I just bought a manual vintage one for £30. I took my partner to the guys house, seemed like a good deal, was a good deal and met one of the loveliest older men who was thrilled to see his late mother’s absolute prized machine go to a vintage sewing enthusiast ❤️
I got my LK-150 sometime in 2019 and you're right, machine knitting is like a dying hobby. I was such a noob. I looked for tutorials and help but it's so sparse. Then life got busy and I put it away for a few years, but now YT recommended your videos and I can tell I still have that interested spark that drew me to machine knitting in the first place. I'll be dusting off my machine and working myself out of my noob stage. Thank you for all the info.
I just bought a Brother KH-940 from a knitting machine Facebook group and now I need to arrange a courier to deliver it interstate. They're a little hard to find here in Australia but I am super keen to test out AYAB and machine knitting. You did so well to get one of your machines for free.
Thank you for the great info! Talking about young machine knitters, my daughter started learning in her teen years, stopped and has restarted again. She is now 25. She made her first baby blanket beginning of 2023 with punch card pattern! Then crochet trim! So cute! My mum-in-law (now 85 yrs) used to machine knit in Portugal and of course hand knit and crochet (and seamstress) and arriving in Canada in the early 70’s and bought one … the one she passed on to me and now my daughter is learning the same time I’m learning. Hugs from Canada! ❤
I got my brother KH585 with ribber in November from a very generous man who is an engineer and loves knitting machines. I got the set up for £200 which is amazing. He spent 2 hours showing me how it works. It has 8 push buttons for colour work and brings back horrible memories of trying to learn Fortran in my degree! I’ve just worked out my first jumper pattern and if it works will be cracking out the old spreadsheet to make the pattern for any yarn. This is such a varied hobby. Since I got my machine I have convinced 2 more people to get them. Creating and in head modelling of 3D shapes is so much fun! Thanks for the videos.
I've bought two knitting machines purchased from eBay one is an lk100 another is a brother 260 bulky knitting machine I've bought the brother bulky knitting machine as is it just need some repairs such as a sponge strip and when i bought the brother 260 bulky knitting machine I did not pay very much for my bulky knitting machine it came with a ribber machine the price was 94.00 dollars from eBay
I was recently gifted a KH260 with the KR260 Ribber bed. I just acquired a working ribber cartridge for $85. The base bed has been dropped on a corner but I’ve arranged to have the bent metal corner straightened. I have some deep cleaning to do but I believe this was a deal of a lifetime as well.
I bought both Sentro but I was just given a large flatbed 😮😮😮. With rubber. They assembled it for me and will give me lessons!! It’s a prayer answered.
I have two women in my life that are high level crafty but don’t have that much time and I’m trying to find a way to allow them to finish projects in a shorter time period while still scratching that crafting itch. Thank you for such a detailed explanation between the “beanie” machines and these more commercial or time saving for a completed project devices
The Brother machines seem to be the most popular here in the UK. I got my KH860 about 6 weeks ago for about 150GBP from a very nice and helpful lady. Shortly afterwards I got a ribber and the love hate relationship became a bit more skewed towards hate, but another nice lady gave me the tip of holding on to the casting comb whilst doing the selvedge for the rib - that stopped the needles popping up. I'm now getting the hang of binding off and fixing dropped stitches so the love side is growing and I really am loving it. It's addictive 😊
i am really late on commenting here, but your videos made me start searching and trying to understand about those machines, i love the knitted fabrics but don’t have the stamina to keep on a project for long periods, i was surprised that i learned they existed as i learned first machine was dated on late 15 hundreds ?!?! my only problem is i live on the middle east , and it’s really almost impossible to find good machine here , i will update you if i got lucky 😅, pray for me …. please…😅
Thank you so kindly for such honest comprehensive information, I am excited and looking forward finding the best I need, I do agree the art of knitting will always be needed and we should all inspire others to carry on.
When I bought my Knitmaster 360 back in the 70s, here in the UK I used it all the time. There were dedicated shops everywhere and clubs to join, but now if I want coned wool I have to order online. Or visit dedicated wool shops. I don't use it much any more but do think I might occassionally. I hand knit mostly and sew a lot. It's a great hobby.
Thank you for your video, now we have the same knitting machine KH910, and thanks to you I got the interface to hack, to be able to do my own patterns. You are very motivating and "on the spot" when explaining or giving tutorials. All the best for you and your projects, greetings from Switzerland. P.
