# Knitleader vs. Pattern software



## KateWood (Apr 30, 2011)

Good Morning,

Does anyone use a knitleader? I have one but have not used it yet, don't have a felt pen for the mylar sheets.
Will dry erase markers work, or will the lines smudge and rub off easily? Any better than others? 
If you use a knitleader, would you need pattern software? 

Kate


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## janda (Mar 16, 2011)

If you have a knitleader you do not need any other softwear. You need a marker pen that is not permanent. Just copy the diagrams from a pattern onto it. You do not say if it is a Singer or a Brother - both work on the same principle but follow the instruction from your machine manual


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## Kathleen's daughter (Jul 31, 2011)

Hi
I have a Brother KH881, bought about 30 years ago, and use water-soluble non-permanent felt-tip marker pens on the sheet. I don't know what software is; and I just reel the sheet into the Knitter.

This is a great thing to have, and I've been tracing stretch-knit SEWING-patterns onto it now.

I wipe the sheet clean with a damp cloth - take care not to rumple it in your enthusiasm - then wipe it dry, leave it out to dry perfectly, and put it away.

Good luck and have fun!


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## Aslan (May 22, 2011)

Good morning, Kate,
I always used a knitleader when I had my knitting machines because it gave me the flexibility to knit 'odd' sizes - the customer who was not a standard shape/size!! I used a good quality non-permanent marker pen (fine tip) and this did not rub off the mylar sheet until I was ready to wash the sheet and re-use it.
You can also make notes on the sheet about where to decrease/increase etc, where to add pattern or lace and so on.
Hope this helps
Jean


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## KateWood (Apr 30, 2011)

Thank-you all for the information, I'll get it set up...


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## roseknit (Apr 2, 2011)

I use a knit leader all the time,and a dry eraser is fine as long as you don;t smudge it. Happy knitting


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## tamarque (Jan 21, 2011)

what exactly is knitleader?


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## laurelk. (Jun 4, 2011)

I have the equivalent on my Singer/Studio knitting machines. I have not had time to learn how to use them. Maybe in the next year....
Laurelk in S.CA


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## douglasdanes3 (Feb 10, 2011)

I too have a Studio 700 with a knit radar but I dont have mylar sheets but I do have sheets that came with it but do not know how to use them. Any help on here would be greatly appreciated. They say you can use just regular patterns but I am totally confused about this. LOL thanks Sue


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## marnita2 (Aug 9, 2011)

I have been using mylar sheets on my knitmaster 560 for a number of years and have designed my own patterns regularly (sometimes by combining available designs). You can obtain a special pencil for the sheets but I have used (with great success) a 2b pencil. Be careful not to smudge over the edges of each pixel as just a little touch can register the pixel on your pattern. After using the knit leader for a while I realised that I could draw my own shapes and calculate rows and stitches by using the tension samples that is necessary to make when using the knit leader. I have used lining wallpaper & greaseproof paper (not waxed). Keep at it. It eventually becomes easier with practice.


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## tamarque (Jan 21, 2011)

knitleader is a knitting machine? not a process for duplicating patterns?


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## Aslan (May 22, 2011)

A knitleader is an attachment for a knitting machine that allows you to design your own garments in the size you want by drawing them on to a sheet of wax-type paper. This goes into the attachment and each time the carriage of the machine passes across the needle bed it moves the knitleader down by one row. So you know how many rows you have done, where to increase/decrease, where to shape the armhole, neck and so on.
I loved it and did not use the software on my machine very often.


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## susieknitter (Jul 14, 2011)

A knit leader is a additional extra.
It fits at the back of the machine and you have clear plastic sheets that you draw your garments on.
After making a swatch in any yarn/stitch pattern and measuring it you set the knitleader up and the sheet feeds through it like paper through a typewriter.
You then follow the lines of the garment.
You can take the style/size of the garment from many new knitting patterns as a lot of these have drawings.
Doing this enables you to use any yarn that you have in stock.
With the Brother the knitleader drawing is the full size of the garment.
Brother did make a machine with a built in knitleader but this takes half sized sheets and the drawing has to be made half the size of the finished garment.

If you have a Knimaster their eqivalent is called a knit radar.
It works in the same way but the plastic sheets are instead printed paper designs and are half the size of the finished garment.

Whichever you use I think they are the best way to produce a garment that will fit correctly and will be totally your own design.

If people are stuggling to draw a round neck, I have found, a piece of flat electric cable will bend to the shape required and is easy to draw round.
You can buy a bendy ruler but this is a cheap alternative.
Sue.


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## susieknitter (Jul 14, 2011)

I think the Studio machines are the ones that we call knitmaster over here.
These are the ones that have preprinted garment sheets.

A mylar sheet is a totally different thing.
This is used on electronic machines and is for drawing a stitch pattern, not garment pattern, like lace, tuck, fairisle, teddy, anything that you would use a punch card for.
Sue.


