# Silver knit pattern control



## Peanut Tinker (Oct 10, 2012)

Hi there, I have been surfing KMachine websites and saw an electronic box that is called Silver knit pattern controller. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this software. It can be used with the SK 860 in place of the other electronic pattern designs that are no longer being produced. Any thoughts on this item? It sells for around 599.00 Canadian. 


Here is the info 
SILVER REED CONTROLLER HISTORY
Silver Reed has two major lines of electronic knitting machines: SK500 and SK800 Series.

The SK500 line has inbuilt electronics, whereas the SK800 line is a modular system.

The electronic carriage of the SK8xx line is controlled by the EC1 pattern controller unit, optionally in combination with a PE1 design controller unit. The SK5xx line can also be equipped with an optional PE1 design controller unit.

The EC1 and PE1 are no longer manufactured.

 

THE NEW TECHNOLOGY

We have developed the Silver Knit Pattern Control Unit and software that provides the knitting functionality of the EC1/PE1 for Silver Reed Electronic Kniting Machines.

With the Silver Knit Pattern Controller you can knit existing patterns without the need of any additional software.

You can also create your own patterns with a graphics package of your choice.


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## Squiddy55 (Jun 28, 2013)

A friend had to move to this controller, it doesn't use mylar sheets, but is s a bit like some brother machines - you "beep" the pattern in, and if you make a mistake, have to start again! Can't be more help than that, I just sit in the same room for a weekend every few months and listen to her "playing" while I use my mylar sheets!


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## mannie (Mar 24, 2013)

Hello I bought one of these a while back and I have used it a great deal. Like you I did a lot of searching on the web to get more information, then I just dived in. I bought it to use with my mid gauge silver reed electronic, and it does indeed replace the EC1 and Mylar sheet system. You dont need them at all, though you do still need a curly lead. The Silverknit box has a power lead, then it connects to your knitting machine carriage, and to your computer. Instead of drawing a pattern on the mylar sheet, max width 60 sts, then feeding it into the EC1 you find or create your pattern on the computer. 
Its not obvious but the Silverknit comes with lots of built in patterns, including all the ones you would get on the set of Mylar sheets you get with the EC1. You can use lots of different formats to create your patterns, and it will read DAK patterns (which you can often find on the internet). I quite often make patterns in Paint, (should be there somewhere on all Windows computers) which save as .BMP, these can be read straight into Silverknit.

By now I also have a standard gauge electronic machine, and this year I also got DAK (DesignaKnit).. The Silverknit box can be used to connect DAK to the knitting machine - (it saves you having to buy one of the SilverLink 4 or 5 cables) Actually the Silverknit looks very like the SilverLink 4 you can buy for DesignaKnit but it has a lot of extra software included. I have run it on Windows XP laptop and a Windows 7 laptop, it is quick and easy to install, and from time to time there is a free update which usually gives extra features.

Mostly I use DAK now because I often want to get the shaping instructions at the same time as the stitch patterning, but if you are just trying out a stitch pattern it is quick and easy to do so using Silverknit.

The best thing of all about Silverknit is the incredible customer service that comes with it. Jos Timmermans, who also runs the Yahoo SilverKnit group, is very quick to respond to questions and solve problems from users, and to help people when they are stuck.

I hope this information is helpful to you, feel free to ask anything specific and I will help you if I can.
Mannie


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## Peanut Tinker (Oct 10, 2012)

Thank you for the great in-depth explanation. The only other thing I wonder is if I have to have a laqptop or computer attached while it is being used. With the EC1 I can see the Mylar patterns and when they go throughout each row- how does one see where they are at, in a pattern with the Silverlink?


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## mannie (Mar 24, 2013)

Yes you need to have the laptop or computer near to your knitting machine and connected. You see the pattern you are knitting on the screen and it moves up a line each time you knit a row, so it is easy to see where you are, and if you want to knit a different part of the pattern you just move the cursor to the section you want to knit.
Mannie


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## Peanut Tinker (Oct 10, 2012)

Again, many thanks for the info!


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## mtnmama67 (Dec 16, 2011)

Peanut Tinker said:


> Thank you for the great in-depth explanation. The only other thing I wonder is if I have to have a laqptop or computer attached while it is being used. With the EC1 I can see the Mylar patterns and when they go throughout each row- how does one see where they are at, in a pattern with the Silverlink?


