I have been working with Machine Knitters for many years. We started out doing craft shows and then progressed to online stores in about 2002. My girls specially knit each and every order as specified. I am in charge of writing the patterns, finishing the pieces, tags and shipping etc. This is a process that takes time and skill to produce a finish garment. The following is a tutorial on how we machine knit a child's sweater from start to finish.

Our Amherst Alumni sweater is made by starting with a bottom hem...cast on the number of needles necessary for the size you are making. Knit 12 rows at tension 7, 1 row at tension 10, 12 rows at tension 8. Manually pull every other needle to forward position. Now you put a metal dowel in the crease of the hem and pick up the cast on comb carefully placing the sts onto the sts in the forward position. This action hangs the hem.

Next increase your tension to 10 and proceed to knit the body. You will be knitting the motifs for front and back on rows indicated by your pattern. When you are ready to insert pattern turn KC lever to KC11 and read the pattern. Cut two strands of main color yarn and wrap on either side of the selected pattern needles and add second color. Knit pattern stopping every row to wrap both sides of the design to avoid any gaps in the knitting. When pattern is complete, return to normal setting and continue with stockinette stitch.

Knit the necessary number of rows to reach the underarm of the sweater. Cut two strands of contrast color yarn and place them on the end needles on each side of the knitting bed to mark where the sleeves will be hung later on. Knit to the back (or front) neck row. These will be different as shaping is different on the back and the front neck. For the front neck you pull x number of needles on opposite side of the carriage to hold and knit across. Wrap yarn under first selected needle and then knit back to the underam side. On the next several rows you will be placing 2 neck stitches into holding position (be sure to push in your hold button or it will all land on the floor ... done that more than once~) wrap the yarn again and knit back. Repeat 3 more times. Now put 1 new needle into hold on neck side, knit, wrap and knit back. Repeat that 2 more times. Knit required number of rows on remaining stitches. Waste off remaining shoulder sts. Repeat for other side of neck.

Same for back neck shaping but you are going to put x number of needles to hold and knit across. Put 1 new needle on neck side to hold and knit back.
repeat that for x number of rows and waste off shoulder stitches. Repeat for other side of neck.

Now you can rehang all the neck stitches onto # of needles necessary and knit 19 rows at Tension 9. All needles out to hold and latch tool bind off one at a time with a latch tool around 2 sinker posts to keep neck edge loose to go over a child’s head. Join both shoulders by rehanging back shoulder and front shoulder sts on to the same needles. Latch tool bind off one at a time around 1 sinker post.

Then for the sleeves. Hang the stitches between underarm markers onto neccesary # of needles. Knit required # of rows and work a full fashioned 2 prong decrease by taking your transfer tool and removing the first two stitches on each side and moving them in one stitch. You have now decreased one stitch on each side. Keep knitting sleeve decreasing sts every so many rows as directed by your pattern. (that I write myself) When you get to the end then knit 11 rows at tension 8 for rolled cuff and latch tool bind off around 1 sinker post a stitch at a time. Repeat for other sleeve and sweater is complete.

Now comes the finishing work. Hang the underarm seams stitch by stitch onto the pegs of the linker. Use linker to create a seam with a chain type stitch. Weave in all of the loose ends around the motifs with a tapestry needle. Now you need to manually join the neck edges using yarn ends left from knitting. Weave in the ends around the sleeves. Close up the bottom of the hem on both sides with tapestry needle.
Weave the sleeve cuffs with invisible stitch with tapesty needle. Sweater is now ready to label with care instructions and company label. My sweaters get preshrunk so they fit the child when received. To do that I spritz them with water and place in the dryer for half of a cycle. Now it is time to ship.

We offer free gift wrapping and card so the gift can easily go directly to the recipient without the customer having to deal with any of the wrapping and such. Or it goes to the buyer and they present it to the person they bought it for. So sweaters have to be properly folded and boxed, bagged and wrapped depending on customer’s wishes. Now we can go to stamps.com and prepare our shipping labels. Affix labels to packages and bring to the post office. There you have it! One order complete. Phew!