I happened to see the end of a QVC or HSN or some kind of channel and they had a knitting machine.
It seemed kind of cool. I was wondering if anyone here had any experience using one.
I’m not gonna buy one but I thought it’d be interesting, as I’ve read threads here and there seem to be knitters and other creative type people.
What are your experiences using the machines? Do you hand knitters hate them?
Are there any differences between manual or computerized, besides the obvious?
No true knitter would ever touch a knitting machine. They devalue the art by letting people who just push a few buttons think of themselves as knitters.
Helpful hint: when a sweater’s label describes it as “hand loomed” instead of “hand knitted,” it’s been made on a machine. That’s the kind of devious these people are.
If you have any machine knitters in your family, save the bloodline and disown them.
My mom’s a serious knitter - she’s been doing it since she was a little girl. She can recreate entire sweaters just by looking at a picture. She rarely needs patterns, although she’ll use them if they’re available. She knows from knitting.
She has a knitting machine. She’s got probably more disposable income than she needs, and she bought one oh, 15 years ago? Something like that. She played with it for a while, knitted a couple of things with it, then put it aside. She hasn’t used it in years.
I think if you really wanted to check one out, I’d see if there was somewhere that would let you rent it or try it out for a day or so. I wouldn’t spend any money until I was certain it was something I’d use for a while.
While it seems like it’s easier, I think it’s more time-consuming to use for someone who really knows what they’re doing. Sure, Mom could fiddle with the knobs or set whatever levers to make a cable in two hours, or she could whip one out in 15 minutes with her needles. Plus, hers is some old; perhaps the technology has advanced since (hers is totally manual). In any case, it’s been in her closet for ages, and I doubt she’ll ever pull it out again.
If you are knitting because you know exactly what you want your clothes to look/fit like, and can’t get that in the stores, and want to produce your own clothing, then a knitting machine + a lot of work/skill will get you that.
Likewise, if you want to sell your craft and make a profit, the machine will allow you to get the more boring, broad parts of a garment or blanket out of the way quickly.
If you want to produce art, and be in touch with your fibers, most people will tell you its a soulless method. Especially with today’s programmable machines.
Bottom line: it’s producing versus creating. Which are you looking to do?
We had one when I was a kid, used it a little, then it went in a closet. About 20 years ago I pulled it out to try it again but it was too complicated, there were all these extra pieces I couldn’t figure out and the manual was lost. It moved with me but I’m not sure I could figure it out now either. Maybe I could find a manual online?
Personally though, all I think it would be good for is maybe knitting a bunch of blankets quickly. Nothing fancy.