# For those with Bond machines



## cathy47 (Jun 6, 2011)

If you have or going to get the row counter to go with your Bond I have directions to make a Trip wire for it. I don't understand why it is they make the counter without the part it takes to trip it as you knit. If interested let me know and I can email it to you. All it takes is a large paper clip and a pair of needle nose pliers.


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## ChasingRainbows (May 12, 2012)

I have one of the row counters, and it works fine without any additional parts. I just put it on the back of the bed, and every time the carriage passes the row counter, it increases by 1.


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## cathy47 (Jun 6, 2011)

flower_power said:


> I have one of the row counters, and it works fine without any additional parts. I just put it on the back of the bed, and every time the carriage passes the row counter, it increases by 1.


Well how did you get so lucky? Mine doesn't work that way without a trip wire put on it and I had to make one.


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## ChasingRainbows (May 12, 2012)

I have no idea. I just installed it according to the directions and it worked the first, and every time, since. I bought it last year.


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## Jenya (Dec 26, 2011)

The Ultimate Sweater Machine has a small tripper molded into the back of the carriage, but the Sweater Machine, with the wire guard on the front of it, does not have anything to trip the row counter. I have both types of carriage for my Bond knitting machines.


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## ChasingRainbows (May 12, 2012)

Jenya, That explains it. I have both the old and new carriages, but I never use the old one anymore. I have 2 separate sets, and like the newer carriage better.


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## delite163 (Mar 13, 2012)

I have a good working counter that came with my machine.


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## tesshoffman (Jan 21, 2011)

Actually, I'd like to see your invention. I have the USM and the row counter, and have just about giving up using it, because I cannot in any way trust the numbers on the counter. Sometimes it counts every row, sometimes it counts only every other row. I still end up counting - "proofing" - every row before I go to the next step in the project.


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## easycreations (Aug 27, 2012)

tesshoffman,

You have to make sure that your carriage tripper is going past the flip switch on the row counter in order for it to count the rows. If you don't pass completely through the flip switch it won't count it. That can happen on short rows where you might not have to go back so far but you need to just to count that row. (learned from experience) :thumbup:


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## faithphoenix (Dec 28, 2011)

cathy47 said:


> If you have or going to get the row counter to go with your Bond I have directions to make a Trip wire for it. I don't understand why it is they make the counter without the part it takes to trip it as you knit. If interested let me know and I can email it to you. All it takes is a large paper clip and a pair of needle nose pliers.


I would be very keen to have this info' - [email protected] - Thank you!


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## cathy47 (Jun 6, 2011)

delite163 said:


> I have a good working counter that came with my machine.


your lucky some of us have the early version and they do not trip or have a way to trip the counter.


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## cathy47 (Jun 6, 2011)

Ladies Please of Please PM info such as your email. To many spamers out there would just love to have your email address. So make it a rule if you want to pass off information like email go to the top and look for the Private Message and do it that way. This is to protect yourselves.


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## cathy47 (Jun 6, 2011)

This trip wire is not my invention I sent for the information back in '03 when I found other means of keeping track of rows was darn near impossible. I recieved this information from Bond long ago.


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## Deb-Babbles (Mar 4, 2011)

I have 3 Bond machines. They all came with the trip wire that attaches to the back of the carriage. Yet I was able to bend one all the wrong way. After a bit of thinking I too was able to make a new one that is stronger and works just perfect. Glad you want to share your knowledge on how to make one of these.


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## easycreations (Aug 27, 2012)

My Bond is over 20 years old and I have the Incredible Sweater Machine and it came with a wire trip on the carriage and the counter was separate. I purchased my Bond brand new, so maybe if some of you purchased a used machine, it may not have been in the box for some reason. I did upgrade to the Ultimate carriage and key plates, which I like better, but the original carriage still works fine.


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## cathy47 (Jun 6, 2011)

easycreations said:


> My Bond is over 20 years old and I have the Incredible Sweater Machine and it came with a wire trip on the carriage and the counter was separate. I purchased my Bond brand new, so maybe if some of you purchased a used machine, it may not have been in the box for some reason. I did upgrade to the Ultimate carriage and key plates, which I like better, but the original carriage still works fine.


my Bond I bought brand new also but no such wire was with mine. I am thinking of putting in a call to Santa to up grade my machine this year .