I'm so glad I found your channel 😍 I have recently got my first flat bed knitter. I have been looking for a while without success and then my Aunt called me from a flee market asking if this was the type of machine I was looking for. She posted a picture of a machine for 20$. I said yes buy it, without knowing much more than that it looked to be from 1980 or so. I turned out to be a Eva KH830 (Brother was sold in some countries under that name) and is identical to a Brother KH830. Al parts except the manual and punch cards were in the box. I used about 2 hours cleaning and oiling and it is up an running. I have found a newly serviced ribber (Brother KR850) from a retailer to go with it (arrives tomorrow) and just got the Punch Handy and some cards in the mail. I have so far only knitted stockinette but hopefully I will have the time to try out the first punch card today and the ribber over the weekend! I have 3 antique CSM and one 3D printed CSM scince before so this is just digging deeper in to the rabbit hole 😁
Thanks for providing this info for people interested in purchasing knitting machines. I also think it's important to get the younger crowd interested and knitting. Re the comment from @artsy gala, I taught on Taitexma machines at FIT. They replaced our old Brothers. When I was last there, they were holding up pretty well with dozens of students using them, but we also had a full time technician. They're probably fine for individual users. My first machine in the 1980s was a Studio Bulky 8. My current and favorite machine is a Kniterate. I provided your demo. :D
Thanks for this info, My mom sent me a brother KH587, came with a knitleader and other doodads I have no idea how to use it yet. Meanwhile I just recently bought a lot of 60 knitting machine patterns books, brother instruction manual for 20 bucks on the marketplace and she offered me her 90 yo mothers singer 700 complete with ribber punch cards manuals and over 500 bucks worth of #2 cones of yarn FREE. Been taking it apart bit by bit and giving it a good cleaning and finding what needs replacing. I will be spending my summer learning how to use them and hopefully by fall will be making stuff for me and my grandkids. Old Dog learning new tricks LOL
I purchased my LK150 from a local yarn store. I’ve actually purchased two brand new. The first one I had about 6 months and got frustrated that no one in my area valued handmade enough to be willing to pay enough to just cover materials, never mind my time. I had books and notions and yarn and I sold it all as a big bundle for what I paid for the machine. That was about 8 years ago. Then, almost a year ago I decided I wanted to buy another one but this time I wanted it for me, for what I could make for myself or as gifts. So I went make to the same store and they had one. I’ve been so happy with it. But now, I’m thinking of getting a standard gauge machine so I can play with lace and so I found this video in doing my research. I am in Canada so we have more limited options, I also don’t live in a big city so it’s harder to find used machines. I keep looking and one day I may luck out and find something for sale!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge to the world. Three months earlier this video would have saved me some time doing similar research. I just purchased over the holidays an excellent condition Brother KH970 from a lady in Oregon who bought it brand new in 1999. She literally just had it completely serviced and I promised to take well care of her baby as the new owner. Then Fed-Ex got a hold of it!!! During it's journey to Houston they crushed the well packaged box plastered in fragile stickers breaking rare plastic parts and denting the metal housing. The seller is heartbroken. I'm in a slow process of locating replacement (used) parts and making an insurance claim with Fed-Ex. Fortunately the mechanics works beautifully. The cost of this machine I consider an investment and if I want to sell it down the road it needs to not be beat up. So lesson here is make sure the seller really packs especially the end pieces of these machines with really thick styrofoam. I have great plans and will be tapping into my technical and programming experience to make it do magic tricks building off the past work of others. I know it's not one of the AYAB compatible models ... yet 😉. But dammit the Brother KH970 was their swan song of technology being from their last days of production.
Oh no! That's my worst nightmare for shipping! Good luck getting it back up and running! Let me know if you make any progress on the AYAB stuff, I suspect it's doable but will require some additional reverse engineering.
