Knitweave with weaving brushes

Machine types that can knit it

• Single bed, punch card
• Single bed, electronic
• Single bed (punch card) + ribber
• Single bed (electronic) + ribber
• Double bed with pushers (Passap type)

The full card

What it looks like

The purl side is the right side. A thick or novelty weft yarn (chenille, bouclé, mohair) is laid horizontally, caught in a regular over/under pattern by a fine stockinette base, so it looks like woven cloth or tweed. The knit side shows plain thin stockinette, with the weft visible between stitches ("bleed-through"). Characteristic: the weft never forms loops of its own; it lies in rows.

How it behaves

Very stable and low-stretch widthwise, a coat or jacket weight fabric that doesn't curl much. Sheds less than knitted chunky yarn. Width is governed by the base yarn.

How it works

No cam buttons (plain setting), K.C., weaving pattern levers at W.T., which lowers the weaving brushes. Per alessandrina, the weft lies over the old loop on needles selected by holes and under it on unselected (blank) needles. The base yarn knits all needles and traps the weft. Floats of weft appear over runs of one selection state (alessandrina describes unpunched areas forming floats on typical weaving cards). The weft must be moved between the left and right weaving yarn guides every row (or laid by hand from a bowl on the floor).

Machines

KH-821 yes (levers and brushes built into the K carriage). No ribber. Other Brother punch-card models and SR machines (some via weaving arm accessory) can also do it. - Base yarn thin (2–3 ply); weft thick (double/triple knit or fancy yarn). - Tension 1–2 numbers larger than plain. - Weft tension set separately: tighter for thin weft, looser for thick weft. - Weft floats about 1–5 sts typical. 1. Knit a few plain rows; preselect row 1 with the card locked. 2. Set the weaving levers to W.T. and release the lock. 3. Thread the weft through the tension unit into the left weaving guide (carriage on right); knit 1 row. 4. Move the weft to the right guide; knit the next row. 5. Repeat, switching guides every row. 6. For extra colours, lay the weft over the selected needles by hand, with all latches open. 7. Optionally bring end needles to E each row for better edges.

Card design rules

Alternate selected/unselected regularly so the weft is caught. A simple 1×1 card gives a honeycomb tie. Long runs of one state produce long weft floats, used for "manipulated float" designs that are hooked up later. Locking the card (same row each pass) gives consistent stitches; advancing alternates the elongation.

Charting

■ = punched (weft over / needle selected), □ = blank (weft under). Note "W.T. levers, no cam buttons; purl side = RS" on the card.

Limits and common problems

Weft jumping off the brushes makes loops. Hairy yarns catch on gate pegs (pull gently from behind). Too-thick weft jams the carriage. Forgetting to swap guides breaks the weft or locks it.

Combines with

tuck (tuck + weaving), lace (weaving + lace, a Brother specialty), intarsia-style weaving by hand-laying different wefts in zones, knit leader shaping.

Related techniques

• Stripes, colour sequences and colour-as-relief