The knitting machine isn’t dead
Now here’s a sight for sore hands …
My Mum’s knitting machine has been sitting in a garage for the best part of 20 years. She made jumpers, scarves and blankets and even lace for three children. Then we grew up and wanted the latest chain-store crap. I remember sunny afternoons buzzing not with the sound of the cricket on the radio, but the metallic whoosh of a metal carriage being run back and forth over a bed of needles.
Not long ago, inspired by the explosion of really cool knitting patterns, like “Ribbed for her pleasure”, in ‘Stitch n Bitch’, I asked Elma to teach me some hand-knitting basics. But it turned out to be a nasty strain on my wrists, as my job involves sitting behind a computer all day. A sinking feeling of “oh no… this feels bad”.
Then last Friday I popped into the Stitches Craft show in Melbourne. Amid the scrapbooking, beading , candlewicking and quilting displays, there was a Machine Knitters Association of Victoria stall.
Association secretary Angela McGregor had an autumnal-themed bunch of scarves and hats on display. The ones made from expensive yarns and those from Reject Shop wool were indistinguishable - they all looked great, and looked like far more work than she claims they actually were. And she’d got some interesting webbed effects through dropping stitches on her machine, which, unlike my mother’s, employs punch cards.
Knitting machines are an endangered species – Brother’s head office in Canberra say they stopped stocking them several years ago. But you could try e-Bay, or in Australia, this business directory .
Their advantage is speed – attractive to felters - and the finished product often looks neater and more uniform than hand-stitching – which you may or may not want.
My mother says her Brother pre-punch card model made shaping garments a lot easier. But she had to add a ribber - expensive and tricky. Elma never liked the new-fangled card models, saying they made experimentation difficult.
McGregor says machine knitting was huge in the 60s, died down again then had a brief resurgence in the 1980s when shapeless jumpers (shudder) were in vogue. She says she makes hats and scarves for her kids, but their tastes are too finicky for her to risk clothes. She suggested it can be tricky shaping things on a machine, but you can do it if you’re really determined.
Her advice to people resurrecting knitting machines from the garage is to pull out the sponge bar (a tab to the left). If the foam has worn away, it will need replacing. Oh, and give the works a wipe with sewing machine oil. There’s a good checklist on e-Bay.
It’s not the sort of craft you’ll find taught by the local council of adult education, but the association can put you onto classes or more informal get-togethers in members’ private homes or halls.
Like most first-time-mothers-to-be, I plan to use the time when my baby is sleeping to start a PhD, launch a corporate empire … and maybe dust off the knitting machine.
March 21st, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Knitting machines rock! :) Our Bond is almost as old as we are, but he’s still going strong, look: http://maskerade.blogsome.com/2007/02/25/bond-den-bla-lilla-stickmaskinen/
March 21st, 2007 at 9:49 pm
I sure hope the knitting machine isn’t dead. Retail sweater choice is very limited. I too cannot knit or crochet because my hands will not allow it. I have owned two knitting machines, a KnitKing and a Bother and if I did not now live in Tennessee, and have internal power surges, I would still own them. One can knit beautiful yardage; yes, with care, it can be cut. More importantly, one can make beautiful sweaters with nothing more than a plain stitch and the wonderful yarns available today.
A book that would be helpful to many is “The Prolific Knitting Machine” by Catherine Cartwright-Jones. I just checked and it is avaliable on Amazon.com. It is not a machine maintenance manual, it is an entertaining book about easy, quick methods to knit up sweaters for anyone and their personal preferences. I like this book so much, that even though I currently do not own a knitting machine, I still hang on to it and read it occasionally. The illustrations are priceless.
March 22nd, 2007 at 4:00 am
OMG! I may just have to dust mine off and give it another try! Thanks for the informative links Liz!
March 22nd, 2007 at 1:30 pm
I always wanted a ribber board.
My knitting machine was originally my grandma’s and made the rounds between most of the members of my family, with me being the only one that ever actually used the thing. It’s a chunky one-I have often thought I would prefer a finer one.
I learned quite a few decorative stitches for it from older books and made mostly bags and such.
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:18 am
just go and do it! machine knitting is not the poor relation to hand knitting, it is a complimentary but different craft, I use knitting machines in my business to knit the main peices, then I finish them off by hand, the machine is great to help me get ideas out quickly, even for things that I eventually hand knit.
The machinery is nothing to be afraid of, there are loads of resources on the net (search machine knitters webring) buy some old magazines, they have alot of technical advice in them, and there are ebay-ers who sell manuals on disc for almost every machine.
March 24th, 2007 at 2:26 am
I got mine in 1983, persuaded by a friend from New Zealand, who said it would be good for making my very tall, skinny husband lots of jumpers. I have NEVER made him a jumper yet!! But I have made DOZENS of cot blankets [no shaping needed!] for friends babies, and for orphanagesin Romania. Also had great success knitting up grey industrial yarn into a chain mail outfit for relative who was in a production of Macbeth!
March 29th, 2007 at 1:03 am
I am knew to machine knitting. I bought an inexpensive ($159) model from our local Hobby Lobby store. It is called the Ultimate Sweater Machine. I am having difficulty learning because the carriage jams and doesn’t move very smooth. I suspect it is because of the plastic vs metal parts. I plan to continue learning on it and possibly buying a more expensive used model.
The reason I am trying the machine knitting is because I am a slow knitter AND left-handed. Need I say more? Thanks for the information and keep on knitting!
March 30th, 2007 at 8:07 am
Knitting machines are to knitters what sewing machines are to sewers - a quicker, easier way to get things done faster, and with more uniform results.
Don’t doubt I tote things around to handknit as much as any other handknitter - I love to handknit, and crochet occasionally… but the knitting machine gives you an opportunity to play around with lace, colors and even stitches we can’t readily do in handknitting… and you can do it in so much less time… handknitting a swatch to test out a stitch is why I always HATED knitting swatches… now, I almost laugh when I knit a swatch… it’s GREAT!
:)
Cheri - I know where you are - was SO there when I started with my Bond… and you’ll get it - stick to it.
Once you’ve learned this machine, you can use ANY machine! (sure, the lingo gets a little weird… but you’ll get it!) Welcome to the MK fold!
:)
Happy knitting everyone!
:)
April 17th, 2007 at 11:39 am
totally understand the interest in machine knitting
i have been playing with my ebay passap and I am having a blast. http://www.flickr.com/photos/theoreticgal/395064506/ my first effort with a punchcard pattern.
I would love to acquire an electronic machine with motor but i get the feelin that the electronic are more likely to be an issue, so I’ll be happy playing with a mechanical for the time being. Can’t wait to get a few basic jumpers finished.
I have made quite a bit on an ultimate seater machine previously but the passap is a real step up. I am also a melbourne knitter so I understand teh difficulties finding supplies here compared to the Uk and US. shipping can be very high.
April 27th, 2007 at 10:16 pm
I have 3 knitting machines. However —- here in the U.S. , I am told that Brother is no longer being imported and Passap has stopped making their machines. Finding basic supplies such as replacement needles is very difficult. Have had to quit using my Passap because of this. I still use my 2 Brother machines, but wonder what I will do when my supply of needles runs out. Seems like they are only available “used” now.