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## easycreations (Aug 27, 2012)

You would love the upgrade...it's well worth it and it can be purchased on Ebay too or at Knitting Today. My first upgrade carriage was the wrong one for my intarsia keyplate to fit in, so I sent Bond an email and explained that it didn't fit and they sent me a new carriage that fits my intarsia.


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## cathy47 (Jun 6, 2011)

easycreations said:


> You would love the upgrade...it's well worth it and it can be purchased on Ebay too or at Knitting Today. My first upgrade carriage was the wrong one for my intarsia keyplate to fit in, so I sent Bond an email and explained that it didn't fit and they sent me a new carriage that fits my intarsia.


Thats something else I want to get but want to know is it worth the money before buying is that Intarsia plate. So not interchangeable are the two generation of Bond?


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## easycreations (Aug 27, 2012)

I love my intarsia key plate. I've attached a couple of blankets I designed using it. I made a beautiful sweater for my son when he was little with the engine of a train on the front and and the caboose on the back. (I actually used a hand knitting pattern) Only on some of the Ultimate carriages is the key plate too large and if you email Bond like I did, they should send you the right size carriage or ask the person selling it if it fits with the intarsia key plate. Mine is the old keyplate (black) and the new ones are yellow. Don't know the difference other than the color.


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## celeste1226 (Aug 27, 2012)

Hi Cathy. I sent you a PM with my email address. Thanks again.


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## cathy47 (Jun 6, 2011)

easycreations said:


> I love my intarsia key plate. I've attached a couple of blankets I designed using it. I made a beautiful sweater for my son when he was little with the engine of a train on the front and and the caboose on the back. (I actually used a hand knitting pattern) Only on some of the Ultimate carriages is the key plate too large and if you email Bond like I did, they should send you the right size carriage or ask the person selling it if it fits with the intarsia key plate. Mine is the old keyplate (black) and the new ones are yellow. Don't know the difference other than the color.


OH, you have me sold on that key plate now. Maybe I'll ask for the plate instead of the machine for Christmas and then hint around about new machine for Mother's Day.


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## cathy47 (Jun 6, 2011)

celeste1226 said:


> Hi Cathy. I sent you a PM with my email address. Thanks again.


I sent it out to you check see if it arrived.


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## dec2057 (May 30, 2011)

cathy47 said:


> If you have or going to get the row counter to go with your Bond I have directions to make a Trip wire for it. I don't understand why it is they make the counter without the part it takes to trip it as you knit. If interested let me know and I can email it to you. All it takes is a large paper clip and a pair of needle nose pliers.


I hate the row counters. I just count. The older carriages needed trip wires but the newer ones don't. Just count - it's cheaper and easier.


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## easycreations (Aug 27, 2012)

I won't knit without my row counter. I do too many things that need it and I don't have time to stop and count when I need to get something done quickly. I've made hats, mittens, afghans, slippers, sweaters, ear warmers, etc. and I always use my row counter. Anytime it has ever failed was because of me, not the counter. When I get up and leave the machine I don't have to worry about what row I'm on or writing it down, it tells me. I remember the days of counting and writing it down and I don't want to go back to those days. I guess you could say that "I like my row counter"


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## cathy47 (Jun 6, 2011)

dec2057 said:


> cathy47 said:
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> > If you have or going to get the row counter to go with your Bond I have directions to make a Trip wire for it. I don't understand why it is they make the counter without the part it takes to trip it as you knit. If interested let me know and I can email it to you. All it takes is a large paper clip and a pair of needle nose pliers.
> ...


Well you must not have kids or anyone else to distract you. Cheaper....how much is a paper clip? and no needle nose pliers i am sure you could borrow one of those. But what ever it is that floats your cookie.


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## gibalyn (Aug 19, 2012)

I'd be interested in the Bond wire--email me (Debbie) at 
[email protected] Thanx


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## Roe (Feb 10, 2011)

Years ago when I purchased my Bond I also bought the counter and it works just fine with out any enhancement. Go to BondAmerica.com for tools and patterns.


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## cathy47 (Jun 6, 2011)

Roe said:


> Years ago when I purchased my Bond I also bought the counter and it works just fine with out any enhancement. Go to BondAmerica.com for tools and patterns.


aren't you lucky. and that is just where I bought my counter was from BondAmerica.com some years ago.


