Punch cards were used in Jacquard looms from the mid 18th to early 19th centuries, so computers were drawing on textile technology when they introduced punch cards! We've come full circle!
The second time the live stitches fell off the machine I actually shouted noooooooo! I felt your pain deeply. I once accidentally pulled my needles out of half of the stitches of a lace shawl and had to carefully pick up 300 knits and yarn overs. Fabulous job figuring out the machine though!
I don’t want to sound mean after seeing how much you struggled, but seeing you put on the two totally different final stockings in the reveal was hilarious 😂 the mismatch! Nothing but respect for your perseverance! 💪😤
I'm excited to see you using a knitting machine! I've done a lot of troubleshooting knitting machines, and I think you're on the right track. I had a couple thoughts that have helped me. Have you oiled the moving parts of the carriage? It sounds very stiff right now! You want to find a manual from the company to use the right type and go easy. Have you also replaced the sponge bar of the machine? They keep the needles in place, so when they deteriorate you start having stitches drop. Also, if I have a bouncy ball of yarn, I stick it in a box with a hole punched in the top fit the yarn end. Finally, taking breaks is sooooo important! I would be machine knitting for hours during grad school, and I made the dumbest mistake when I tried to squeeze in one more thing before taking a break.
The two cotton stockings are a great start. I'm amazed at your perseverance and knowledge of how to use the knitting machine. Third time's a charm - the next one will fit! Good luck.
I had an aunt who used to knit her own stockings. She always made it so that from the ankle up the calf was ribbon laced, so she could change the tension depending on if her legs were swollen. She showed me a pair and her eyelets were ~on point~
Watching you work with that machine reminds me of learning to code all over again. The compiler/knitting machine reading the code line by line or row by row, then you hit a compiler error (void loop() 😉) and need to debug. In the end you either get it to work or it's a lost cause needing to be scrapped or it comes out but not how you intended (a happy accident 😁).
That’s true haha I actually study as knitting machine programmer in Russia (I don’t know how this profession called properly in english) Even if we plan some samples for future garments we still do some programming. We can do it on machine like the one in the video but usually we work with big guys like Stoll and Steiger Knitting is really interesting and there are a lot of possibilities. U can’t find in h&m stuff that professionals see every day. Actually, modern flat machines can do ready to go garments (like sweaters or dresses) so you don’t need to sew anything.
So like I couldnt really see the springs in focus so its hard to tell if you're missing one, but you might look into replacing any that look really old. When I got my vintage sewing machine it was stored improperly with the spring for zigzag in a tensioned position, this caused the spring to stretch out and be less springy so it needed to be replaced. I suspect that is what is happening with this one especially when you mentioned how it was stored before you got it. Maybe consulting a typewriter or sewing machine repair specialist would help?
getting parts for the older knitting machines can be hard. I have several that i am hoping to make one good machine from. I also have the ribbing (garter) attachment - i need to figure out if i have a lace carriage.
Thanks for sharing the struggles on your channel. In a world filled with photos of beautifully finished projects, it can sometimes feel isolating when you're in a cycle of messing up over and over. Your video is a great reminder that these "failures" are an invaluable part of the learning process. :)
I bought a basic knitting machine years ago. I ran into many of the issues that you did and in the end, I put it in the attic and never dragged it out again. Maybe some day I will try again, but for now, it' still up there...
I've never seen a knitting machine in use before. Fascinating! I think I could do about 30 minutes at a time before I needed a break but you just cruised through it! I almost cried with you when you dropped the stitches. I've made several sweaters in-the-round, both top-down and bottom-up and have accidentally pulled the needle right out of the stitches (3 times!) when I was learning. Now I use multiple circular needles and my sweaters look funny, but I hate sewing side seams. I never thought about deconstructing something and then making my own pattern. So cool you did that!
What makes this site so diff from other knit sites is showing the failures. Even persevering to end with little imperfections ( which I can't see) shows a person of character. Thank you.
I’m continually impressed by your patience and perseverance. I almost cried for you when those stitches popped off again! I know that feeling. Very cool video!
Watching this as I set up my new to me knitting machine. I want to try knitting stockings on it to practice before doing so on my antique machine so this video is absolute gold, thank you!💛 you’ve done a great job and I’m looking forward to your future projects😊
WOW, to see a young woman of your age to go to such efforts over a pair of socks. You are a very unique individual and a real credit to you. So interesting to watch.
Good effort! It was great watching you reverse engineer the original knitted stocking from the pattern; it really was inspiring. My heart jumped into my mouth when you knit off the stitches for the second time; we've all been there! I've been a machine knitting teacher on and off for the last 40 years and I see so many things that you will work through and you will create some great items if you keep at it. Cotton yarn is always tricky and there are a few things you can to do make it easier to knit. Keep up the good work, I'm really enjoying your videos (if that counts!).
