The enmeshed Tuesdaysquestion

Wollschaf wants to know: 

I'm excited and surprised, how many things are knitted in a very short time. My question is: Is it all knitted by hand or do some of you also knit with the machine? Wherefrom do you get good patterns for machine knitting? What are the advantages and disadvantages of both kinds of knitting? Or should a hand knitter better not knit with a machine? I'm looking forward to your answers!Lot of thanks to Anja for today's question!


I'm knitting as well by hand as with machines. There are things, that can't be knitted by hand and there are things, that can't be knitted by machine, I think.
For sock-knitting without any pattern, I prefer the machine, also for scarfes... Therefore parts, that are knitted in stocking stitches or in rib pattern in the main and which are often monotonous to knit by hand. Of course you can knit patterns with the machine, it depends on the machines facilities: 
Knitting into the centre of the stitch, Norwegian patterns, skip stitches and much more. 


There aren't many new (german) patterns for machine knitting. Sometimes there are some reprints. The disadvantage of most patterns is, that they relate to a particular machine, mostly Brother. Every company had its own lables for techniques and switches. So if you want to knit with your own machine (which is another then the machine in the pattern) you have to guess some of the notations to implement the pattern. What a pity!