# What does a lace carriage do that a regular carriage can't?



## Registrar (May 28, 2016)

Sorry if this is a silly question but I recently purchased Singer 360 machine and I'm wondering what a lace carriage can do that the regular carriage can't. I see a lace setting on the carriage I have and the machine takes punch cards so I'm curious what kind of lace work I'd be able to do with the regular carriage.


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## okruger (Mar 2, 2015)

Not a silly Question --- I am wondering the same . I am looking forward to all the "enlightenden" answers ,Ose


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## linalu (Jun 20, 2013)

The lace carriage on my Brother machine transfers yarn to other needles, then you knit with regular carriage leaving the holes that make lace. Not sure if that's the same with all machines.


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## MaryAnneCutler (Jul 31, 2013)

The Silver Reed/Singer/Studio lace carriage operates somewhat differently from the Brother and other branded machines.

There are numerous methods and variety of lace that can be knit on these machines.

The Operation Manual that comes with the Silver Reed machines has the instructions for the use of the Lace carriage; it is near the center of the manual.

Without a lace carriage there are other methods; also documented in the Operations Manual on using the standard mainbed carriage.

Lastly, there is also a type of lace knit using the mainbed and ribber.

Mary Anne


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## linalu (Jun 20, 2013)

Sorry! Shouldn't have given info for Brother machine!


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## deemail (Jan 25, 2011)

The 'lace' available on punchcards is typically referred to as 'thread lace' and uses a very thin yarn combined with a mid-weight yarn. The patterns on the punchcards will use the 'thread' to hold the other yarn in shape, but its very small diameter will make it almost disappear from the finished garment, leaving the 'lace' design from the heavier mid-weight yarn.

Lace carriages can literally take one needle and cross it over another needle and make a st.... giving you the patterns which are true lace.


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## roseknit (Apr 2, 2011)

It just transfers stitches, main carriage knits


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## rainbird (May 27, 2016)

The Singer main carriage on the Lace setting knits what is known as Thread or Punch lace - you knit with two yarns at the same time, one fingering weight and one very fine such as sewing thread. The two yarns knit together except for selected needles according to the punchcard where only the fine yarn knits and this gives a lace-like look to the fabric. The disadvantage with this method is that unless your two threads colour match exactly, the fine yarn will throw the colour of the main yarn off. I say disadvantage but it can also enhance if the fine yarn is chosen carefully.

The Lace Carriage knits 'true' lace where two stitches are knitted together and the empty needle forms a hole as in a yarn-over in hand knitting. The Lace carriage mimics hand knitted lace. The Singer Lace carriage can both transfer stitches and knit so you don't have to change carriages as with the Brother machines.

I remember back in the late '60s when the Punch Lace was introduced to the Silver Seiko (Singer) machines. They encouraged us to use a nylon transparent thread which, unfortunately, made the lace fabric rather stiff and unpleasant. Fortunately today we have a much better choice of fine threads.


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## knitteerli (Jun 3, 2015)

There are many beautiful lace pattern punch cards that come with the lace carriage, different from the ones that come with the knitting and ribber beds. Be careful setting up the lace carriage, for it can be pretty hard on your needles and the lace carriage if set up incorrectly. Don't know what I did to mine, which I had hardly used, but I broke a bit inside, heard it rattling about inside, then it fell out, a fairly thick metal piece, glad I didn't kill a few needles, too. One day, one day, I'll maybe get it fixed or get a new one. I used mine for making hot water bottle covers for my old friends. They look really pretty, like you spent a lot of time, but just straight knitting with the lace carriage. Worth using fancy dancy yarns with, but nothing too boucle or loopy or bumpy.


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## Ferol Pat (Jun 18, 2013)

My lace carriage you use when you knit lace it transfers the stitches to the adjacent needles therfore makes a "hole"
when it knits lace I only use the lace carriage


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## Registrar (May 28, 2016)

Macon said:


> The Operation Manual that comes with the Silver Reed machines has the instructions for the use of the Lace carriage; it is near the center of the manual.
> 
> Without a lace carriage there are other methods; also documented in the Operations Manual on using the standard mainbed carriage.
> 
> Mary Anne


Thanks everyone for you responses. Very helpful.