Amazing! All the swatches and testing you did was a lot of work on its own. Anyone who says machine knitting isn't knitting needs to see your video. It's more technical than a pair of knitting needles and I think requires more patience and concentration to work the machine. Your perseverance is inspiring. I kinda want to try it out just for the experience.
Ooh, this video has planted a seed in my brain to go back and try to figure out my own lace carriage with punch cards machine that I could never get working before! I hadn't known that cotton would be too rigid for it, so I thank you for showing your dificulty with it, but I am sorry you had to go through that frustration. The part where you accidentally took off most of a row twice... I've been there, it's heartbreaking D; That reveal try on gave me a giggle at the second one
So nice to see someone doing something new on a knitting machine. If you ever come across a KnitKing / Knittax machine, grab it! No weights required, making it excellent for short row shaping. You’d have to knit the lace by hand but it works so well. Also, cotton is brutal on a machine. You can get cotton blend elastic sock yarn which works very well. Thanks for sharing your videos. I have some knitting machine videos on my channel as well. Enjoy!
this channel literally makes me appreciate the process of making and taking care of clothes so much and this machine is so cool, i've never seen it before
I commend your ingenuity in using a flat knitting machine to make socks....My dream goal is a Circular Sock Knitting Machine (CSM). They're expensive, but I have a feeling the experience would be extremely entertaining. Hand cranks and self-striping sock yarn...sounds like a fun afternoon 😍
A note on working jobs, I have told managers I can apply skills and knowledge, I get laughed at every time. I appreciate you said you were going to apply your knowledge. Love it! You’re very beautifully sweet as well. Happy Thanksgiving. (I should be cooing)
I cannot even tell you how much this went like projects I do. Lots of planning, fiddling, thinking I had covered all bases, doing the work, seeing some success and getting confident, making a royal error, fixing it, and them making ANOTHER royal error, finally coming out with a product that sort of works but doesn’t fit. 🤪 Way to go persevering with this, they came out great even if they don’t fit, it now you have some very pretty Victorian looking Christmas stockings!!
I love them, and want to try the leg decreases on my machine. Also, I think that yarn was too thick for the machine. I recommend getting machine knitting yarn on a cone.
The knitting punch cards remind you of computer punch cards because the knitting pattern cards were what were used as the basis for the computer ones. MoMA did a exhibit some years ago about computing where they displayed a knitting machine some tapestries to make a point how older computers were mechanical like handwork whereas modern computing is much more abstract and less tangible. It was called Thinking Machines: Art and Design in the Computer Age 1959 -1989 (the exhibit was from 2017 to 2018). One of my favorite pieces was a supercomputer on display that had functional lights that flashed when that disk was in use but the best part was that its RAM was 512MB and has 25GB storage. It was like the size of 4 laundry machines stacked into a cube. Man, 1987 was a different time in computing.
i have to tell. you i gasped out loud when those stitches got dropped a second time. I would have cried tbqh! The end result does look really good, even if they're not stockings that actually fit you
I knit to relax and when I had a knitting machine i was not relaxed. My experience even with plain knitting was much like this. Even when I was knitting on it and things were going well, the noise drove me and my dog crazy! Add to that the !ack of portability and need to be in a certain chair, made me decide to sell the machines and pick up my needles. I might feel differently if I were doing production knitting, but I love sitting in a comfy chair,, listening to music, and creating handknits. I am impressed that you could do this though (and even get into the innards, talk about brave!). Thank you for sharing the problems as well as your successes! So few are willing to portray anything less than take perfection.
That's exactly why I stay with my need es. I hate noise. Even with sewing, I do a lot by hand or with the old treadle machine than with the modern but louder electric sewing machine
Good sticking to it! Learning time! Some suggestions: This is metal moving on metal so is the machine oiled properly? Is there an oiling wick somewhere in the machine carriage? Have you tried pushing (with minimal force) the carriage, without any yarn, from stop to stop to see if there are any 'dead' spots? I noticed that while you were pushing the carriage it would hang up then you would push harder to get it going again. This doesn't seem right. It should move from stop to stop at the same rate. You are seated using a sawing motion with one arm. Have you tried standing and using your whole upper body with both arms( like a golf swing ) to move the carriage? Have you checked that wheels and bearings are round, oiled and not worn out? Jaccard carriage: You said that it had to be takin apart to be cleaned. It now won't flip the switch on return stroke. Any parts left over? (it can happen) Incorrectly installed part or parts (flipped over, pointed in the wrong direction, out of adjustment). Oiled? Keep up the good work! You'll get there!
the punch cards actually reminded me of diy music boxes! there are music boxes you can get that are crank powered, where you can feed a length of punched paper through it (kinda like pasta thru a pasta roller) and the tines of the music box catch on the holes in the punch card, creating the sounds. i love them, i have several punch cards tht i've composed myself for my own music box. isn't it fascinating how many uses we have derived for punch cards? it's all connected!!!
