Techniques

Hand Knit + Machine Knit: How to Combine Both Techniques

August 13, 2024
7 comments

Hand + Machine = Success!

The speed and precision of machine knitting are what attract many knitters. Whether you have a huge stash of yarn or endless project ideas, machine knitting helps you bring them to life—faster.

The Hand Knitter’s Advantage

While you don't need to be a hand knitter to succeed at machine knitting, hand knitters bring some valuable skills to the table:

Familiarity with yarn behavior—fiber, drape, elasticity—helps when choosing machine knitting yarns.

Understanding stitch structure aids in troubleshooting and customizing designs.

Consider knitting the fun stuff by hand and the boring stuff by machine. A round yoke sweater is a perfect example—hand knit the yoke, then work the body and sleeves on the machine. You’ll wear the sweater in a fraction of the time.

If you don’t have a ribber, hand knitting ribbing is a great option. Want to add garter or seed stitch? Instead of re-forming stitches on the machine, knit those sections by hand.

Knitting Patterns

Even if you don’t hand knit, you can still draw inspiration from hand knitting patterns. Few designers write patterns for machine knitting—but that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck.

Use the Knit it Now Custom Blueprints to build custom patterns based on YOUR machine and gauge.
Explore the full classroom Hand Knit to Machine Knit with tutorials, tips, and references on combining both worlds.
Use the Knit it Now Machine Knit-Able series to adapt hand knitting patterns for your machine.

About Machine Knit-Ables

Hands holding knitting needles beside a close-up of a knitting machine — *Rehang stitches and continue knitting on the machine*

Tips for Success

Start small: Get to know your machine with basic projects before diving into complex garments.
Experiment: Try different yarns and textures to discover what works well for your machine and your taste.
Stay inspired: Let both the hand and machine knitting worlds fuel your creativity.
Embrace mistakes: Every error is a learning moment that makes you a better knitter.

Conclusion

Hybrid knitting gives you the best of both worlds. Use your machine for speed and consistency, and your hands for finesse and detail. There’s no right or wrong way—just knit what brings you joy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to know how to hand knit to start machine knitting?

Not at all. Many successful machine knitters never pick up needles. But if you do hand knit, your understanding of stitch construction and finishing techniques can be a big help.

Can I combine hand and machine knitting in one project?

Absolutely! Many knitters call this hybrid knitting. Hand-knit ribbing, yokes, or garter edges pair beautifully with machine-knit bodies and sleeves.

What are the benefits of machine knitting?

Speed and even tension are major advantages. Machine knitting lets you produce garments faster and often with more consistent results than hand knitting.

Are hand knitting patterns usable on a knitting machine?

Many are! With a few tweaks and a bit of translation, you can adapt hand knitting patterns for your machine using tools like the Knit it Now Machine Knit-Able series.

What if I don’t have a ribber for my machine?

No problem—hand knit the ribbing and hang it on your machine to continue. Many knitters do just that!

How do I match hand knitting and machine knitting gauge?

Swatching is the only way to match gauge. Change your hand knitting needle size or your machine carriage tension and swatch.

7 Comments

- Kathleen F
- August 27, 2024
I would love to learn more about this, especially how to match handknit tension to machine tension. I do knit ribbing - cuff and neckbands - by hand for the standard gauge as I don’t have a ribber. But I haven’t tried lacework.
- Christy M
- August 22, 2024
I use my machine for the stockinette/reverse atockinette parts of a sweater frequently because my machine has much better tension!
- Judy M
- August 14, 2024
Thanks for reinforcing using hand knitting with machine knitting. I do both types of knitting but don't think about doing both on an item.
- Jane K
- August 13, 2024
I love reading the blogs. I always learn something new. Thank you for the inspiration!
- Karin R
- August 13, 2024
I think machine knitting is the fun stuff! I only use hand knitting when traveling and for projects that are not feasible via machine.
- Betty W
- August 13, 2024
I use both hand knitting and machine. It is very good idea. I did cardigan ten rows purl stiches and move them onto knitting needles make lace pattern by hand and move onoto machine ten rows purl stiches and so on. It was very pleasure work. I love my cardigan. I am so proud that I could make it. Betty
- Cynthia Q
- August 13, 2024
I use both hand knitting and machine. It saved me and kept me going with the machine, thanks, Terri! Most times I will hand knit the rib. It is a personal decision. Depending on the yarn, I think hand knit rib forms better rib. I do the neckline, hem and cuffs. I love the idea of doing the fun stuff by hand and the boring stuff quickly in the machine. I have discovered some really nice hand knit patterns over the last year. Since my preferred machine is the LK150, I can't match the pattern close to a punchcard, and I don't want to hand manipulate already knitted purl stitch(es). I never thought to knit the pattern, or multicolor sections, which is fun by hand, and then use the machine. I just did the ribbing by hand. If I did a pattern stitch, I would only use it on the bottom 2/3 or top 1/3 of the sweater or cardi because I like a mix. I could then hang on the machine before or after that section. Cool. Thanks for this helpful and inspiring blog post!