Agree-very informative post!! I have the 560 KM,but no EC1 ..Am used to Brother electronic KMs,was thinking of selling the Studio..now-maybe I'll keep it and start using it!


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## juneknit (Feb 5, 2019)

Hi I am new to Silverknit, I bought it to use with my SK860. I have tried going through the manual that came with it but having a bit of trouble getting anywhere with it. Can you tell me how to access the inbuilt patterns in the Silverknit box. I can't seem to access them, all I get is a duck. Can't wait to get it up and running so I can knit more than single jersey. Thanks in advance. June.


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## mannie (Mar 24, 2013)

Juneknit
I sympathise- I really struggled to get going with my Silverknit
I assume you have got the software installed and everything connected?
When you install the software it puts all the stitch patterns here: 
Library - Documents - my documents - my Designs - Silvef Reed - EC1 
Then a set of numbered folders corresponding to the original set of Mylar sheets
( your set up may not be exactly like that, but should be possible to find the files you need)

I suggest you look through your folders- I needed help to navigate that far
When you are in the Silverknit programme you get an opening screen
Can’t remember if you have to click “download” first or not. But to get to the folders with patterns in start by clicking on the little box with dots on, near the top right hand corner. Then navigate to where the pattern stitches are
Next, the only box you need to fill in is “width”, where you enter how many needles you are knitting across
Hope this helps, do ask anything not clear 

The ducks will eventually be your best friends!


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## juneknit (Feb 5, 2019)

Thankyou so much for your help. I will set myself down today and try it out. I did work out how to paste some of my designs from my computer into Paint so I will also try to download them into Silverknit as well. Thankyou again. June


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## mannie (Mar 24, 2013)

Happy to help, I’d be interested to know how you get on


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## juneknit (Feb 5, 2019)

Will let you know. Thanks


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## Ayarnaddict (Oct 23, 2014)

Mannie ,thank you so much for the explanation it makes more sense to me now. 
My ec1 on my singer560 stopped working so this will be a great work around again many thanks.


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## mannie (Mar 24, 2013)

Ayarnaddict said:


> Mannie ,thank you so much for the explanation it makes more sense to me now.
> My ec1 on my singer560 stopped working so this will be a great work around again many thanks.


Glad to help. I also used to use EC1and mylars with my 560, the SilverKnit is so much better. A few years ago I made some notes comparing how the different patterning systems work, it may be of interest to you. I don't know how to link to it, so I'll paste it here in case it's of use to you - it was originally in chart form, which was better. You may be able to find it if you trawl back through topics I posted years ago

Comparison of machine Knitting procedures
Procedure
Punchcard machine
Electronic + EC1
Electronic + Silverknit
Pattern source
Punchcards
Buy or find or make by punching holes
24 stitch limitation
Mylar sheet + pencils
Use existing, or draw
60 stitch limitation
Built in (in My Designs, in My Documents) to the software
Make own using graphics program, no width limitation
Set pattern
All 3:
Side levers + cam lever need to be set when it is time to knit in pattern
Put punchcard in, wind to position, lock in place
Move carriage across to memorise
Put Mylar sheet in
Inspection light on
Wind to right place
Set width indicators
Point cams and needle 1 cams put in position
Carriage across and back to memorise cams position
Select any other settings
Open Silverknit
Browse for pattern
Press Download and OK and Knit
Set point cams (no needle 1 cam)
Select options such as width, centre, repeat, and if necessary, which portion of pattern
Without actually knitting, move carriage to memorise point cams, if they have had to be changed from the settings on screeen
Ready to knit
Unlock punchcard
Switch off inspection light
Press Knit
Stop knitting in pattern
Reset machine to stockinet
Lock or remove or change punchcard
Switch on inspection light
Remove or change mylar sheet or move to new pattern
Press close
Load new pattern or knit plain
Knit same line repeatedly
Leave punchcard locked on that line, set carriage to pattern
Inspection light on.
Wind mylar sheet to required line
Inspection light off. Carriage set to pattern
Find required pattern, download and press knit
Select required line in the download screen (from the knit screen you can see which row number you need)
Tell machine to knit only that numbered row
Set carriage to pattern
Repeating a section
Reset punchcard position, memorise with carriage
Marks in Mylar sheet column to tell machine where to knit up to and where to start again from
Set area with pattern indicator, select Wrap to have pattern knit continuously