Got a Studio 360 early in the 70’s. Love that machine. Made some awesome pleated skirts that I still wear. Still machine knitting after all these years. You are doing great.
I just bought a knitting machine and i'm glad to see i'm not the only one who struggles sometimes. Your stockings turned out amazing even if they don't quite fit. Excited to see more knitting machine videos!!
You should look into getting a garter bar. It is basically just a really wide transfer tool so it'll make life super easy for doing decreases in the center of a piece of work. There's a greater chance of dropping stitches with it, but it'll probably be an awful lot quicker than working with a three pronged transfer tool (even if yo have to pick up the odd stitch here and there) If you're having trouble with dropping stitches during a cast on, try bringing all the needles out to hold, they'll knit off a lot better.
Circular Sock Machines are made for doing this very thing! I have made "little" socks on my flatbed, seamless socks are so much nicer. Some one else also commented on the weight of the cotton yarn, I agree. You need much finer cotton, blended with lycra or nylon to knit stockings flat with some success. So much better/easier on a circular sock (knitting) machine!
Or even on a machine with a ribber attached and then knit circular. I must admit I cringed at the amount of stress being put on that poor machine. Many have survived years, not sure how long that one is going to last with this approach to its use.
when you open up the stocking for a back seam it looks like a pattern for a medieval stocking made from woven fabric, kinda funny how the more things change the more they stay the same!
Yes proof of concept!! So you didn’t really fail as much a proof that stockings are possible and doing it with a cotton is a royal pain!! You have more perseverance than I would have put the entire thing in a corner to be glared at for a while. Oh and probably threaten to run over the machine repeatedly in the driveway with a large truck!!!
To preface this, I have never worn stockings, so I don't know if this is an actual issue, but doesn't the seam down the back of the leg and directly under the middle of the heel/foot make the stocking uncomfortable? Or at least prone to wear? Maybe leaving the heel out of the initial pattern and coming back and doing an afterthought heel might be more comfortable and durable in the long run? Thank you for sharing your process, it was really nice to see that I am not the only one who plans and swatches and yet makes garments that are inexplicably the wrong size. I really can commiserate.
I'm an old fart, and the answer is no. But getting and keeping the seam straight on the back of your leg can be a challenge while wearing nylons/hosiery.
I think it might technically be "mattress stitch" when you are seaming side to side, but whatever you call it, if you work directly on the edge stitches you can join them almost invisibly with no bump. Since there's no bump it shouldn't be any more prone to rubbing than a sock knit in the round.
I wear seamed stockings a lot and never feel the seam. Before I learned to knit socks in the round, I started with patterns for knitting flat and had to be sewn. They were fine to wear too.
My Grandmother use to use, demonstrate and sell knitting machines in the 40's and 50's, and I have a knitting machine in storage. I am interested on seeing how these work! Yours looks more modern, though. This came up really randomly, so I am a new sub, and you just happened to be doing something I am interested in, who knew?
You are missing a spring. I just took a junk SK360 apart yesterday to scavenge one of the grey arms that read the punchcard hole to repair my SK155 bulky. The mechanism is the same between the SK3xx series and the SK155 machines with the only difference in that the SK155 bulky only has every other arm for a 12-stitch pattern instead of the 24 stitch pattern that the bulky machines use. Being that I have the leftover parts and the spring that you are missing, I could send it to you with pictures on how it should look installed. I will send you an e-mail on it.
I know nothing about knitting machines (or knitting for that matter) but i loved the video! All kinds of handwork are so cool to me! Also shout out to the IKEA tool box. a real life savor lol
Yahoo! A woman after my own heart. The boring middle parts take no time at all.... I found Ozlorna's knitting blog helpful for cotton. It looked like you had enough weight, but maybe increase stitch size? I can't wait to see your other machine knit experiments.
You poor thing! It broke my heart when you accidentally knitted off the live stitches! I've done that too on my old Brother knitting machine from the 60's! Been there--done that. Lol! Sometimes we have no choice but to persevere.
Well you can always use them to hang for Christmas. They are beautiful though. I have a knitting machine, not as fancy as yours I haven't used it as it was given to me years ago. Maybe I'll try it out with my grand daughter.
Have you been doing anything with your knitting machine lately? I did end up buying a Singer 360k knitting machine. Based on the included paperwork I would say it's from the early 1980's. I got it all up and running and tried it out a bit with some waste yarn someone sent me but I did place an order for some proper machine knitting yarn wound onto cones. The automatic fair isle or "knit in" as it's called is so amazing to me. Also how you can use the same punch card for "knit in", slip, tuck, and it will give all different effects. Also interesting how in "tuck" stitch patterns or "slip" stitch patterns the "public" side of the knitting is actually the side with mostly purls showing when usually the "public" side of knitting is the side with all knit stitches showing. You should totally do a more in depth video on the knitting machine! Have you ever seen the old circular sock knitting machines? Watching videos of those machines in action got me first interested in knitting machines in general
Love this video! I admire your dedication. Have you considered getting a circular sock machine? It's no better with cotton and it won't give you the exact way of fitting as a fully fashioned pattern like this, but it's really ideal for stockings!
