Charts here are drawn for a type of machine, not a model. Find the type that matches yours: what it can do, and how to draw for it. Model names are examples only.
Single bed
Single bed, punch card
A single needle bed with a 24-stitch punch card that pre-selects needles for Fair Isle, tuck, slip and weaving; most standard-gauge models also come with a lace carriage. Hold works for short rows. There is no second bed, so ribs, double jersey and bed-to-bed transfers are impossible, and at most two colours can knit in one row. The Silver Reed SK-155 bulky uses a 12-stitch card instead of 24.
Can do: hold (short rows), tuck, slip, two colours in a row, lace carriage
Cannot do: rib and double jersey, transfers between beds
- Needles chosen by a 24-stitch punch card
- Pattern repeat up to 24 stitches
- One bed, so pitch does not apply
- Needle spacing: 3.6 / 4.5 / 6 / 9 mm
- Default 200 needles (up to 250)
How to draw for it
- Draw only on the main bed; any cell that needs a second bed is not possible on this type.
- Keep selection patterns inside a 24-needle repeat (motif widths 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 or 24).
- Tuck and slip cells are the unpunched needles; knit cells in the same row are the holes.
- Hold cells are fine for short rows; switch the carriage to hold for those rows.
- Use same-bed transfer marks for lace and cables; avoid two adjacent transfers in one row.
Examples: Brother KH-820/821, KH-836, KH-860, KH-881, KH-891; Silver Reed / Studio / Singer SK-280, SK-3xx; Toyota 858 / 901; Bulky: Brother KH-260, Silver Reed SK-155 (12-stitch card)
Single bed, electronic
Works like a punch-card machine, but solenoids select the needles from memory, a mylar sheet or a computer, so a repeat can be as wide as the bed (about 200 stitches on KH-930 and later; early models such as the KH-910 are narrower). It adds single motifs, elongation, mirroring and, with a plating feeder, plating. It is still one bed: no ribs, no double jersey, and no more than two colours per row.
Can do: hold (short rows), tuck, slip, two colours in a row, lace carriage
Cannot do: rib and double jersey, transfers between beds
- Needles chosen electronically, wide repeats
- Pattern repeat up to 200 stitches
- One bed, so pitch does not apply
- Needle spacing: 3.6 / 4.5 / 6.5 / 9 mm
- Default 200 needles (up to 250)
How to draw for it
- Draw only on the main bed.
- Any repeat width up to the needle count is fine; export the selection rows as a bitmap instead of a punch card.
- Placed single motifs are allowed; note the start needle (for example L20) in the steps.
- Treat purl cells as garter-carriage rows, not as a second bed.
- Keep the usual limits: floats of about 5 stitches at most and no more than 4 stacked tucks.
Examples: Brother KH-930, KH-940, KH-950i, KH-965i, KH-970; Silver Reed SK-840 (with EC1/PC10 or PC software); Silver Reed SK-830 (fine), SK-860 (mid), SK-890 (bulky); Brother KH-270 (bulky)
Single bed, no patterning
An entry-level single bed, often plastic and usually mid or bulky gauge, with no punch card or electronics. The carriage can hold needles, so short rows work. Tuck, slip and two-colour work are only possible by pulling the needles forward by hand every row. There is no lace carriage and no second bed.
Can do: hold (short rows), tuck, slip, two colours in a row
Cannot do: rib and double jersey, transfers between beds, lace carriage
- No automatic needle selection
- One bed, so pitch does not apply
- Needle spacing: 6.5 / 7 / 9 mm
- Default 150 needles (up to 150)
How to draw for it
- Draw only on the main bed.
- Tuck and slip patterns are allowed, but each patterned row becomes a hand-select step, so keep repeats small.
- Hold cells work as normal for short rows and partial knitting.
- Prefer lifted stitches, cables and hand-transferred lace over selection-heavy textures.
- Pick the matching gauge (6.5 to 9 mm) so the preview reflects the thicker yarn.
Examples: Silver Reed LK150 / LK140; Brother KX-350 / KX-355; Studio HK100, LK100; Metal bulky manuals such as Silver Reed SK-151
Two beds
Single bed (punch card) + ribber
A punch-card machine with a ribber attached as a second bed, which adds ribs, double jersey, tubular knitting and bed-to-bed transfers by hand. A pitch lever switches between pitch (needles opposite, for even ribs and transfers) and half pitch (for full-needle rib and double jersey). The card selects only the main bed; the ribber can only knit, slip or tuck across the whole bed, and hold is a main-bed feature.
