Machine Ready? Lets start knitting!
Hopefully you have read the previous posts and have now set up your machine and work area. You have a new sponge-bar and your needles and carriage are all ready to knit. You have also ordered or found some suitable…
Get some Practice Yarn
Yarn can be expensive to buy so it is important to find a source of inexpensive yarn that you can use for practice.
Setting Up Your Machine – Check the sponge bar
Many of the domestic knitting machines contain a needle retaining bar also known as a sponge bar or sponge-bar. Passaps, Superbas, some plastic bed machines and some really old machines do not have a sponge bar. Check if your machine…
Got my Knitting Machine…Now what do I do?
When you first get your machine, unless it is new or newly refurbished, you need to carry out a number of checks to make sure that your machine will work. Find out what to do in this post.
Where to Buy your Knitting Machine?
If you have read the previous post, you should have a good idea of what type of machine you want to purchase. You need to look for the best one that you can buy within your budget. For example, if…
Which Knitting Machine shall I get?
There are a vast range of knitting machine to choose from, most secondhand, some new. It can be difficult to decide which machine is best. First you need to decide what you want to knit.
What do I need to start Machine Knitting?
As with all craft hobbies there is a range of tools and accessories that will help you as you learn to machine knit. Buying everything does cost money but if you take your time, you may well be lucky enough…
What is a Domestic Knitting Machine – Part 2?
The 1970s/80s introduced garment shaping or contour devices or charting devices that provided visual pattern guides as an alternative to written instructions. The Knitmaster version was called a KnitRadar or Knit Contour and the Brother version was called a KnitLeader. …
What is a Domestic Knitting Machine – Part 1?
Knitting Machines cover a range of styles from the simple plastic toy machines that can make simple scarves and socks, to the big heavy-duty industrial machines that can make a range of professional garments. This blog will be referring to…
A Brief History of Machine Knitting in the UK.
A very early knitting machine was created in 1589 by an English clergyman called William Lee for knitting socks/stockings in the 16th century. However, Queen Elizabeth did not want to put hand knitters out of work and so William went…