FWIW, it looks like your lace has plain purl-back rows, which means you could make a lace pattern card with only the odd rows (patterned every row) to get around the faulty lever.
I literally said out loud "oh gosh I really hope nothing falls off the machine" after you finished the heels and then it cut to exactly that happening... PAIN
To fix the lever that keeps getting stuck try some WD-40 to start with. If lubing it doesn’t work then something it probably too loose or to tight in the mechanism there which is causing the intermittent success/failure of the reset.
Sorry but, NO don't use WD-40 unless you have a machine manual that says to do it. Some machines use specific oils to avoid degrading the plastic parts over time. I have a Passap and a Brother, have worked with industrial hand driven flat machines, and operate computerized industrial knitting machines as part of my job. You always want you find a manual online for either your model or a similar product from the company. Honestly this is for most items not just knitting machines. WD-40 contains a solvent that strips away dirt but it can do more damage than good on some materials.
@@robina.9402 thanks. I learned something. I use WD-40 to mean lubricate something (more of a generic term rather then the product itself). I didn’t know it was a solvent as well. Good to know.
From what I remember, your machine looks very similar to the one sitting in my storage. You are certainly persistent! Lol, the big stocking looks like it would fit my fat calf!
My mum had a very similar machine, she made some lovely lacey tops with it, and several sets of "twin sets". No idea what happened to it in later years
A project is a 'fail' if you didn't learn something. I'd say it was a success as you learned several things about your knitting machine. Unravel the yarn and try again.
I've wanted to use a knitting machine JUST to do the legs of stockings. I'm plus-size, and I have a friend who's over six feet tall. Neither of us have good luck buying stockings. I'm cool with knitting the feet by hand, but all. that. stockinette. just makes me want to cry.
Thank you for sharing your process, thoughts, learned insights & such. Another successful video! I hope the notes you take help you make the stockings you want later on...(even if you just keep a copy of this video for reference)... Also, if the stockings will easily unravel, will you repurpose the yarn from them? (Since almost none of the stockings fit)
That's what she did. Her pin holder is a repurposed mechanic's dish with a heavy magnet in the base. Harbor Freight has them in several sizes, very handy for tiny metallic things that you don't want bouncing all over the place.
I can see why those machines didn't really catch on with the general public the way sewing machines did. A lot of patience, concentration and intelligence is needed to operate it. I had to give up hand knitting because of my propensity to drop stitches or lose them off of the needles. Crochet became my preferred method, because you can only screw up one stitch at a time. Maybe slower, but I would abandon knitting projects in frustration (and anger), while I have happily and calmly produced many hats and scarves using crochet.
knitting machines when in peak condition should not be that hard to knit wool. The cotton is a completely different kettle of fish because it doesn't stretch.
I would like the pattern that you came up with for machine knitting socks where you changed the seem from the side to the back and heel "ear flaps". Would you be willing to share that pattern?
Punch cards were used in Jacquard looms from the mid 18th to early 19th centuries, so computers were drawing on textile technology when they introduced punch cards! We've come full circle!
The second time the live stitches fell off the machine I actually shouted noooooooo! I felt your pain deeply. I once accidentally pulled my needles out of half of the stitches of a lace shawl and had to carefully pick up 300 knits and yarn overs. Fabulous job figuring out the machine though!
I don’t want to sound mean after seeing how much you struggled, but seeing you put on the two totally different final stockings in the reveal was hilarious 😂 the mismatch!
Nothing but respect for your perseverance! 💪😤
The punch cards in computers were directly adapted from looms. Basically the start of programmering began with looms. 😊👍
I'm excited to see you using a knitting machine! I've done a lot of troubleshooting knitting machines, and I think you're on the right track.
I had a couple thoughts that have helped me. Have you oiled the moving parts of the carriage? It sounds very stiff right now! You want to find a manual from the company to use the right type and go easy. Have you also replaced the sponge bar of the machine? They keep the needles in place, so when they deteriorate you start having stitches drop.
Also, if I have a bouncy ball of yarn, I stick it in a box with a hole punched in the top fit the yarn end. Finally, taking breaks is sooooo important! I would be machine knitting for hours during grad school, and I made the dumbest mistake when I tried to squeeze in one more thing before taking a break.
14:17 I don't know why but that 'weeee' made me laugh so hard
The two cotton stockings are a great start. I'm amazed at your perseverance and knowledge of how to use the knitting machine. Third time's a charm - the next one will fit! Good luck.
I had an aunt who used to knit her own stockings. She always made it so that from the ankle up the calf was ribbon laced, so she could change the tension depending on if her legs were swollen. She showed me a pair and her eyelets were ~on point~
Wow that machine looks so interesting 😍 don't get attached you can't start a new hobby, don't get attached you can't start a new hobby 🙈🙈🙈🙈
Watching you work with that machine reminds me of learning to code all over again.