Can do: rib and double jersey, transfers between beds, hold (short rows), tuck, slip, two colours in a row, lace carriage
Cannot do: —
- Needles chosen by a 24-stitch punch card
- Pattern repeat up to 24 stitches
- Pitch lever: opposite or half pitch
- Needle spacing: 3.6 / 4.5 / 9 mm
- Default 200 needles (up to 250)
How to draw for it
- Label the rows main bed and ribber, and keep selection patterns on the main bed.
- Set the pitch per section: any row where both beds knit neighbouring needles must be half pitch.
- On the ribber row, use one action for the whole bed in each pass (knit, slip or tuck).
- Draw racking and cross-bed transfers as their own step rows, and never rack while needles are in hold.
- Use hold cells only on the main bed.
Examples: Brother KH-821 / KH-836 / KH-881 + KR-830 or KR-850; Silver Reed SK-280 + SRP60N; Brother KH-260 + KR-260 (bulky)
Single bed (electronic) + ribber
An electronic machine with a ribber, which is the most capable domestic set-up. Wide electronic patterns on the main bed combine with ribs, double jersey and double-bed jacquard. The pitch lever and racking work as on any domestic ribber. The ribber itself is not electronically selected, and very dense double jersey is still hard work.
Can do: rib and double jersey, transfers between beds, hold (short rows), tuck, slip, two colours in a row, lace carriage
Cannot do: —
- Needles chosen electronically, wide repeats
- Pattern repeat up to 200 stitches
- Pitch lever: opposite or half pitch
- Needle spacing: 3.6 / 4.5 / 6.5 / 9 mm
- Default 200 needles (up to 250)
How to draw for it
- Label the rows main bed and ribber; wide or placed motifs go on the main bed.
- For double-bed jacquard, draw the colour pattern on the main bed and a plain or birdseye backing on the ribber.
- Use half pitch wherever both beds knit every needle; use pitch for even ribs.
- Give racking and cross-bed transfers their own step rows.
- Use hold cells only on the main bed.
Examples: Brother KH-930 / KH-940 / KH-965i / KH-970 + KR-850; Silver Reed SK-840 + SRP60N; Silver Reed SK-860 + SR860 (mid gauge)
Double bed with pushers (Passap type)
A true double-bed home machine with two equal beds. A pusher under each needle tells the lock whether that needle knits, tucks or slips. Colour work is normally double-bed jacquard, one colour per pass. The Duomatic's Deco unit repeats in multiples of 40 stitches, while the E6000 console selects across the whole front bed. The racking handle switches between needles opposite and needles between, and there is no lace carriage.
Can do: rib and double jersey, transfers between beds, hold (short rows), tuck, slip, two colours in a row
Cannot do: lace carriage
- Needles chosen by pushers under each needle
- Pattern repeat up to 40 stitches
- Pitch lever: opposite or half pitch
- Needle spacing: 5 mm
- Default 179 needles (up to 180)
How to draw for it
- Both beds are equal: knit, tuck, slip and hold cells are allowed on either bed.
- Draw each colour as its own pass; a two-colour jacquard row takes two passes.
- On a Duomatic keep repeat widths to divisors of 40; the E6000 can use any width.
- Set the racking handle up (opposite) or down (between) per section, and keep racking to about 3 steps each way.
- Hold cells work on either bed by putting those pushers out of work.
Examples: Passap Duomatic 80 (with Deco card unit); Passap E6000 (electronic); Pfaff-branded Passap machines
Double-bed hand flat (V-bed)
A semi-industrial V-bed used in colleges, with two equal steel beds, a hand-pushed carriage and separate cams for each bed, available from about 2.5 to 14 gauge. Ribs are set out in half pitch and the back bed racks in full-needle steps. There is no hold position and no per-needle selection, so short rows are not practical and patterns must be made with transfers, whole-bed tuck or slip, or high/low-butt needles. On a Dubied, 'holding' means tuck, not short-row hold.
Can do: rib and double jersey, transfers between beds, tuck, slip
Cannot do: hold (short rows), two colours in a row, lace carriage
- No automatic needle selection
- Beds fixed at half pitch
- Needle spacing: 2.1 / 2.5 / 3.2 / 3.6 / 5.1 / 8.5 mm
- Default 120 needles (up to 500)
How to draw for it
- Do not use hold cells; the app should block them or suggest moving loops to the other bed.
- In each pass, every working needle on a bed does the same thing (knit, tuck or miss), unless the high/low-butt split is marked.
- Any per-needle pattern must be rewritten as transfers or reduced to stripes.
- Draw ribs in half pitch and show racking as explicit full-needle steps.
- Use cross-bed transfers freely for pleats, travelling ribs and purl effects.
Examples: Dubied hand flats (including high/low-butt models); Universal hand flats; Older Stoll hand-driven V-beds
Researched from machine manuals, dealer spec sheets and knitting references; a few details are still unconfirmed.
Swatches