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HARMONY KNITTERS INC.
HARMONY, MAINE
04942
BEGINNER'S LEG WARMER PATTERN
Leg warmers are a good first project on the auto knitter. Making them will let you get the feel of the machine and develop a smooth cranking rhythm. Once you've done this, you will be better prepared to knit socks, where you will have the heel techniques to learn. Since your machine was set up for socks, you will want a looser tension if you wish to start with leg warmers. To loosen the cylinder tension, lower the numbered adjuster knob one full turn. This pulls the needles down further as they knit, thus making a looser stitch. If the knob turns hard, pull down on the cam wing under it as you turn. The rib tension may be left as it is for leg warmers.
Before you began, first a word about holding down the work: it is necessary to hold down steadily at all times while knitting. Your machine was shipped out with a sock on it. The toe of the sock is on the side of the machine closer to you; this toe pocket requires careful holding down as you start to knit. You can't just pull down straight on the sock; you should grasp the toe pocket between the thumb and index anger of your left hand, while holding the rest of the sock with your other fingers. Do not pull down too hard, just steadily so that the stitches do not work up on the needles. Watch especially the left side of the machine where the fin on the underside of the dial meets the dial adjuster lever on the inside of the cylinder.
Using a square knot, tie on dividing cotton and run three or four turns. Then (again with a square knot) tie on the leg warmer yarn.
To make the selvedge: Run until the yarn is on all the needles, stopping with the yarn carrier at the front (front = closest to you). Move the switch pin to "OUT" and knit 2 turns. Move the switch pin back to "IN". If the switch pin won't go into position, move the crank ahead slightly and try again.
For the bottom cuff, knit 50 turns of 1:1 rib, stopping with the yarn carrier at the front.
To change to stockinette stitch: Slip the work hook up into an empty cylinder slot back by the spring holder on the cam shell; pull out the spring and put it over the holder. Transfer all rib stitches to cylinder stitches as follows: Hook a cylinder needle into the rib needle and pull out the rib needle, sliding the stitch past the latch. Then slip the stitch onto the cyl
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inder needle and slide the cylinder needle into the empty slot, making sure the latch is open.
Continue transferring stitches all the way around, knitting ahead as necessary to get at the needles. When you have finished and all of the rib needles are out, replace the cylinder spring and lift out the ribber. You may need to pry up a bit at the point where the ribber arm goes into the cam shell. Now knit 150 turns for the main part of the leg warmer. Stripes can be done by breaking the yarn and tying on another color. The knot may bump a little as it goes through. It is wise to break the yarn at the same spot each time (usually just before it goes into the yarn stand top). That way the knot comes to the needles at about the same spot each time, making it easier to watch for.
Replace the ribber, making sure to rotate the dial counterclockwise until the fin underneath hits the adjuster lever in the cylinder.
For the top cuff, set up for 3:1 rib as follows: Pull out the cylinder spring as before. Starting with the second rib needle slot behind the red mark on the right, hook the corresponding cylinder needle with a rib needle, pulling up the cylinder needle until the stitch slides over the latch. Slide the stitch onto the rib needle, removing the cylinder needle, and slide the rib needle into its slot. This is the same basic procedure as before, with one important difference: when the stitch is transferred onto a rib needle, it must not go behind the latch-- if it does, the stitch will drop. Continue transferring onto every other rib needle all the way around, knitting ahead as necessary and replacing the cylinder spring as you finish.
Knit 54 turns of 3:1 rib. Then tie on dividing cotton. Replace the remaining rib needles (using the transfer technique above) to set up for 1:1 rib again, which is necessary to do the selvedge on the next item. Run three or four turns of cotton, and you are ready to start again.
When the leg warmer has been knit down far enough (use scrap yarn if you are anxious to get at it) remove it by snipping through three rows of dividing cotton and pulling out the middle end til the work separates. To finish, remove any cotton still on the leg warmer. Ravel back 4 rows of the 3:1 rib. This will give you enough yarn to finish the top in a loose double crochet. A spare cylinder needle or small latch hook works well for this. It is also helpful to use a single point knitting needle or right angle point work hook (through about one fourth of the stitches at a time) as a stitch holder.
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