My son asks "Can you make me some mittens like Bernie Sanders'?" "I expect so", I reply.
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Why don't I learn to say "No"?
First, I had to make a stitch pattern to download into my machine, found a good photo to copy and managed to do that.
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The originals were actually made from jumpers, cut up and sewn.
The list of things that went wrong:-
1. The download of the stitch pattern kept failing, but got there eventually.
2. I did a test knit of it, then realised I was knitting the wrong design, doh!
3. Found the pattern wasn't knitting properly, decided it must be the downloading not gone right.
4. Drew out pattern on mylar sheet that feeds into machine, didn't wait for ink to dry, all smudged, had to clean the sheet off and draw it all again and leave it overnight.
5. In the meantime, realised the machine wasn't selecting the correct needles for any pattern, and after a day and a half of testing various things, came to the conclusion that the carriage was not working correctly, although it had been.
6.. Got other (punchcard) machine out, punched all the little holes in the card for the pattern, worked out when I had to change colours, background and pattern, then found the row counter wasn't working on the machine, stuck solid. Took it apart and found a screw wedged in the counter mechanism.
If you're bored now, just skip to the pics!
7. Knitted first mitten, took a while having to keep changing colours and remember to put the gap for the thumb in the right place, but probably about an hour.
8. Started second mitten, lost count of the number of times I did something wrong and had to undo rows, pick up dropped stitches, etc. Took almost three hours... and a few "magic words".
9. Sewing them both up took almost two hours, and I still cannot for the life of me make a neat seam, but hey-ho, they'll do.
10. The dratted things are now out of the house, on their way to my son. And they are browner than they look in my photos.
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