Knitting across only some of knitting
Use single motif method.
Special cams in position around appropriate groups of needles
Set point cams to the area to be patterned
Outside this area main yarn knits
Set point cams to the area to be patterned
Add left and right margins to make it up to the width of the knitting (set number in width box)
What you see
Row of holes 5 rows above where you are knitting
(7 on Brother)
Design line 10 rows above what you are knitting
Screen showing what you are about to knit, plus what you have knitted, plus what will be knitted
Changing rows
Move punchcard, memorise position
Adjust mylar sheet to new row
Put cursor to line you want to knit, press Knit
Double Jacquard
Special punchcard
Cam set to sliip
Normal muylar design
Press jacquard button
Normal design
Select fairisle rib + double bed
Cam set to slip
Also use repeat, centre and width and wrap
Pros
No power needed
Quick to do, easy to understand
Fairly easy to understand
Much wider patterning option
DJ easy
No width limitation
Designing patterns as graphics can be fun
DJ easy
Much more intricate designs possible, much more scope for making variations in existing patterns
Cons
24 stitch limitation
Time taken to unch card, even for a small tuck stitch pattern
DJ very time consuming to punch the cards
Power needed - 1 plug socket for EC1
Noisy
Drawing on Mylar sheets a bit tricky
Power needed - 2 plug sockets (for laptop and Silverknit)
Steep learning curve (for me)
Some procedures difficult to understand
Have to boot up laptop

Punchcards, Mylar sheets and EC1, Silverknit.

Punchcards

The only two possible options are Punched Holes and Blanks (nothing punched)
The entire area of the card needs to be punched, at least 36 rows of a continuous pattern. Additionally two rows of holes should be punched at the beginning and end of the pattern to allow for overlap and continuity.
The maximum repeat is 24 stitches

Before the first pattern row is knitted the carriage must be set to knit a memorising row, being passed across the pattern mechanism (Knitmaster/Empisal/Studio/Silver Reed) or with change knob set (Brother)

Holes tell the machine to do "one thing", blanks tell the machine to do "the other thing"
What the "things" are depends on the carriage setting.
Eg Fairisle
Blanks knit the background yarn from feeder 1
Holes knit the design using feeder 2 yarn.
You can usually see the design picture, eg a boat or a duck, by looking at the holes
Tuck or slip
Blanks make needles slip or tuck (depending on cam setting)
Holes knit normally. Thse punchcards are recognisable easily because they usually have far more holes than blanks, and are time-consuiming to punch.
Options:
Placement of punchcard - one side facing (ducks point right on punchcard, but will point left on the right side of the knitting)
The other side facing (ducks point left)
The right way up (ducks the right way up)
Upside down (ducks upside down)
Double length : two carriage passes knit the same row
Punchcard stopped : the same row is knitted repeatedly
Positioning of pattern:
This happens in fixed units of 24 needles. To adjust, physically place or move the knitting, or repunch the card with the design in a different position on the card.
Change yarn colours: Manually switch over the yarns in the feeders, or repunch the card so the design is blanks and the holes are background yarn ( I think some models of Toyota machine do it this way)

Mylar sheets:
Colour in blocks on the sheet, these are equivalent to the holes in the punchcard, and squares left uncoloured are equivalent to blanks. The maximum repeat is 60 stitches.
However there are settings on the EC1 that allow you more flexibility:
You only need to create a single repeat of the design. You can set this to repeat horizontally and vertically
Point cams and Needle 1 cam are used to position the patterned area on the knitting. These can then be moved to position the patterning elsewhere on the knitting. Needle 1 cam provides information on where the centre of the pattern is to be placed.
Options such as reversing yarns can be set, or double height knitting (2 carriage passes knit the same row) or double width setting, or mirror image. Additionally a Fairisle pattern can be converted to double jacquard etc without needing to be redrawn.

Tuck or slip patterns can be more quickly drawn out by just colouring in the tucking or slipping needles, but instructing the machine to "switch over" how it treats coloured-in squares and blanks.

