Rage against the machine

I am officially on the mend! See all that fuzzy bone? Doesn't it look strong enough to lift plywood?

I have spent a few evenings now trying to MacGyver a new sponge bar for my SK120 bulky knitter and ribber. Very trying. When I first got the machine I set it up and couldn't get it to knit worth beans. Well, to tell the truth I can't actually remember the knitting, but I know the ribbing didn't work. So I stuffed it back in it's box and left it alone for a while.

Fast forward a few months and I am itching to get this working. I pulled it out again and removed the sponge bar from the ribber. I figured if I totally effed that one up at least I could still use the knitter. I took out what was there as sponge - a piece of felt folded in half and wedged in with a piece of yarn - and contemplated my options.

First I tried weatherstripping. I cut it a bit wide and I couldn't for the life of me wedge it in to the narrow and deep channel (5 x 10 mm). I got some round weather stripping, thinking I could sew a case for it and pull it through the channel. HA. In theory it was a brilliant idea but in reality I couldn't get it more than an inch into the bed.

Finally, today I cut a narrower strip of weatherstripping and jammed it in with a bunch of kiddy glue (for easy removal when it totally doesn't work). I glued a pretty piece of ribbon on top and now I am too scared to put it in my ribber. I am fairly sure it will be a disaster. To complicate things, I managed to bend the sponge bar into a most interesting shape in my manipulations - it sort of curves and bends in several different planes so that should complicate the reinstallation. I shall save that joy for tomorrow.

(See the wine? That's an important supply for this job.)

Anyway, while that mess was drying I set up the knitter, gave it some Balistol and it knitted pretty much like a charm. I am optimistic about that, but in the process of setup I did find a picture of the original retaining bar - it had about as much padding as the metal on the bar (e.g. 10 mm) so long-term, I don't think the 2mm of fluff left on the knitter sponge bar is going to cut it. Ah well, at it's worst it performs better than the awful Bond so for that I am grateful. I hatz me some Bond.

I leave you with some lovely pictures. I have developed a small felting addiction:


Above, slippers before. Or should I say "galoshes"?
Below, the Magic Washer. Very cool, very effective.



Below - finished mary-janes. Knitpicks pattern which is easy as pie but could use some tweaking. They're too wide even for my bricks.

Above - felted Galway hat with made-up pattern. Lurve it, but could use some tweaking.
Below, Lamb's Pride bulky hat with flat top and turned up brim - at least that's the plan. Obviously still unfelted.



God, I'm so beautiful I almost can't stand it.