Beginner Workshop

Yarn for Machine Knitting

Yarns for machine knitting · Lesson 1 of 1

Yarn for Knitting Machines

Do you need yarn on cones for machine knitting?

NO! All you need is to have the yarn wound in a way that will easily feed into the machine.

Use a center-pull ball from a yarn manufacturer
Rewind skeins or hanks with a ball winder

What weight for your machine?

For success with your knitting machine, you need to make sure you are using a yarn that is the appropriate weight for your machine.
If you are just getting started, use a medium weight yarn that fits in the hooks of the needles. With experience, you can experiment with different weights.
Machines come in different gauges. Gauge (Needle Pitch) refers to the distance between the needles and the size of the hooks of the needles.

Yarn for ribber — *Pitch: the distance between the needles (in mm)*

What is needle pitch?

The gauge (pitch) of a knitting machine is determined by the distance between the needles.
If you are a hand knitter, think of the different machine gauges as different hand knitting needle sizes.
NOTE:
Although the machine pitch determines the yarn you can use, the actual stitch sizes (knitting gauge) is controlled with the tension dials on the machine.
In hand knitting terms, think of this as choosing a needle size within a RANGE of needles.
The pitch of your knitting machine determines the range. The tension dials determine the needle size.

Common Machine Knitting Terms

Machine Gauge	Needle Spacing
Fine Gauge	3.6 mm
Standard Gauge	4.5 mm
Mid-Gauge	6 mm, 6.5 mm, 7 mm
Bulky / Chunky Gauge	9 mm

Yarn by Machine Pitch

Style	Yards per Pound	Stitches per 4"	Wraps Per Inch (WPI)	Machine
Lace	4,000–10,000	33–40	30–40+	Standard (stranded)
Super Fine	3,000–4,000	27–32	14–30	Standard (stranded)
Fine	2,000–3,000	23–26	12–18	Standard / Double Bed
Light	1,000–2,000	21–24	11–15	Mid-Gauge / Standard
Medium	800–1,000	16–20	9–12	Mid-Gauge / Bulky
Bulky	500–800	12–15	6–9	Bulky
Super Bulky	100–500	6–11	5–6	May not be appropriate

Yarn for your ribber?

If you are knitting ribbing 1x1, 2x2 etc. you can use the same weights of yarn as appropriate for your single bed machine.
EXCEPT When knitting full needle rib (or variations), keep in mind:

There are 2 needlebeds in work
The space between the needles is cut in half
You need a much thinner yarn

A thinner yarn is needed for Full Needle Rib

If the yarn is too thick the carriage will be hard to push and the knitting will be stiff