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## easycreations (Aug 27, 2012)

cathy47 said:


> Roe said:
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> > Years ago when I purchased my Bond I also bought the counter and it works just fine with out any enhancement. Go to BondAmerica.com for tools and patterns.
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The trip wire doesn't come with the counter, it comes with the old stye carriage, as the new carriages don't need the wire. If you have the old style carriage without the wire tripper, I'd email them and complain that you didn't get it and that the counter is useless without it!!


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## dec2057 (May 30, 2011)

cathy47 said:


> dec2057 said:
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We use the bond knitting machines at our charity work meetings. Not using counters is cheaper because we didn't have to pay for the counters for our machines and the two we had we sold to buy more yarn. The counters slow us down and are not always accurate so we have to count anyway. The drag the counters create is annoying as well. I know some folks like the counters - and that is fine - but we don't care for them.


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## cathy47 (Jun 6, 2011)

easycreations said:


> cathy47 said:
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back when I got the counter I had written them and all they sent me was instructions on how to make a trip wire out of a paper clip. It has done very well. Now I am looking for those claw weights.


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## easycreations (Aug 27, 2012)

cathy47 said:


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I bought claw weights from Knitting Today. I also made my own with a large paperclip hooked on a little cotton bag with a draw string of metal rings for weights. You could probably use washers for weights too, or even stones. Works for me! Also made my own garter bar with cotter pins.


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## tesshoffman (Jan 21, 2011)

I've never done a short row, so that can't be it, but thanks!


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## dec2057 (May 30, 2011)

easycreations said:


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Claw weights are wonderful ;-) They can make all the difference in enjoying knitting. I have a lot of homemade weights as well from all kinds of things - hair clips, fishing lures, etc. I even made my own garter bars (but much prefer the kriskrafter.com garter bars) and 2 sizes of cast on combs. I have a professional set of cast on combs and they work just as well as my own coc ;-)


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## cathy47 (Jun 6, 2011)

dec2057 said:


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Okay, I went over to that site. Now I will ask the dumb question. What is the purpose of this "garter bar"? You can do the very samethings by manipulation. It better be a good one for as much as those cost.


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## easycreations (Aug 27, 2012)

cathy47 said:


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Garter bars turn your sts. all at once in a row, whereas turning one stitch at a time can get tiring if you have a lot of them to do and keeps you from wanting to do those intricate patterns that use garter stitches. I made my own for under $5.00.


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## cathy47 (Jun 6, 2011)

easycreations said:


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## dec2057 (May 30, 2011)

cathy47 said:


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I love the speed of completion that is attainable using a garter bar. We make a lot of baby cocoons and hats - trying to manipulate an entire row of stitches one stitch or two at a time across an 80 bed row of stitches is very time consuming, especially when the decreases take place over 16 rows. With a garter bar you can move the entire row in decrease moves in only 10 moves instead of 80 ;-)

I made a garter bar from a hair comb and a yardstick, also one from bobbie pins and a yardstick - they both work but are clumsy and inaccurate. I finally gave in and sprung for an 8 mm KrisKrafter.com garter bar and it is true bliss 

I can imagine that a casual knitter may not want to spent over $100 for a garter bar, but we make thousands of hats, baby cocoons and other items for the hospital, crisis centers, homeless shelters, etc and the garter bar has earned its cost, and then some


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## Thomasknits (Dec 29, 2018)

I would like to get the row counter for the Incredible Sweater Machine row counter. I would like to get instructions on how to make the tripper spring for it if you still have it. Thanks.


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## Thomasknits (Dec 29, 2018)

cathy47 said:


> If you have or going to get the row counter to go with your Bond I have directions to make a Trip wire for it. I don't understand why it is they make the counter without the part it takes to trip it as you knit. If interested let me know and I can email it to you. All it takes is a large paper clip and a pair of needle nose pliers.


I'd love to get the instructions for the tripper spring made from a paper clip please. I have the ISM and I want to purhase a row counter. Thanks


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## HeidiMargret (Apr 21, 2012)

Here is a row counter I made for the ISM, it's pretty easy and uses a large paper clip:


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## Thomasknits (Dec 29, 2018)

Thank you!!!


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## chickkie (Oct 26, 2011)

I have an older Bond row counter for sale, just the counter, no idea which version of Bond it works on.


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## HeidiMargret (Apr 21, 2012)

It should work with all of them but will need to have a tripper made that triggers it if it doesn't come with one. The tripper for the ISM and the built-in one in the newer carriage that both work for the black counter won't reach the flipper of this row counter. I've used this white one for years and it has never malfunctioned while the gears in a black one have broken.


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