Machine for all seasons

Press, 6 July 1977, Page 15

Machine for all seasons

You’ve got it made. Well almost. You only need to buv the new Brother KHB3O, “KnitKnack knitting machine plus the woofs of your choice, and your knitwear wardrobe can be doubled over the week-end. This is the very latest in knitting machines. It arrived from Japan in March and retailers report a brisk turnover. Understandably, there is a step-up in price from the earlier Brother KHB2O model, but you are getting .eal value ' for every iollar. There are five oasic improvements incorporated in the KHB3O that earlier models have not had. All the improvements are beamed towards making your knitting a more creative process. 1. It is now possible to work with four fair-isle colours at the same time. This greatly increases the design possibilities and adds to the professional appearance of your knitwear. Of course, the allover pattern of the finished garment may combine many more than four colours (as can be seen in the illustration) but only four may be used simultaneously. The four-colour changer unit is attached to your double-bed machine. A push-button yarn feeder automatically changes the yarn up to four times in any one row. Using . economical two or three-ply wool, you can produce complex and sharply-defined fairisle patterns with the minimum of effort. Simple geometric patterns and stripes are childs play with your changer unit. 2. The wool used in fair-isle patterns can now be woven neatly into the back of your knitting. The

finish is so slick . you could wear the garment inside-out to show off the complementary pattern. 3. Any pattern or motif can be extended in size. This means that you can double the length of your favourite designs in fairisle, weaving and skipstitch patterns, .by the use of the intermittent card feeding system. This is not possible with lace patterns, but as lace patterns can be produced in all sizes and arrangements using computer cards, this is hardly a disadvantage. 4. Lace patterns are now possible with most weights of yarn — from one or two-ply knitting cotton to heavier wools. Knitwear is now for all seasons. Light-weight dresses, suits and tops in lacey summertime weave can be made with American mercurised cotton. The cotton washes extremely well and comes in strong colours as well as pastels. The Brother lacemaker is included with your machine at no extra cost. Its built-in pattern selector lever makes lace knitting — fine lace and traditional — a simple and satisfying craft. 5. The new screw-on ribbing attachment produces ribbing with greater elasticity. There is a springy feel to ribbed jerseys and edgings that has all the texture of good handknitting. Skinny-rib jerseys are a breeze With the Brother KHB3O, for the machine is capable of circular knitting of a fine quality. Using up to 400 needles, you can also run up garments in fisherman’s knit, tuck rib and Aran knit. When you take possession of your “Knit-Knack” KHB3O, you’ll also be

given 25 punch cards. With these basic cards it .is possible, with . changes in tension, to produce 70 different fancy stitch patterns. All these patterns are clearly illustrated, in colour, in the instruction manual, with step-by-step directions.

Another source of pattern inspiration is the Brother Pattern Book, a full y-illustrated glossy hard-cover book, which offers nearly 800 pattern ideas. This is an optional extra.

For those knitters who want to be truly individual, the Brother KHB3O will take your own pattern ideas. You can buy extra blank punch cards and punching accessories and create your own distinctive designs.