SilverKnit
This is a gadget which connects between the computer and knitting machine, and it "reads" stitch patterns and "translates them to the knitting machine. It is like the SilverLink 4 used with DesignaKnit, but it has additional software that makes it able to read many more pattern formats. You can use it instead of EC1 and Mylar sheets (with or without PE1)
The same basic principles apply - there is "one thing" and "the other thing" but now the pattern is created on a computer screen using drawing software and a grid.
This is like making an on-screen Mylar sheet, but the width limitation is the width of the needle bed. You can use all the flexibility of the drawing programme to make your design, eg cutting and pasting, reversing, rotating, duplicating etc.
You can use colours for your own benefit in designing a pattern but the machine will only read this information as "blanks" or "not-blanks". You can use all the stitch patterns (but not the shape patterns) that you can make in DesignaKnit.
All the options available on EC1 can be used, and a few others besides.
You need two point cams to let the patterning mechanism know whereabouts on the bed the carriage is, and which needles to apply the pattern to. No needle 1 cam is used, instead you choose where you want your pattern repeats to begin when you are on the setup screen (called download)

The drawn design is sent to the machine, and various options can be applied. The carriage settings determine whether you knit Fairisle, tuck, slip etc.

DesignaKnit
I know hardly anything about this yet, as I have only just begun to play with it, but I can already see that it has massive potential.
It has the additional facility to create or use garment shaped pieces, rather like a knit radar but much more sophisticated, and combine them with a stitch pattern. In many ways its use is similar to SilverKnit, and I think that the SilverLink 4 connecting DeignaKnit and the computer to the knitting machine is the same thing as a SilverKnit box (but without the extra software)
In DesignaKnit it is also possible to design garment pieces and shapes, and also to convert other kinds of graphics, like scans or digital photos, into something that can be knitted.


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## juneknit (Feb 5, 2019)

Hello again, I have been working on transferring designs from Brother KH270 book to my ppd then onto computer from which I can download to Silverknit. I then try to download the design (mainly tuck stitch) to the machine but I cant find any tuck box to tick in the silverknit menu. I tried putting it in as slip but when I try to knit the pattern the yarn is laying across all the needles in work and not knitting any. Also I have not been able to find the location of the built in patterns in the Silverknit box itself. Any advice for these problems would be a tremendous help. I am happy with my progress so far but just need to sort out the final pieces. Thanks again June


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## mannie (Mar 24, 2013)

Hi there is not a tuck stitch box to tick. You can select right side facing from the drop down menu in methods of knitting
Also in your design you can use the tuck stitch symbol from the stitch symbol menu. (It looks like an inverted U)
The built in patterns should all be in a folder called My Designs, which should be in My Documents. You could do a search on your computer to help you locate the stitch files too


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## Anouchic (May 14, 2014)

juneknit,

Like mannie said, the built it patterns can be found in "Documents" in a folder "My Designs". I struggled to find it too.

Also, there is a load of DAK patterns at http://machineknittingetc.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?dir=desc&limit=all&order=date&q=dak+files You can find all the Brother Stitchworls patterns, plus tons of other patterns.

As with tuck, i have not done tuck with my Silverknit yet. But, I think you download the pattern on the SilverKnit dialog, and turn the knob on your carriage to tuck. You might need to click the "negative" or "exchange" (not sure which)so that it tucks the right needles. I think keeping the the setting on "slip" on the setting dialog should work.

I hope this is clear enough. My main issue right now with Silverknit is centering the pattern. I have to play around with it until i get it the I want it. And the next time I need to do it, I forget what I did the last time so I play around with it again.

Oh, and I'm sick of the duck LOL


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## mannie (Mar 24, 2013)

Anouchic said:


> juneknit,
> 
> Like mannie said, the built it patterns can be found in "Documents" in a folder "My Designs". I struggled to find it too.
> 
> ...


I know what you mean! I struggled with this too, but I have understood better now. Take a duck for example. If your knitting is 3 ducks wide,you could tick "centre" and the middle duck will straddle the centre. But if your knitting is four ducks wide, dont tick centre, the first duck will be to the right of centre. so you would have two ducks each side of the centre (assuming you have centred your work, eg 48 stitches each side of central zero) Hope that makes sense.
I think it is negative you tick if you want to reverse plain and tucked stitches. I have not yet understood exchange - seems to be to do with which of your two yarns knits outside of the pattern stitch if you are doing single motif fairisle.