Mary Ann - I will have to study the manual again. I've only seen part that talks about the lace carriage, not the part that shows how to do lace with the main carriage.


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## Registrar (May 28, 2016)

Macon said:


> Without a lace carriage there are other methods; also documented in the Operations Manual on using the standard mainbed carriage.
> 
> Mary Anne


I'm still not finding anything in the operation Manual about knitting lace with the main carriage. Page 43 talks about using the lace carriage with a ribber and page 54 talks about the lace carriage w/o the ribber. Are you referring to page 31 where it talks about tuck lace?


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## suedenie (Nov 15, 2015)

Hi, The lace carriage transfers the stitches and makes the holes, the main carriage knits the rows.


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## Registrar (May 28, 2016)

suedenie said:


> Hi, The lace carriage transfers the stitches and makes the holes, the main carriage knits the rows.


From what others have said, that sounds like how a Brother works but not a Singer.


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## leanne17 (Aug 21, 2013)

Hi, most of the answers refer to the Brother machines. I use Knitmaster, and the Knitmaster lace carriage, does it all. It transfers the stitches and knits them all at the same time.
So you only use the lace carriage to complete the garment/item. There are loads of different lace patterns, some more intricate than others. Knitmaster is quicker, because it only
uses the lace carriage. From what I understand, Brother uses 2 carriages, the lace one to transfer the stitches, then the main carriage to knit them.


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## leanne17 (Aug 21, 2013)

Hi, most of the answers refer to the Brother machines. I use Knitmaster, and the Knitmaster lace carriage, does it all. It transfers the stitches and knits them all at the same time.
So you only use the lace carriage to complete the garment/item. There are loads of different lace patterns, some more intricate than others. Knitmaster is quicker, because it only
uses the lace carriage. From what I understand, Brother uses 2 carriages, the lace one to transfer the stitches, then the main carriage to knit them.


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## jaysclark (Jan 26, 2013)

leanne17 said:


> Hi, most of the answers refer to the Brother machines. I use Knitmaster, and the Knitmaster lace carriage, does it all. It transfers the stitches and knits them all at the same time.
> So you only use the lace carriage to complete the garment/item. There are loads of different lace patterns, some more intricate than others. Knitmaster is quicker, because it only
> uses the lace carriage. From what I understand, Brother uses 2 carriages, the lace one to transfer the stitches, then the main carriage to knit them.


However, if you do fashion lace with the knitmaster lace carriage, you have to remove the yarn for the transfers, then reinsert the yarn for the knit rows. The brother is quicker for fashion lace


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## Registrar (May 28, 2016)

I've heard just the opposite. I've read that the Singer does lace much easier and faster because you do it all with one carriage. With a Brother, you have to use the lace carriage for the lace row and then switch to the regular carriage for the knit rows. This is the first I heard that you have to remove the yarn for the transfers. Can someone verify if that's true? 

I have a Singer 700.


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## Azzara (Jan 23, 2014)

Registrar said:


> I've heard just the opposite. I've read that the Singer does lace much easier and faster because you do it all with one carriage. With a Brother, you have to use the lace carriage for the lace row and then switch to the regular carriage for the knit rows. This is the first I heard that you have to remove the yarn for the transfers. Can someone verify if that's true?
> I have a Singer 700.


With some lace patterns stitches are moved one needle to the left or right and is usually called Simple lace. Singer machines knit Simple lace very fast with one carriage pass per knitted row of lace.
In more complex patterns, a single stitch might be moved several times to create the pattern and that is called Fashion lace. For Fashion lace with a Singer lace carriage you select a special cam setting on the carriage and the yarn is removed for those few rows, to achieve the extra transfers before knitting. 
It is most unnerving the first time you do it because we are taught, usually by experience, that no yarn in the carriage means your knitting will hit the floor.


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## jaysclark (Jan 26, 2013)

Registrar said:


> I've heard just the opposite. I've read that the Singer does lace much easier and faster because you do it all with one carriage. With a Brother, you have to use the lace carriage for the lace row and then switch to the regular carriage for the knit rows. This is the first I heard that you have to remove the yarn for the transfers. Can someone verify if that's true?
> 
> I have a Singer 700.


Simple lace is quicker, but I said fashion lace where there are multiple transfers in a row, then you have to remove the yarn for those rows


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