I have a 910. I didn't get a demo when I bought it but it was only 100 bucks so I figured I could take the chance on it. The seller was moving out of the country and wanted it gone. I've had it a couple months but due to work am just now getting around to cleaning it up. Luckily it has all the manuals and a lot of the parts that came with it so I'm hopeful on this
I've hand knit for several years being self-taught. Very occasionally the thought of a knitting machine has timidly skipped across my mind ...exiting to not be seen again for quite a while. Today, RU-vid suggested your video on Ms. Rachel Maksey's first into machine knitting. "Meh. Why not watch?" This is the first time I've ever seen a knitting machine! You linked this video. Here I am. And yeppers, I want one. I will begin by asking my 86 yr old mother to inquire amongst her friends to see who might have one. ...they give me yarns, fabrics, clothes, shoes, food, houseplants, etc, etc, etc! I figure I'll take what I can get/afford ...then adjust course from there. Yes mam, new subscriber here! 🙋🏻♀️ ...all notifications. ✔️ I really appreciate your generous spirit and your style of sharing and teaching. I'm kinda excited now! 😁
I found my first machine for $9 at a recurring garage sale. It’s a Silver Reed, and not all the pieces were there….no weights, especially! The second one was for free! A manager left it behind, and the new manager didn’t think we needed it in the costume shop, so, since l was the one who could make it work, it came to me! I have since passed it along to a friend, who had this idea to get all the thrift store yarn in town donated, so he can knit blankets for the homeless! A lovely sentiment, but I’ll believe it when I see it…. It’s one of those Sweater Machines, l think. I have one of those crank operated ones, that is very hit or miss. I made a LOT of trim out of that “Fun Fur” polyester yarn…l always wanted a way to keep the pile on one side of the yardage, but usually had to brush it, after it was knit. The thing that got me interested was some fabrics the designer bought for, “Werther”, back in the 80s; knitted lace, made of synthetic ribbon! Probably vintage, 40s/50s, and l wondered if I could make my own!
Thanks so much! Very useful information. I bought 2 very old machines locally, one standard (1968) I think and the other bulky, perhaps 1970’s? (Really cheap). I knew that once I learned to use them I would have a clearer idea of what to look for in the long run and I would be willing to spend more then. Keep up the great videos!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, I purchased my machine Brother KR850 with the ribbing attachment and lots of other good stuff for $700 AUD (a very good price) just before Christmas. I can't wait to set it up and make something 🤔😉. I love your channel, thank you again
Thank you for this, very interesting. I had looked into getting a flat bed for a few years and finally decided to get one after watching your sock tutorial. Thank you so much for your videos, I've learnt a lot from them. Take care 🙂
WOW. This world looks so cool. You got a new follower because of that mix of computing and knitting that I really find fascinating. I definitely don't want to code a low level language, but I'm really interested in the rest. A quick search did not return any used Brother machine in my area, and I don't have the money, and I don't have the room, but I want to know more about all this!
I am literally considering starting this hobby because in the second hand market i see them all the time in their box or barely used and people just wanting to get rid of them.
I have a Knit King dual gauge flatbed machine. The bed slots have an interchangeable section to block every other needle and has a gauge of 9mm. When all needles are in play it is a 4.5mm gauge. This machine is similar in functionality to an LK 150.
I got my first machine a few months ago from a facebook marketplace listing and its great. $40 (around 25 usd) for an empisal knitmaster which only has a knit function which seemed like a great deal. Living in new zealand I expected to have a massive issue finding one but we seem to have a surprisingly large stock of them kicking around in people's attics. Edit: 2 months later I got 4 toyota machines for free because they were all half repaired and missing pieces and am in the process of repairing them, and I also bought a brother KH881 with a ribber and colour changers for $440 (275 usd) from someone on a local buy and sell group. I think our proximity to japan makes us have an insane amount of machines
I just got a KH 891, it’s shipping. They replaced the foam under the needles and it came with cards. Can’t wait to try this out. Hope I made a good decision on the model.
So A Second Note: I also bought a KH850 Ribber to fit my KH970. It was shipped successfully from Vancouver to Houston with no visible damage. However I have discovered the Ribber Carriage upper glide rail hidden under it's plastic cover is bent on one end rendering it unusable until I (hammer) bend it back into shape. I'm taking the stance that I will not blame the reseller as unless they put it into service they would not have discovered it. I'm just happy to have the ribber warts and all. Fortunately for me I grew up fixing cars and stuff (thank you Dad) so I can resolve it. So just be aware that these used machines may need some TLC and try to have resources (family/friends preferably over throwing money at it) to fix them if you can't do it yourself.
Great video and information I wish I'd seen a video like this before eI got started myself but at least for the future people this is great information
Ugh, I wish there were more resources when I came into a free Studio 700 Knitting Machine. Took forever to figure out that it had everything and then some, except the main carriage! I finally gave up and sold the damn thing and bought an antique CSM.
Thanks for this!! So many great resources! I’m pretty much a newbie to machine knitting I’m about a month in. I’ve been looking for a knitter’s guild close or near me I live in the Bay Area hoping you may have some suggestions I’ve googled with no luck thanks.
