Knit Leader Course

This is two high-definition DVDs, about 4 hours of video time.

The Knit Leader is a Brother accessory that has been around many years, is widely available used, doesn't cost too much, and works best on Brother machines, although it is quite useful for other machines and for hand knitting if you simply advance the rows by hand. So many people have one and don't use it! It's a wonderful shortcut to making garments that fit. You draw your full-sized pattern on the mylar sheet, load the sheet in the Knit Leader, set the stitch and row gauge, and the Knit Leader guides you along the way, sort of a GPS for knitting.

In the classes, Diana shows how to use the Knit Leader to make a sweater that fits, step by step.  She also teaches Intarsia technique by making a monkey hat, and then she goes on to teach extra techniques.

This course would transfer well if you have a Toyota Knit Tracer, because that one's very similar to Brother's unit.  This course is not recommended for Silver Reed half-scale Knit Tracers, which are different. 

These DVDs have menus so you can skip around, and pick up the information you need. Here's what Diana shows on the course:

Disk One:

• Making a standard gauge swatch
• Making a measurable ribbing swatch
• Making swatches to solve problems, like the planning of the buttonholes, the transition from ribbing to garment, and the best color scheme
• The Knit Leader, its essential supplies, and other helpful things you can purchase easily
• Using the Knit Leader with sewing patterns
• How to choose the correct stitch scale
• How to set the row gauge
• Shaping an armhole with full-fashioned decreases
• Shaping a shoulder with short-rows
• Divide and shape a neck
• Inset pockets
• Join shoulder seam on machine
• Join armhole seam on the machine
• Making a sleeve
• Shaping in Fair Isle and matching up the pattern

Disk Two:

• Knit 1, purl 1 button band
• Good-looking, easy vertical buttonholes
• Short-rowing a curved hemline
• Short-rowed horizontal bust darts
• Making vertical darts, with and without the garter bar
• Knitting a tidy, folded waistband at the top of a skirt or pants
• How to use the Knit Leader with your bulky machine
• Crafty uses for the Knit Leader
• Knitting larger and plus sizes
• Monkey Hat project planning
• Intarsia with Knit Leader
• Monkey Hat kntting details