The compiler/knitting machine reading the code line by line or row by row, then you hit a compiler error (void loop() 😉) and need to debug. In the end you either get it to work or it's a lost cause needing to be scrapped or it comes out but not how you intended (a happy accident 😁).
That’s true haha
I actually study as knitting machine programmer in Russia (I don’t know how this profession called properly in english)
Even if we plan some samples for future garments we still do some programming. We can do it on machine like the one in the video but usually we work with big guys like Stoll and Steiger
Knitting is really interesting and there are a lot of possibilities. U can’t find in h&m stuff that professionals see every day.
Actually, modern flat machines can do ready to go garments (like sweaters or dresses) so you don’t need to sew anything.
I LOVE that you tried on both the socks at the end 😂😂😂 I literally laughed out loud- it was so cute and funny 😂
So like I couldnt really see the springs in focus so its hard to tell if you're missing one, but you might look into replacing any that look really old. When I got my vintage sewing machine it was stored improperly with the spring for zigzag in a tensioned position, this caused the spring to stretch out and be less springy so it needed to be replaced. I suspect that is what is happening with this one especially when you mentioned how it was stored before you got it. Maybe consulting a typewriter or sewing machine repair specialist would help?
getting parts for the older knitting machines can be hard. I have several that i am hoping to make one good machine from. I also have the ribbing (garter) attachment - i need to figure out if i have a lace carriage.
The black stocking looks amazing. So fascinating how you can do that with a knitting machine.
Thanks for sharing the struggles on your channel. In a world filled with photos of beautifully finished projects, it can sometimes feel isolating when you're in a cycle of messing up over and over. Your video is a great reminder that these "failures" are an invaluable part of the learning process. :)
You are so brave. Not only to do it, but to show the internet your mistakes. You are amazing!
I bought a basic knitting machine years ago. I ran into many of the issues that you did and in the end, I put it in the attic and never dragged it out again. Maybe some day I will try again, but for now, it' still up there...
If you're not interested in the trouble, they sell for a pretty penny online nowadays!
I've never seen a knitting machine in use before. Fascinating! I think I could do about 30 minutes at a time before I needed a break but you just cruised through it!
I almost cried with you when you dropped the stitches. I've made several sweaters in-the-round, both top-down and bottom-up and have accidentally pulled the needle right out of the stitches (3 times!) when I was learning. Now I use multiple circular needles and my sweaters look funny, but I hate sewing side seams.
I never thought about deconstructing something and then making my own pattern. So cool you did that!
I feel so much better knowing I'm not the only one who gets 2 different sized items sometimes
What makes this site so diff from other knit sites is showing the failures. Even persevering to end with little imperfections ( which I can't see) shows a person of character. Thank you.
I’m continually impressed by your patience and perseverance. I almost cried for you when those stitches popped off again! I know that feeling. Very cool video!
Watching this as I set up my new to me knitting machine. I want to try knitting stockings on it to practice before doing so on my antique machine so this video is absolute gold, thank you!💛 you’ve done a great job and I’m looking forward to your future projects😊
The noise of the carriage brings me sooo back to my infant years!!! My mom used to knit all the time with a Jukicard knitting machine
WOW, to see a young woman of your age to go to such efforts over a pair of socks. You are a very unique individual and a real credit to you. So interesting to watch.
Good effort! It was great watching you reverse engineer the original knitted stocking from the pattern; it really was inspiring. My heart jumped into my mouth when you knit off the stitches for the second time; we've all been there! I've been a machine knitting teacher on and off for the last 40 years and I see so many things that you will work through and you will create some great items if you keep at it. Cotton yarn is always tricky and there are a few things you can to do make it easier to knit. Keep up the good work, I'm really enjoying your videos (if that counts!).
I know I oughtn't, but I did laugh. You are way more patient than I am.
Amazing! All the swatches and testing you did was a lot of work on its own. Anyone who says machine knitting isn't knitting needs to see your video. It's more technical than a pair of knitting needles and I think requires more patience and concentration to work the machine. Your perseverance is inspiring. I kinda want to try it out just for the experience.
Ooh, this video has planted a seed in my brain to go back and try to figure out my own lace carriage with punch cards machine that I could never get working before! I hadn't known that cotton would be too rigid for it, so I thank you for showing your dificulty with it, but I am sorry you had to go through that frustration. The part where you accidentally took off most of a row twice... I've been there, it's heartbreaking D; That reveal try on gave me a giggle at the second one
So nice to see someone doing something new on a knitting machine. If you ever come across a KnitKing / Knittax machine, grab it! No weights required, making it excellent for short row shaping. You’d have to knit the lace by hand but it works so well. Also, cotton is brutal on a machine. You can get cotton blend elastic sock yarn which works very well. Thanks for sharing your videos. I have some knitting machine videos on my channel as well. Enjoy!
this channel literally makes me appreciate the process of making and taking care of clothes so much and this machine is so cool, i've never seen it before
I commend your ingenuity in using a flat knitting machine to make socks....My dream goal is a Circular Sock Knitting Machine (CSM). They're expensive, but I have a feeling the experience would be extremely entertaining. Hand cranks and self-striping sock yarn...sounds like a fun afternoon 😍
I think that was a well chosen breather, after the stocking popped off the second time. ❤️❤️❤️
A note on working jobs, I have told managers I can apply skills and knowledge, I get laughed at every time.