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## Anouchic (May 14, 2014)

mannie said:


> I know what you mean! I struggled with this too, but I have understood better now. Take a duck for example. If your knitting is 3 ducks wide,you could tick "centre" and the middle duck will straddle the centre. But if your knitting is four ducks wide, dont tick centre, the first duck will be to the right of centre. so you would have two ducks each side of the centre (assuming you have centred your work, eg 48 stitches each side of central zero) Hope that makes sense.
> I think it is negative you tick if you want to reverse plain and tucked stitches. I have not yet understood exchange - seems to be to do with which of your two yarns knits outside of the pattern stitch if you are doing single motif fairisle.


mannie,

Thanks for the explanation.

I have done few fair isle projects managing to eventually center. And then there is the issue of having an odd number of stitches. I can't remember the next time whether the center needle is to right of 0, or to the left. I have been doing it by trial and error and see how it shows on the preview. Then try it with waste yarn and make sure it's the way I want it before I start with my main yarn. Even when you put in the width, number of stitches, the system does the calculation based on the number of pattern repeats. Maybe I'll post exactly what's happening with a future project. I am not sure this is making sense.

Also, like at the neck for example, it was a challenge to go back to the other side of the neck and start where I stopped to continue the pattern. I am not a cut and sew person. I know a lot of knitters like cut and sew.


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## juneknit (Feb 5, 2019)

Thankyou all so much for your input. I guess as I use it more the more it will make sense. It is just trial and error at the moment I guess. I will battle on and just keep clicking until I understand what it all does. Thanks again. June


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## Anouchic (May 14, 2014)

juneknit said:


> Thankyou all so much for your input. I guess as I use it more the more it will make sense. It is just trial and error at the moment I guess. I will battle on and just keep clicking until I understand what it all does. Thanks again. June


You're Welcome.


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## juneknit (Feb 5, 2019)

Hi Everyone Me again. I have found all the patterns in the Silverknit and was able to download some of them. I am still unable to find any drop down menu for methods of knitting or stitch symbol menu. I cant understand why they wouldnt add a tuck symbol, it is such a basic stitch in machine knitting. So after I download the design and click knit my carriage is still only knitting stocking stitch. I am beginning to wonder whether there is a problem with the carriage itself. At least I have progressed considerably from the get go. Will keep on trying. Thanks again June


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## mannie (Mar 24, 2013)

Juneknits, finding and downloading the patterns is a good start. As well as pressing Knit (in two different places I think) do you have the settings on your carriage set properly The cam lever to Tuck or Fairisle or whatever you want, and the side levers back (I think you have a mid-gauge electronic,yes?) The sliding magnets in the right places? Taking the carriage far enough past each magnet? I think i have confused a couple of things, I am thinking of DesignaKnit with the drop down menus, in Silverknit there is just a box that says 2 (and I dont think you can change that) 
Keep going, you will get there


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## juneknit (Feb 5, 2019)

Thankyou again, I am pretty sure I have all the carriage settings correct so I am assuming that there is a problem with the carriage itself. I will try again tomorrow and see what happens. At least I am comfortable importing designs from the computer and getting them into silverknit, just have to get them to knit. Appreciate all your help. June


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## mannie (Mar 24, 2013)

Juneknit, one last thing, make sure the .curly cord is very securely plugged in - mine works loose sometimes - and that it is plugged in BEFORE you start up silverknit The other thing that catches me out is the side levers on the carriage - on my 840 they go back automatically when you change the cam dial, on the 860 they are manual - i sometimes forget. Happy to be of help, so do ask it there is anything further.


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## juneknit (Feb 5, 2019)

Many thanks again, you have been very helpful. June


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## juneknit (Feb 5, 2019)

Hi again, Success at last. I have finally worked it out. I wasnt clicking on Knit when ready to knit. So it finally is working, just a matter of practice now and getting used to what type of patterning it will do. Many thanks to everyone who contributed. June


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## mannie (Mar 24, 2013)

That’s really good, well done. I know it took me ages to get going, so keep asking if you get stuck. Have fun browsing, and trying out all the stitch patterns and variations


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