Just bought a toyota ks950 second hand for 100€. With its ribber and some accesories. But I think the carriage doesn't work properly, I'm watching a lot of videos to see if I can find where the problem is. :) So much fun
Love your videos. I bought my first machine in 1986, a KH 890. My second machine shortly after that, a KH 260. My last machine, a KH 970 came around the turn of the century. The two standard guage machines were bought through dealers and the 260 was bought through a friend. I have been knitting on and off since 1986, but I never progressed beyond intermediate knitting. We didn't have RU-vid videos then and I was working and taking care of a family so didn't spend a lot of time knitting. But I am having fun now. Do you have a pet? If so, you should show your cat or dog on the video. All the animal lovers here would be interested. I started a business making coats and sweaters for greyhounds. I would love it if you had a pet. 🐶
I just bought a Brother KH840 and some cone fingering/sock yarn. I know how to hand knit but this is all new to me. I hope to successfully make socks to start with, but what I want to make is some lacey over size sweaters. Could you maybe have a video on that? Nothing fitting, open front, no buttons.
Thank you for your videos. However. I did not fully followed your recommendations. My first machine is a LK150. I hate it. It is all plastic, does not feel strong and I do not find it "easy" at all and the manual is a disaster. I highly regret this purchase. I made further investigations and I have now a Passap that I got for free. It was not full so I am now getting the parts missing. It is for sure a strong heavy machine. I like that the combination that are clear and gives you what it is doing. I cleaned it carefully and soon I will give a try. I think this machine deserves more time to make it work. I would have liked to have a machine accepting more types of yarn (chunkier) but I guess no machine can do all. Thanks again for this review.
I got an "Incredible Sweater Machine" for $15, being all plastic (except for the needles) I figure that was a reasonable price (though people are trying to sell them for much more). I wasn't actually looking for a knitting machine, I saw it in a thrift store and it was an impulse buy. I suppose I should try using it some day
I wouldn't recommend LK150 or anything similar where you have to hang weights on knitting, not because of a price but operation, results, machine quality. I own couple of much older machines of higher quality needles, carriage and bed.. Go for second hand, double bed with sinkers, like Knittax AM3. But depends on your location, somewhere it's easy to get second hand machines, somewhere impossible.. The only feature of LK150 I like (and expected opposite), are the needle tops with plastic rollers. It probably makes the job smoother and quieter. But my double bed Dopleta 382 wins everywhere - cast on, sinkers, build quality (I only got LK150 because of my current location and ability to knit thicker yarns).. Dopleta 382 is comparable to Knittax AM3, both have sinkers to pull the knit down. Dopleta is maybe even better, both sides are identical and can work as two independent machines.
Not yet a knitter really. I have used a peg system to "knit" a few scarves. I am an accomplished clothing designer and tailor, however. I have and use industrial sewing machines. I have a real love for fine gage knit tunic type sweaters ... no ribbing preferably. Mostly straight up and down. I do especially love cable knit but not interested in multicolored patterns. I realize the finer the yarn, the more time and effort it will take. I guess if pushed, I might like bulky yarns for an afghan but again boxy rectangular shapes. Would you recommend any particular type of machine? Is a cable knit more complicated than it is worth based on additional cost of a machine that can do it? Thank you for your advice.
I just found your video. I didn't know this existed. My mother knitted, and I had a hard time trying to knit because I am left handed and she was right handed. As I am watching this video twice, you talk about AYAB supported machines. If they are not listed, they would not be supported. I had seen a Brother KH 820. I know you suggested getting the LK-150 if you are a beginner but this is a very good price the seller is offering but I would like to know the difference between the two. and why this is not supported, and how I would get support. I need to know this before purchasing. Thanks.
Hi thank you for all your great videos! I just thought I’d ask since you are so knowledgeable about machines and I’m running out of places to look. I am searching for an electronic fine gauge machine. I know the silver reed sk830 is no longer in production but I wondered if you have any leads on where I could find one or advice on a similar machine. Any help is appreciated
Love this video!! Very good information. Since you asked, I got my 1985 (or thereabouts) Singer 700 Memomatic, SR50 ribber, accessories and extra parts for free also. It was in beautiful condition. Like you said, these exquisitely manufactured machines will outlive us. You can add a company, Taitexma, located in Taiwan, to your list that makes knitting machines. I was told they took over Brother and Brother stored the last of their knitting machines and parts in Taitexma's warehouses after the huge earthquake in Japan. I haven't had good luck ordering parts from eBay or Etsy from sites located in China. I ordered some needles and weaving brushes that advertisedd they were for the Singer 700 (Studio/SilverReed/ Knitmaster/Empisal), only to find that the needle butts were too tall and the weaving brushes were useless and poorly made compared to the original ones. I found a site located in Minnesota, www.knitsewworld.com, where the owner is a wealth of knitting machine information. He has been servicing and refurbishing machines for over 30 years, once worked at Brother and will only sell original parts. After much research, I'm buying a bundle from him: a refurbished Brother 260, ribber, and all the extra goodies. I can't wait to start whittling down my worsted weight and bulky yarn stash. I also live in California (Bay Area) and if you can find a knitting machine service technician, let me know. I belong to a machine knitting group and the founder said we were on our own when it came to maintaining our machines. We need a knitting machine resurgence!