I appreciate you said you were going to apply your knowledge. Love it!
You’re very beautifully sweet as well.
Happy Thanksgiving.
(I should be cooing)
I cannot even tell you how much this went like projects I do. Lots of planning, fiddling, thinking I had covered all bases, doing the work, seeing some success and getting confident, making a royal error, fixing it, and them making ANOTHER royal error, finally coming out with a product that sort of works but doesn’t fit. 🤪 Way to go persevering with this, they came out great even if they don’t fit, it now you have some very pretty Victorian looking Christmas stockings!!
I love them, and want to try the leg decreases on my machine. Also, I think that yarn was too thick for the machine. I recommend getting machine knitting yarn on a cone.
The knitting punch cards remind you of computer punch cards because the knitting pattern cards were what were used as the basis for the computer ones. MoMA did a exhibit some years ago about computing where they displayed a knitting machine some tapestries to make a point how older computers were mechanical like handwork whereas modern computing is much more abstract and less tangible. It was called Thinking Machines: Art and Design in the Computer Age 1959 -1989 (the exhibit was from 2017 to 2018). One of my favorite pieces was a supercomputer on display that had functional lights that flashed when that disk was in use but the best part was that its RAM was 512MB and has 25GB storage. It was like the size of 4 laundry machines stacked into a cube. Man, 1987 was a different time in computing.
i have to tell. you i gasped out loud when those stitches got dropped a second time. I would have cried tbqh! The end result does look really good, even if they're not stockings that actually fit you
this is some dedication right here! The final socks look beautiful and once you figure out the sizing they will be phenomenal !
I knit to relax and when I had a knitting machine i was not relaxed. My experience even with plain knitting was much like this. Even when I was knitting on it and things were going well, the noise drove me and my dog crazy! Add to that the !ack of
portability and need to be in a certain chair, made me decide to sell the machines and pick up my needles. I might feel differently if I were doing production knitting, but I love sitting in a comfy chair,, listening to music, and creating handknits. I am impressed that you could do this though (and even get into the innards, talk about brave!). Thank you for sharing the problems as well as your successes! So few are willing to portray anything less than take perfection.
That's exactly why I stay with my need es.
I hate noise.
Even with sewing, I do a lot by hand or with the old treadle machine than with the modern but louder electric sewing machine
Good sticking to it! Learning time! Some suggestions: This is metal moving on metal so is the machine oiled properly? Is there an oiling wick somewhere in the machine carriage? Have you tried pushing (with minimal force) the carriage, without any yarn, from stop to stop to see if there are any 'dead' spots? I noticed that while you were pushing the carriage it would hang up then you would push harder to get it going again. This doesn't seem right. It should move from stop to stop at the same rate. You are seated using a sawing motion with one arm. Have you tried standing and using your whole upper body with both arms( like a golf swing ) to move the carriage? Have you checked that wheels and bearings are round, oiled and not worn out?
Jaccard carriage: You said that it had to be takin apart to be cleaned. It now won't flip the switch on return stroke. Any parts left over? (it can happen) Incorrectly installed part or parts (flipped over, pointed in the wrong direction, out of adjustment). Oiled? Keep up the good work! You'll get there!
the punch cards actually reminded me of diy music boxes! there are music boxes you can get that are crank powered, where you can feed a length of punched paper through it (kinda like pasta thru a pasta roller) and the tines of the music box catch on the holes in the punch card, creating the sounds. i love them, i have several punch cards tht i've composed myself for my own music box. isn't it fascinating how many uses we have derived for punch cards? it's all connected!!!
Got a Studio 360 early in the 70’s. Love that machine. Made some awesome pleated skirts that I still wear. Still machine knitting after all these years. You are doing great.
I just bought a knitting machine and i'm glad to see i'm not the only one who struggles sometimes. Your stockings turned out amazing even if they don't quite fit. Excited to see more knitting machine videos!!
You should look into getting a garter bar. It is basically just a really wide transfer tool so it'll make life super easy for doing decreases in the center of a piece of work. There's a greater chance of dropping stitches with it, but it'll probably be an awful lot quicker than working with a three pronged transfer tool (even if yo have to pick up the odd stitch here and there)
If you're having trouble with dropping stitches during a cast on, try bringing all the needles out to hold, they'll knit off a lot better.
I love that hung, picot edge!
