Tuesday 11 March 2008

A curates egg day

Well Sunday was an interesting day. A bit like curates egg - good in parts. Decided to have a go at a lace cardi, and for first time since I got it, I took lace carriage out of box. Great, I remembered how to set it up, chose my card, and cast on and did rib. Thought this is great, will have cardi. done in no time. Oh dear how wrong can you be. Took carriage across to set pattern, released card and went back. Yep it was working fine. Now carefully tried taking carriage back from right to left. It stuck firm on the first stitches. I took a closer look and discovered that the carriage was a little high at that side, so took it off and tried to reset. But no matter what I did, it would not go back - or rather it would if I pulled pattern levers forward and knit stocking stitch. But putting back the levers to try and knit lace, and it would not have any of it. Well I know its not me, so I guess the lace carriage has a fault and will have to go back. Very disappointing.
Being a woman of a certain age, I tend to think of myself as non technical. So when I bought a digital recorder for the TV, I left it in the box for over a week. Wondering if I could set it up and get it working. After the knitting machine fiasco, I decided it was time to take the bull by the horns and try setting it up. Instruction book in hand, I stared at the incomprehencable words. OMG what have I let myself in for? But following the pictures I plugged in all the leads before crossing my fingers and plugging in the power. Wow, the green light when on. Another quick look at the instruction book, and I discovered how to set it up. Removed the video, as they does not record on my digital tv and looked through the menu. Tested out the record feature, and it worked. So much easier than setting the video to record. I now have a recorded libary of programs I will never see, but I know I will never again miss a program I do want to see:)
Felt on top of the world. So good in fact that I finished knitting the squares of pram blanket:) Still have to sew them all together, and knit the edging, but feel I am nearly there. The sewing up can be done at work today, as I know it will be very quiet due the windy conditions today. Nowhere near as bad as in some areas of the country, but I don't think I will go along the prom today as it tends to be even more windy there right by the sea.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Isn't it great when you get something technical to work? I know what you mean about recoding stuff never to watch it too, I am so guilty of that. I set up the video recorder for a 'must have' programme, record it faithfully and put it away for one of those days which never seem to come, when I have time to watch it.
About the lace carriage, you are using the actual lace punch cards I hope? When I fist got my machine I could not make the punchcard patterning work not matter how much I tried. I was so frustrated. Then a very nice lady from Canada connected up to me through the laptop as I showed her my machine/settings and the punchard-which of course was the wrong one!
How was I to know.

PaulaC said...

Well I have about 10 hours recorded now, and have deleted about the same amount:)
Yes I was using the right card, the lace carriage was sitting up on the right side and hitting the needles instead of going over the carriage. It was a second hand carriage on a new machine, so that may be the problem.