Looking for advice on knitting machines, pros and cons and what to look for?
What can you do on a knitting machine and what can’t you?
The advantages of knitting machines:
1. Even stitches.
2. Make fast work of boring stretches of stockinette stitch
3. Make possible some outcomes that cannot be achieved by hand, such as tuck stitches and knit weaving.
The disadvantages of knitting machines:
1. The metal beds are heavy; the lightweight portable ones less so.
2. Require a table or stand for setup and space around for the carriage to move, the yarn pathway, and so on.
3. Maintenance, including regular dusting and lubricating, regular replacement of the needle retainer bar on most machines, and sometimes carriage adjustments.
4. Ribbing and tubular knitting require a separate ribber or a double-bed machine.
5. The width of a piece is dictated by the number of needles in the bed, although that width can be augmented with a ribber or, in the case of Bond machines, joining 2 or more.
Facts you may not know:
1. Knitting machines come in 4 size groups: fine, standard, mid-gauge, and bulky.
2. “Bulky” means knitting-worsted size and Aran weight yarn; sometimes a bit larger.
3. Mid-gauge will use sport-weight and worsted size yarn.
4. Standard gauge uses a fine yarn, fingering weight-ish.
What to look for:
1. Ease of use if you are a beginner.
2. If you are buying a new machine, the choices are limited pretty much to Bond and Silver Reed. There are Yahoo! Groups for support for owners of each and there is much information in blogs and on other web sites.
3. If you are buying a previously owned machine, the choices are many and more education on your part is required to make wise choices. The “more desired” machines are Passap–which have a steep learning curve. Brother and Knit King are the same machine, no longer manufactured. Studio, Singer (U.S.), and Silver Reed are the same machine and some models are currently manufactured. White, Singer (Europe), and Superba are French and no longer manufactured. There are others as well.
My recommendations:
1. If you buy a previously owned machine, make sure you can pick it up in person. Often re-sellers of older machines (particularly on eBay) don’t know how to pack a machine to protect it from damage, and the USPS is notorious for not paying off on the insurance.
2. Join a machine-knitters club if one is available. I drive 125 miles one way to attend monthly club meetings for the support and learning opportunities, and others do as well. It’s worth every mile and then some.
3. A good machine to begin on is the plastic-bed Silver Reed LK 150 (around $400).
4. If you can find an instructor, it’s worth taking a few lessons until you “get the hang of it.”
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Jaccard Supertendermatic 48-Blade Tenderizer $23.50 Since 1962, Jaccard original mechanical meat tenderizers have been the secret of professional chefs all over the world. They can be utilized on any cut of meat including beef, pork, veal, turkey, and wild game. Triple Action Tenderizer with 48 Stainless Steel Saber Blades Set in 3 Parallel Rows of 16. Dishwasher Safe. Made in the China… |
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Caron Ultimate Sweater Machine Row Counter $17.49 The Ultimate Knitting Machine Row Counter automatically keeps track of the number of rows you have knitted (up to row 999), assisting knitters in determining length of garment or afghan. Never lose count of your rows with the counter! Dial can be reset at any time and fits easily on the back of your Ultimate Sweater Knitting Machine (sold separately). Color: Black. Instructions included. Measureme… |
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Bucilla 86194 Holiday Cornucopia Stamped Cross Stitch Tablecloth, 60-Inch by 90-Inch $26.38 Celebrate special occasions with family dinners over the Holiday Cornucopia Collection of hand-made table coordinates. This kit contains washable white poly/cotton pre-finished fabric with the design pre-printed in wash away ink, DMC floss requirements and easy to follow instructions. Finished size: 60″ x 90″. Design: Holiday Cornucopia. Made in USA/Imported…. |
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Money Feeds My Music Machine $7.70 … |
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Machine Gun Live at the Knitting Factory #4 11/2/92 Downtown Music Gallery 1st Anniversary Party $7.99 … |
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Machine Gun Live at the Knitting Factory #2 11/28/90 $7.99 … |
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Sweater Finishing For Hand and Machine Knitters with Leslye Solomon … |
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Bobbin Lace: Video Workshop [VHS] This course covers the traditional art of bobbin lacemaking. You will learn about tools and equipment, and how to read and make a pattern. The lace may be made in a wide range of sizes and threads to pleasre the individual lacemaker. Projects in this course are of graduated difficulty, and you will learn the basic twist and cross and many stitches including the whole new stitch, cloth stitch, half… |
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Magid ROC GP190 Nylon Glove, Black Latex Palm Coating, Knit Wrist Cuff, 10.5 Length, Size 11 (Pack of 12 Pairs) $33.60 One of the most unique gloves in the marketplace. Black latex coated palm on a grey, seamless, 15 gauge, 100% nylon machine knit shell. Soft latex coated palm provides great flexibility and comfort, as well as great gripping properties. Provides excellent cut and abrasion resistance and superior fit. Knit wrist and not liquid proof. Rubber band cuff to prevent unraveling. Dark color palm coating h… |