We’ve all been there. Keep it up. You’re doing great!
Circular Sock Machines are made for doing this very thing! I have made "little" socks on my flatbed, seamless socks are so much nicer.
Some one else also commented on the weight of the cotton yarn, I agree. You need much finer cotton, blended with lycra or nylon to knit stockings flat with some success. So much better/easier on a circular sock (knitting) machine!
Or even on a machine with a ribber attached and then knit circular. I must admit I cringed at the amount of stress being put on that poor machine. Many have survived years, not sure how long that one is going to last with this approach to its use.
The shock on my face when the live stitches came off! I am so sorry after all that hard work, that that happened to you.
Wow, kudos for perseverance. I would recommend a short double ended crochet hook and Tunisian crochet for the most satisfying way to proceed.
That was hard work!!! Thank you for sharing and putting such energy and time and super problem solving skills into the video.
when you open up the stocking for a back seam it looks like a pattern for a medieval stocking made from woven fabric, kinda funny how the more things change the more they stay the same!
I would love to see more in depth videos about your knitting machine, I think I just agreed to buy a knitting machine from someone online...
Yes proof of concept!! So you didn’t really fail as much a proof that stockings are possible and doing it with a cotton is a royal pain!! You have more perseverance than I would have put the entire thing in a corner to be glared at for a while. Oh and probably threaten to run over the machine repeatedly in the driveway with a large truck!!!
To preface this, I have never worn stockings, so I don't know if this is an actual issue, but doesn't the seam down the back of the leg and directly under the middle of the heel/foot make the stocking uncomfortable? Or at least prone to wear? Maybe leaving the heel out of the initial pattern and coming back and doing an afterthought heel might be more comfortable and durable in the long run? Thank you for sharing your process, it was really nice to see that I am not the only one who plans and swatches and yet makes garments that are inexplicably the wrong size. I really can commiserate.
I'm an old fart, and the answer is no. But getting and keeping the seam straight on the back of your leg can be a challenge while wearing nylons/hosiery.
I was thinking afterthought heel and toe. It would still be some hand knitting but not months of it.
I think it might technically be "mattress stitch" when you are seaming side to side, but whatever you call it, if you work directly on the edge stitches you can join them almost invisibly with no bump. Since there's no bump it shouldn't be any more prone to rubbing than a sock knit in the round.
I wear seamed stockings a lot and never feel the seam. Before I learned to knit socks in the round, I started with patterns for knitting flat and had to be sewn. They were fine to wear too.
My Grandmother use to use, demonstrate and sell knitting machines in the 40's and 50's, and I have a knitting machine in storage. I am interested on seeing how these work! Yours looks more modern, though.
This came up really randomly, so I am a new sub, and you just happened to be doing something I am interested in, who knew?
A learning experience :) I'm so glad it worked out in the end!
My heart dropped when the stockings dropped off the hooks a second time.
This is fascinating…I don’t think I would have had the patience to deal with the very different skills required for the machine vs the hand knitting
You are missing a spring. I just took a junk SK360 apart yesterday to scavenge one of the grey arms that read the punchcard hole to repair my SK155 bulky. The mechanism is the same between the SK3xx series and the SK155 machines with the only difference in that the SK155 bulky only has every other arm for a 12-stitch pattern instead of the 24 stitch pattern that the bulky machines use. Being that I have the leftover parts and the spring that you are missing, I could send it to you with pictures on how it should look installed. I will send you an e-mail on it.
I know nothing about knitting machines (or knitting for that matter) but i loved the video! All kinds of handwork are so cool to me!
Also shout out to the IKEA tool box. a real life savor lol
Yahoo! A woman after my own heart. The boring middle parts take no time at all.... I found Ozlorna's knitting blog helpful for cotton. It looked like you had enough weight, but maybe increase stitch size? I can't wait to see your other machine knit experiments.
Its a labour of love
I’m impressed despite the end result. Looking forward to your upcoming project
punch cards were actually invented for a jacquard loom in 1800s, so no surprise they got used for other textile-making tasks :-)
As a relatively new machine knitter I’m feeling your pain 😳
I think it was a success. Over the knee stockings with a garter will be perfect with this machine. Looking forward to your upcoming project.
This is incredible :o This is honestly so cool?? I'm so jealous
I am so impressed with your efforts! You are seriously tempting me to get my knitting machines out again.😏
You poor thing! It broke my heart when you accidentally knitted off the live stitches! I've done that too on my old Brother knitting machine from the 60's! Been there--done that. Lol! Sometimes we have no choice but to persevere.
Thank you for this project. A good lesson to learn from.
10 out of 10 for preservation,I think it would have gone out the window if it was me,💖
omg cant believe my eyes! This is fascinating. Truly complicated.
Goldilocks socks... lol
Use the big one for a Christmas stocking. All it needs is some embroidery
Well you can always use them to hang for Christmas. They are beautiful though.