I have heard of Taitexma but I don't know anyone who has ever purchased or used one of their machines so I was a bit hesitant to recommend them. Have you ever seen one in person? The 260 is a good bulky workhorse! I don't know anyone who services knitting machines in the Bay Area, unfortunately.
You’re videos have been super helpful. This has turned into what sewing machines were to me lol. I started with the basic and jumped up right away. I’m having difficulty understanding what accessories I’d need. I commented on another of your videos- I have a brother kx350 which is the basic machine but a brother kh965 was just listed near me and am I going to need an attachment to do the ribbing? It says there is a ribbing key on the machine but then it mentions khc color change and I’m unclear as to what that is exactly. I hand knit garments and blankets for my children and this is definitely something I’ll be doing long term. Thank you for your videos!
I was given a Turmix Unic marked Made in Switzerland (in English). I have no idea if it’s even worth trying to figure out. When I first got it I could not even find a manual online, although there does appear to be one now. Should I bother?
Thank you for the info! I have toyota ks901/501 and it has troubles with ribbing. Now I think it ma be because of sponges - I checked and found them old and flatter than they should be. I have already ordered kits for replace them, hope it will help. If not, looks like I need to buy a new silver reed sn280 - I am considering it right now. Do you have an opinion about difference between knitting on an old and brand new knitting machine? Does new ones worth to buy them? I can't decide.
Do you have experience with the Silver Reed SK700? I made an offer on Ebay and it was accepted. Now awaiting delivery from Japan. I always wanted a punch card machine but the manual looks daunting. LOVE your videos.
Hi! Greetings from Croatia. I mostly knit by hand. I have my grandmother's old knitting machine which I would like to try. It is a brand of Swiss Magic. I didn't find a single YT tutorial for that machine. As far as I understand and as far as I remember, it is a machine for very thin yarn. Now I found a Brother KX 350 knitting machine in local classifieds and I plan to buy it. As far as I have researched it is a machine for medium-thick yarn? With it, I could combine hand knitting with machine-knitted parts. It seems to me quite a simple machine.
I just inherited an ARS knitting machine (type M) and I am struggling to find resources to restore it as this is my first ever experience with a knitting machine. Are they all similar enough that other restoration and how to videos of other brands will translate over to my machine?
Thanks for this! How easy/possible would you say it is to match up handknitting seamlessly with machine knitting? I've been thinking about starting with machine knitting to replace some of the big, boring stockinette parts of some handknit projects, but trying to match gauge may be a terrible idea.
i was looking at the SILVER REED SK840. it says it’s standard weight, but the manufacturer states it can be used up to 4 ply, or some light DK. which is correct?
Yarn weight 1 ei sock, fingering, fine, 4 ply would be the best fit for SK840. It should be able to handle weight 2 or sport yarns and possibly a very light dk.
Would I be crazy to get my first knitting machine with a ribber bed? What machines would be good starters that either come with, or cam be upgraded with a ribber?
If I was getting my first machine over again I definitely would have gotten one with a ribber from the start. The only downside side is the extra cost upfront before you know you like the process. Do you do other fibre crafts? If so what weight of yarns do you enjoy or have easy access to?
Do you have recommendations for learning to use knitting machine models that don't have many online tutorials? There's one I found second hand that I may be able to talk the seller down on, but it's not a super common machine these days and I worry it'll be particularly difficult to learn how to use it
I've got one! (seeing this months away from when you originally asked the question). It's a fun machine, and I bought it for the punchcard/lace/tuck options. It's taken a while to refurbish mine as it was in a bit of a state. What helped me was going to a local guild and getting their help on how to use the machine + ribber. Once it's up and running you'll be knocking out so many gorgeous pieces, just takes a bit of a learning curve + understanding the manual
سلام عليكم انا امتلك ماكينة برازر لكنها غير صالحة للعمل كثيرا لانني لااستطيع شراء ماكينة جديدة. هل تستطيعين ارسال ماكينة إلي انا أحلم بان امتلك ماكينة براذر جديدة لاكنني لاامتلك النقود لشراءها. تستطيعين ان تترجمي كلامي هذا فأنا لاأعرف لغة سوى العربية. وشكرا لك
