New Projects – Seeds, Fiber Trend Clogs, and Passap Swatches
The sun came out yesterday so the kids and I lugged the garden storage box up from the basement. While they cleaned and filled containers with potting soil, I tried to determine the germination odds of vegetable seeds from as far back as 1989. I don’t have much hope for the lettuce, but the tomatoes and squash should sprout. Around here, tossing seeds, unless they absolutely refuse to grow, happens about as often as tossing leftover yarn.
Later today I’ll set up the cold frames. Hauling seven trays of seedlings in and out of the garage is a royal pain and it’s usually late morning before I remember to do it. Nights here are still very cold. No sane tomato seed would pop out of the ground for at least two more months.
This year our new items to grow are zinnias and grape tomatoes. In the past, it’s been May before I got around to planting the vegetable garden – way too late for growing tomatoes by seed in the Pacific Northwest. I usually make a mad dash to the local hardware store and hope they still have the varieties we want. The grape tomato package said it was perfect for dehydrating. I’ll let you know in September if it was telling the truth.
Info
I’m more than half way done with a new pair of Fiber Trend Clogs. I’m living on the edge by using mystery wools from a church rummage sale – it all appears to be Lambs Pride. I’m keeping my fingers crossed the Felting Fairies agree.
The Passap Duo 80 is still getting a work out. Here are some more samples. The racked Fisherman’s Rib is my favorite so far.
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March 19, 2007
7 comments
I really donot know where to ask my question about taking stitches on a deckercomb, but since I love gardening and I own a Passap Duo 80. I know this makes no sense but still I ask my question here and hope somebody will see this and help me.
I bought my machine just three month ago and I have made many swatches and had many frustrations by trying to find out how this machine works, but I have made much progress and now I want to try to knit a babysweater with a built in pattern.
The front lock is set to N and the back lock in AX —> with (back)pushers one in WP and one in NWP and so on. All goes well until I reach the neckline of the frontpart, where you have to knit the parts separately. All the books say you have to put the stitches of one half on a deckercomb but how do you do that with all the needles in WP? Do I have to use 2 deckercombs? Is there perhaps another method because I constantly drop all the stitches and have to start all over again.
Is there somebody who can help me?? That would really be a great help!
Many thanks in advance!
Astrid,
I’m hoping others with more experience knitting sweaters on a Passap will chime in. Most of my work on that machine has been socks, hats, and baby blankets.
There are two YahooGroups dedicated to our machine – PassapKnits and PassapClub. KMaholics is based in Europe and is a bi lingual group. All posts are in French and English. I know they have dedicated Passap knitters.
All three groups are free to join and are pretty good about answering questions from new machine knitters.
I’m assuming you would have to transfer all stitches to be placed on the Decker Comb to either the front bed, or all to the back bed, then take them off on the comb. Considering AX stitches would already have two loops on its needles, moving them would place three loops in total.
Taking the stitches off would be doable. Putting them back on the correct bed with the right tuck loop could drive you crazy.
You might be able to use waste yarn and take off each side’s stitches separately. Again, I’m only thinking out loud. You will need more input on this one.
As far as I know, you can’t use two decker combs on the same corresponding bed of stitches
Kathryn,
Thanks very much for your answer and although you donot know the answer completely I am still a bit further, because I know now that I cannot use 2 decker combs on the same corresponding bed. I already saw that space would be very narrow if I should even have tried that. And you are right about taking the stitches and loops back on the right needles would drive me crazy. It is quicker to knit by hand then instead of by machine!
I already joined the Yahoo Passap Club and I hope that somebody there can help me.
I recently acquired a Passap Duo 80 with all accessories. I’ve managed to figure out a lot about the machine, but much i still do not know.
I can do several castons, but not all. I’m using baby weight yarn and tried Opal sock yarn because i do not know what to really use.
My locks jam after 2 or 3 rows, sometimes on the 2nd, and a few times around the 5th or 6th row. Sometimes i see loops on the left edge. I’ve tried different settings on the yarn mast, and different stitch sizes. I have to mail order my yarn so far, so do not know what to really use. Should the yarn be very very thin? I did successfully do a simple cast on with every other needle. I cannot do an open tubular cast on.
I’m wondering what else could be wrong. The machine was stored and i did a little cleaning and some oiling – maybe it needs more?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Lu
I have had my Passap8o a long time and because I have never used it (I am a Brother person) I am now thinking about parting with it. However, I have now been looking at the stitch pattern book and come across what I think is one of many lovely patterns. It says Deco 36! is this a pattern no. and if so where can I get a copy? as I think I would like to see if I could knit this and give my Passap one more chance before I say goodbye.
Thank you for a really truly good site, I find it very helpful.
Irene
Astrid,
Please do not give up on your Passap KM. I bought mine in 1983 and took it back to the dealer after about two weeks, and just left it there. I was so frustrated, because it was so hard to push the carriage. she would not give the money back, so after about three weeks I got it back. but still had trouble with it. so I just covered it up and have not used it in years.
Recently I found The sight how to take apart and clean a Passap. I followed the instructions, and now it works the way it was supposed to work when it was new.
The reason for the loops on the sides of the knitting is caused by passing the carriage too far passed the end of the needles. Just pass the needles, and do not start back to fast. I had the same problem, and no one told me why.
Mildred
Good Tip. It’s really nice when all turns out well and there’s a simple answer.