I have a knitting machine, not as fancy as yours I haven't used it as it was given to me years ago. Maybe I'll try it out with my grand daughter.
You can use waste yarn and take the piece off and then put jt back on as you’ll need to decrease in the middle. I find it much faster personally.
Have you been doing anything with your knitting machine lately? I did end up buying a Singer 360k knitting machine. Based on the included paperwork I would say it's from the early 1980's. I got it all up and running and tried it out a bit with some waste yarn someone sent me but I did place an order for some proper machine knitting yarn wound onto cones. The automatic fair isle or "knit in" as it's called is so amazing to me. Also how you can use the same punch card for "knit in", slip, tuck, and it will give all different effects. Also interesting how in "tuck" stitch patterns or "slip" stitch patterns the "public" side of the knitting is actually the side with mostly purls showing when usually the "public" side of knitting is the side with all knit stitches showing. You should totally do a more in depth video on the knitting machine! Have you ever seen the old circular sock knitting machines? Watching videos of those machines in action got me first interested in knitting machines in general
I'm going to dive down this research hole myself now 😆
Love this video! I admire your dedication. Have you considered getting a circular sock machine? It's no better with cotton and it won't give you the exact way of fitting as a fully fashioned pattern like this, but it's really ideal for stockings!
This is so freaking cool!
I'm still going to get one of these, even though my measurements are different
You’re like the Marie Slodowska Curie of knitting
FWIW, it looks like your lace has plain purl-back rows, which means you could make a lace pattern card with only the odd rows (patterned every row) to get around the faulty lever.
I literally said out loud "oh gosh I really hope nothing falls off the machine" after you finished the heels and then it cut to exactly that happening... PAIN
To fix the lever that keeps getting stuck try some WD-40 to start with. If lubing it doesn’t work then something it probably too loose or to tight in the mechanism there which is causing the intermittent success/failure of the reset.
Sorry but, NO don't use WD-40 unless you have a machine manual that says to do it. Some machines use specific oils to avoid degrading the plastic parts over time. I have a Passap and a Brother, have worked with industrial hand driven flat machines, and operate computerized industrial knitting machines as part of my job. You always want you find a manual online for either your model or a similar product from the company.
Honestly this is for most items not just knitting machines. WD-40 contains a solvent that strips away dirt but it can do more damage than good on some materials.
@@robina.9402 thanks. I learned something. I use WD-40 to mean lubricate something (more of a generic term rather then the product itself). I didn’t know it was a solvent as well. Good to know.
@@robina.9402 On the home knitting machines I've had good to luck with spray silicone.
From what I remember, your machine looks very similar to the one sitting in my storage. You are certainly persistent! Lol, the big stocking looks like it would fit my fat calf!
Wow you learned so much! Great work
Hey, you made a custom Christmas stocking! :)
My mum had a very similar machine, she made some lovely lacey tops with it, and several sets of "twin sets". No idea what happened to it in later years
A project is a 'fail' if you didn't learn something. I'd say it was a success as you learned several things about your knitting machine. Unravel the yarn and try again.
You need to try CSM!
Historical knitting and modern struggling!
I've wanted to use a knitting machine JUST to do the legs of stockings. I'm plus-size, and I have a friend who's over six feet tall. Neither of us have good luck buying stockings. I'm cool with knitting the feet by hand, but all. that. stockinette. just makes me want to cry.
Thank you for sharing your process, thoughts, learned insights & such.
Another successful video!
I hope the notes you take help you make the stockings you want later on...(even if you just keep a copy of this video for reference)...
Also, if the stockings will easily unravel, will you repurpose the yarn from them? (Since almost none of the stockings fit)
I do picot edges like that for hand knitting. I wouldn’t be strong enough to use the machine.
Another way you can make your screwdriver magnetized is by attaching a powerful magnet to it
That's what she did. Her pin holder is a repurposed mechanic's dish with a heavy magnet in the base. Harbor Freight has them in several sizes, very handy for tiny metallic things that you don't want bouncing all over the place.
Big Boi is my favourite.
No actually Tiny Tim.
I can see why those machines didn't really catch on with the general public the way sewing machines did. A lot of patience, concentration and intelligence is needed to operate it. I had to give up hand knitting because of my propensity to drop stitches or lose them off of the needles. Crochet became my preferred method, because you can only screw up one stitch at a time. Maybe slower, but I would abandon knitting projects in frustration (and anger), while I have happily and calmly produced many hats and scarves using crochet.
knitting machines when in peak condition should not be that hard to knit wool. The cotton is a completely different kettle of fish because it doesn't stretch.
What type of knitting machine do you have? I really enjoyed the video.
Your aprons you wear in this video are adorable. I have to ask, where can i get the pattern?
I would like the pattern that you came up with for machine knitting socks where you changed the seem from the side to the back and heel "ear flaps". Would you be willing to share that pattern?
If you had a ribber on your machine you can knit in the round and not always flat
Yes I remember my mother doing that