no I would not go out and buy another machine either, well hold it, if anyone knows of a good sock knitting machine for sale, I would go for that...LOL

Els

Mine is only an old punch card machine. Never got into the computerized machines, but I was able to get a pretty nice ribber and color changer for it, oh, nearly 20 years ago.

Helen "Halla" Fleischer, Fantasy & Fiber Artist

Els

Yes, it is , but I've never used the plating facility for anything apart from trying it out when I first got it about 17 years ago! It's rather time consuming to make anything of any size, doing the colour switching on each row. Stripes would be easy though. It seems the different makes of machine each have something they can do that the others can't, but I wonder how many people actually make use of all the features they have. I know I don't LOL.

It's fun to at least try them. The main use I had for plating was to pair a soft lining yarn with a fine wool boucle for a jacket. Not that I ever got past the swatch stage. ;) The project still sits waiting, mostly because the wool boucle is dingy white but also sized. If I dye this project it will have to be after knitting and washing, since it won't knit well on the machine after washing. So it becomes another UFO or rather USO!

Helen "Halla" Fleischer, Fantasy & Fiber Artist