Blog - Herman Hills Farm

3 Aug 2026

Where to Start with Designaknit Knitting Software

posted in: Uncategorized | 0

Post overview:

How to start learning Designaknit.
Garment Designer and measurements.
Links to free patterns when learning to use Stitch Designer.
Link to the only online resource.

Studying the Software Manual

If I had to describe Designaknit (DAK), I would say it is the software that enables you freedom to design your own garment patterns and stitch patterns. It can give you endless options for designing whatever you want. Before you can start, you need to learn the software. Many users never get past the very beginning stage of learning and some eventually give up altogether.

It is common to try and learn Designaknit from various sources of online videos. Videos are helpful and I do recommend watching as many as you can. Videos are going to give you a brief overview of a specific part of the software or how to design a specific item and can be helpful. If you really want learn to fluidly use Designaknit, you need to study the user manual. I know this is probably not what you want to hear! There are many fine details of Designaknit that you will only find in the manual.

The user manual is found under the help menu of each section of the software. You can download the pdf and read it on any device or you can choose to print each section. The manual is over 1500 pages so printing will be expensive. If you want to print, I suggest printing one section of the software at a time and study it before moving on to a different section. I downloaded the pdf manuals onto my iPad and open them in the Goodnotes app. This app allows you to add notes, highlighting, bookmarks and more to pdfs. In the past, I have printed my manuals and marked pages with bookmarks and highlighted passages. The manual is not perfect. It can be confusing. Read to the end of this post to find a helpful online resource…

Choosing a Section of Designaknit to Study

I suggest starting with either Standard Garment or Stitch Designer. Which section you choose to start with will depend on what you really want to make first. If it is a basic garment in stockinette stitch, start with Garment Designer. If you really want to make you own stitch patterns and knit out swatches, start with Stitch Designer.

Garment Designer

If you plan to start with Garment Designer, it is helpful to have accurate measurements of the person you plan to knit the garment for. You can use the generic measurements included with the software if you want to start knitting right away. Baby and child patterns are small and easy to knit. There are many online resources for explaining how to take measurements for sewing. I suggest searching online for tutorials of how to take accurate measurements for sewing clothing.

Stitch Designer

The Stitch Designer section of the software, does have a few tutorials you can follow. The user manual goes into great detail explaining specific tools and use of the software. I suggest reading through the manual and using your software and machine to apply what you read. Learn the tools section and try out a few designs. Don’t worry if you do not understand or remember everything. You will have to read over the manual many times to pick up things you missed or didn’t understand the first time. The more you study the software AND use it to knit what you read, the more you will learn. This will take time and repetition. If you get tired of knitting swatches, you can set your machine up to knit my Lightning Fast Cowl pattern and have a finished item instead of several swatches. A more adventurous pattern would be my cut and sew hat pattern.

Resource for Help

If you get stuck on a specific part of the software, there is a Facebook group for Designaknit (link) which is very helpful. You can post questions or use the search box to search for answers. I know many people hate Facebook. I literally only use it for knitting and weaving and find it to be a valuable source for help and information. You can use a fake user name to sign up for Facebook if you want to be incognito.

Now you know where to start learning. You will have to put in the work of studying and knitting along to make progress.

I will have more posts about learning specific details of Designaknit coming soon.

This article has been written 100% by me without the help of AI.

29 Apr 2026

Mastering DesignaKnit: Quick Tips for New Users

posted in: Designaknit | 1

Getting Started with DesignaKnit (DAK)

I’ve been using DesignaKnit since Version 7, and honestly, every update just keeps getting better. Not only are the newer versions more powerful, but they’re also a lot easier to use and learn. If you’re just starting out, I definitely recommend using the most current version you can.

I see a lot of the same questions pop up in knitting groups and forums, so I thought I’d start sharing some simple DesignaKnit (DAK) tips here and there to help make things easier.

What Is DesignaKnit Software?

Designaknit is a software program that helps you create garments and stitch patterns for machine and hand knitting.

You can find more information, tutorials, and even a demo version on the Soft Byte Ltd website. The demo is a great way to test things out before purchasing.

Why You Might Feel Stuck Learning DesignaKnit

So you’ve got the software. You’ve watched a bunch of YouTube tutorials. But somehow… you still feel like you’re missing something and constantly looking things up.

Sound familiar?

You’re not doing anything wrong—this is super common. There are some great videos out there, but here’s the truth:

👉 You probably won’t fully understand DesignaKnit without studying the instruction manual.

The Secret to Learning DesignaKnit Faster

The instruction manual is where everything really clicks.

Inside the software, you’ll find manuals for each section under the Help menu. You can also download them as PDFs, which makes it easier to study at your own pace or even print sections if you like having something physical. There are also a few tutorials in the instruction manual.

Fair warning: the full manual is over 1,500 pages 😅

But don’t let that scare you—just focus on one section at a time as you need it.

How I Organize My DesignaKnit Manuals

What works best for me is keeping all the manual sections on my iPad and opening them in the GoodNotes app.

This makes it really easy to:

Bookmark important pages
Highlight key steps
Add notes

It saves a ton of time compared to digging around for answers later.

Final Thoughts

If you’re feeling frustrated with DesignaKnit, you’re definitely not alone. It’s a powerful program, and there’s a learning curve—but once it clicks, it’s worth it.

Start small, use the manual alongside videos, and don’t try to learn everything at once.

I’ll be sharing DAK tips soon to help you get comfortable faster!

30 Dec 2023

Wine Glass Machine Knit Blanket

posted in: Designaknit, Machine Knit, passap, Uncategorized, wincrea | 2

Happy New Year and a blanket design to go along with it. :). I am sharing the Designaknit .stp and a .bmp (Wincrea) of my own hand drawn pattern design. I knit my blanket with a Passap E6000 knitting machine, but this pattern can be knit on any electronic machine with 200 needles. On the Passap, I used 2/24 yarn (double strand of each color). On Passap E6000 use tech 186 for extra wide large throw or tech 187 for smaller lap size. After the cast on (#3), I put both end needles on the front bed for tech 186. Needles 88-0-88. 176 stitches. 1000 lock passes. (250 pattern rows on Wincrea). When the blanket is done, I use this cast off method.

The finished blanket size is approximately 60″ wide by 71″ long after washing (if knit on Passap with Tech186 with 2/24 yarn doubled). Technique 186 will finish out extra wide after washing. This is a great size for an adult throw.

I am sharing my pattern file for Designaknit (.stp) and Wincrea (.bmp) Click here.

The “not so fine” print: Do not claim this pattern/digital file as “your” design. Do not share my pattern file or post the digital file online unless it is by sharing the URL link to my website/blog post. You can knit this blanket to sell. Items are knit to sell by small business less than 500 items a year…. I always appreciate sharing of my website name, Herman Hills Farm, when sharing your finished knitted items. …Just hoping others will find some use of my blog/tutorials too. Machine knitting is a dying art. 🙁 Thank you.

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