# Patterns for knit leaders



## Bpcrafty (Aug 21, 2011)

Hi all, my friend has a full size knitleader and I have the Brother 881 which is half size. We are looking for easy patterns to learn by.
If you have any you are willing to part with we are interested in buying them.
Also if you know of a site that has printable patterns please let us know!
Thanks,
Beverly


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## ACR1 (Oct 3, 2012)

Bpcrafty said:


> Hi all, my friend has a full size knitleader and I have the Brother 881 which is half size. We are looking for easy patterns to learn by.
> If you have any you are willing to part with we are interested in buying them.
> Also if you know of a site that has printable patterns please let us know!
> Thanks,
> Beverly


I do a fair bit of dressmaking and I've found that I can just trace round my paper patterns on the knitleader sheet to give the right shape for a knitted equivalent. Simpler patterns work best, you'll be pleased to know!

I think the Burda web site has free patterns you can download and print off.

Not sure what you mean by a half-size brother machine, but hopefully the principle will still work for you. I wish you good luck, anyway.


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## jaysclark (Jan 26, 2013)

A lot of patterns have diagrams you can put on the knitleader. Lots of brother pattern books on this site

http://machineknittingetc.com


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## nannie343 (Aug 15, 2012)

Thanks Beverly for asking about knit leader patterns. I still am not sure how your Brother 881 knitting machine knit leader differs since it only takes half sized patterns Unlike my Knit leader for the Brother 940/260 which is the KL116 which uses full sized patterns. Maybe someone with experience will guide us.
Rhonda


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## jaysclark (Jan 26, 2013)

nannie343 said:


> Thanks Beverly for asking about knit leader patterns. I still am not sure how your Brother 881 knitting machine knit leader differs since it only takes half sized patterns Unlike my Knit leader for the Brother 940/260 which is the KL116 which uses full sized patterns. Maybe someone with experience will guide us.
> Rhonda


Not that different. You only draw half the width on the sheet. You draw the full length. The midline for larger pieces is on the left of the sheet, for smaller pieces it is further over to the right. There is a different set of rulers for the 881 and 891 knitleaders


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## 30Knitter (Apr 9, 2012)

Bpcrafty said:


> Hi all, my friend has a full size knitleader and I have the Brother 881 which is half size. We are looking for easy patterns to learn by.
> If you have any you are willing to part with we are interested in buying them.
> Also if you know of a site that has printable patterns please let us know!
> Thanks,
> Beverly


You actually have a 3/4 sheet. You can do full size patterns with this knitleader. You can do 1/2 of the front in one color and 1/2 of the back in a second. Most sweaters will be no problem, only if they are plus size.
There is a Brother book that was printed for this type of machine called "Let's start machine knitting" by Brother. I believe you can find a free version on machineknittingetc.com in the Brother section. Newton's carries the original version with the original patterns. This week is their sale and books are 50% off.


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## nannie343 (Aug 15, 2012)

"Let's start machine knitting" by Brother. I believe you can find a free version on machineknittingetc.com in the Brother section. Newton's carries the original version with the original patterns. This week is their sale and books are 50% off.[/quote]

Did you mean the original patterns were something separate that was sold with the book?

Rhonda


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## MaryAnneCutler (Jul 31, 2013)

Kwik sew patterns work very well for knitted garments.


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## 30Knitter (Apr 9, 2012)

nannie343 said:


> "Let's start machine knitting" by Brother. I believe you can find a free version on machineknittingetc.com in the Brother section. Newton's carries the original version with the original patterns. This week is their sale and books are 50% off.


Did you mean the original patterns were something separate that was sold with the book?

Rhonda[/quote]

Yes. There were a set of patterns that came with the book. The instructions in the book were based on those patterns.


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## nannie343 (Aug 15, 2012)

Thanks, I'll look for them.

Rhonda


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## 30Knitter (Apr 9, 2012)

Newton's is having a sale this weekend. All yarns in store and books are 50% off. There are a few of those books available.


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## nannie343 (Aug 15, 2012)

Okay, thanks.
Rhonda


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## arshelle (Dec 10, 2012)

Are these mylar, or paper patterns (almost like tissue paper for sewing patterns) that came with the book? I have the book but patterns didn't come with, of course it as been handed off from one MK'er to another, then me. Does anyone know where I might find these patterns or can sewing patterns be substituted?


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## GrammaAnn (Dec 16, 2011)

I use regular sewing patterns and draw around them or lay a simple garment on tissue paper and draw around it or follow hand knitting schematics that give dimensions. Then just draw on your mylar to those specifications. It is easy. No special patterns to order. Make your tension swatch in your desired yarn tension, set your knit leader and knit away! Are you familiar with how to do the swatch and how to measure it?  Ann


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## arshelle (Dec 10, 2012)

Yes, I do. As with anything, you must practice. To date I've been making accesorires based upon squares and rectangles! I thought, though, that regular sewing patterns wouldn't offer the ease and give needed for knitted garments. Perhaps I'll give it a try. Thanks.


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## GrammaAnn (Dec 16, 2011)

A lot of the sewing patterns are made for knit fabrics.


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## arshelle (Dec 10, 2012)

that's true. I get hung up sometimes thinking that there's this different set of rules and ....well, reality for MK. I keep coming back to KISS (keep it simple) I just tend to go around the bard before settling on that notion. I don't do enough experimenting out of fear that "something will go wrong" when frogging is always available to me. I tend to be a bit ambitious in my projects and then realize that the success of the project is in the details. KISS!!! Thanks for letting me vent and your willingness to help. Now I need to wrap my head around the Knit Leader.


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