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## KateWood (Apr 30, 2011)

Thank-you for all the tips.


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## Kathleen's daughter (Jul 31, 2011)

I have the machine with the built-in knitleader Susieknitter and thank-you for the tips


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## susieknitter (Jul 14, 2011)

Kathleen's daughter said:


> I have the machine with the built-in knitleader Susieknitter and thank-you for the tips


Glad I could be of help.
Is your machine a Brother? if it is and you are drawing the garment shape remember to half all measurements.

Another way of getting the right size for you, is to measure a garment that fits just the way you like it and using those measurements.

The swatch should be made thus-

10 rows in yarn that you are useing
2 in a totally different colour
60 rows in the yarn/stitch pattern that you are useing
2 in the different colour
10 in the yarn you are useing
This is done over 60 needles and at 30 rows you knit back each 21st stitch with the different coloured yarn.
You then have a swatch were you can measure the 60 rows between the different coloured rows and the 40 stitches between the 2 that you have knit back with the different coloured yarn.
Let me know how you get on.
All the best Sue.


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## Kathleen's daughter (Jul 31, 2011)

Hi Susieknitter,
thank-you for your advice and the time you took to type it. I have a Brother KH881 and compatible rib-carriage.
The knitleader booklet's in good condition, and I won't be able to fit the patterns for me onto the sheet, as you anticipated, even using the right or left datum lines.
My cunning idea's to draw a scale with zero on the edge of the vinyl(?) sheet, and do it in a contrasting permanent marker beginning at the top of the sheet, on the glossy reverse side. I clipped across the outer bottom edges to match the real bottom, to fit into the slot. After that, I could xerox the strips of stitch-measure scales onto a suitably tough sheet of paper, and mark the numbers from the edge. Your idea of copying present garments is a good one, and I got some trashed Salvation Army Shop garments in stretch-knits, cut the seams, and used these for patterns, too. Pretty happy today because I have a book of a thousand mix and match patterns for women's sweaters in double-knit (22 sts. x 30 rows / 10cm square) and have got this perfectly on my standard machine with alternate needles on tension 7. Just up to size 34" (86cm bust) but I could graft a strip on either side or knit the garment sideways with a big welt or whatever, such as U-knitting incorporating the ribber, and thereby gain 200 needles in total for this thicker wool. Haven't tried the tension part of the ribber, yet for this idea.

So far, I'm knitting for the little grand-daughters only...


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## collingwoodcollection (May 22, 2011)

Sue,
Brother (KnitKing) 910 electronic machines use mylar sheets as punchcard but also large re-usable mylar sheets which you draw your pattern on with washable markers (usually found in the kids section) and use in the knit leader, full size.
Karen


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## susieknitter (Jul 14, 2011)

collingwoodcollection said:


> Sue,
> Brother (KnitKing) 910 electronic machines use mylar sheets as punchcard but also large re-usable mylar sheets which you draw your pattern on with washable markers (usually found in the kids section) and use in the knit leader, full size.
> Karen


In the UK we only refer to mylar sheets as the ones that you use instead of punch cards in the electronic machines such as the 910, 950, 950i.
The sheets for the knitleader are refered to as knitleader sheets.
I didn't want people to order mylar sheets and then perhaps received the wrong item.
Sue.


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## marnita2 (Aug 9, 2011)

also in the UK mylar sheets are use for stitch patterns on the Knitmaster 560 electronic. What confusion for a new starter.


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## susieknitter (Jul 14, 2011)

marnita2 said:


> also in the UK mylar sheets are use for stitch patterns on the Knitmaster 560 electronic. What confusion for a new starter.


All that they need to remember is that small mylar sheets are used to input stitch patterns on the electronic machines that take them and that large knitleader sheets are used through a knitleader for a garment style/size.
Sue.


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## bmoyer1 (Jul 25, 2011)

For any one interested in watching a you tube video on how to use the knit leader (aka knit radar) Susy Ranner has a 5 part series on using it, she takes you through measuring your guage and then the actual knitting while reading the pattern.
here is the link for the first video, just search her others for the rest or they may show up to the right after you watch this one.
Betty

http://www.youtube.com/user/susyranner2009#p/search/0/iaj6xBUfYCE


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## KateWood (Apr 30, 2011)

bmoyer1 said:


> For any one interested in watching a you tube video on how to use the knit leader (aka knit radar) Susy Ranner has a 5 part series on using it, she takes you through measuring your guage and then the actual knitting while reading the pattern.
> here is the link for the first video, just search her others for the rest or they may show up to the right after you watch this one.
> Betty
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/user/susyranner2009#p/search/0/iaj6xBUfYCE


Thank-you for the link


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## bmoyer1 (Jul 25, 2011)

You are welcome Kate,
I hope it helps.
Betty


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