Stitches

What are positions A through E on a knitting machine?

Suppose I want to knit Fair Isle. What is the relationship between positions A, B, C, D, E and this? Does the thickness of the yarn have any impact? What does 40 nm 4 ends mean?

Public Comments

1. OK - when you knit Fair Isle on a knitting machine you are using more than one colour in the same row. So that the machine knows which needles to use on which colour, each individual needle can be set at a different "position" (A to E). As far as I can recall, though I'm not using a flat bed machine at the moment, position A is where the needle is pushed as far back in the slot as is possible, and E is where the needle is pulled forward as far as possible. The other positions are in between. On old style machines you had to set the needles manually so they would operate on the correct cams (little channels) of the knitting carriage and pick up the correct colour yarn. Now I'm sure it is done automatically - though your instruction book, if you have one, will be able to help. 40 nm is the gauge of the yarn you are using and 4 ends will most likely be the number of balls of yarn you will be working with at any one time. Hope this helps.
2. when needles are in A they are out of work,in B the needles you have selected will knit ,D needles are taken to this position when using lace carriage,E push needles here to hold, when shaping necklines and shoulders, remembering to set main carriage to hold at same time.if doing fairisle without punchcard or mylar sheet you would push needles to B position for colour one whilst taking your pattern option colour 2 to D remeber to set to hold knit I row in colour 1 then mannually go along row with colour 2 patterning pushing needle back to B position. I have done this on a chunky on bottom of jumper