Barb C.

I used to knit on a machine. I still have one punchcard model that was used to demo at a craft show. It really is "new". I must inform you that Brother, Toyota, and some others stopped making machines in the late 1990's. If you are looking for a machine now, it will have to be a used one. And you need someone that can teach you. Very important! Back in the early 90's I used to make skirts, tops, even slacks that I wore. I knitted a wedding dress and a star quilt top. I received a request to make 4 sweaters for a movie. It was the one about Earnest Shacklton's trip to the Antarctic. At that time all I had was an origional picture of the men in the expedition. I had to copy the sweaters in the picture--so it would be the same. Life was good, knitting and creating was fun, and I loved it. Then they pulled the rug out from under us Dealers, stopped manufacturing the machines. Of course, the yarn manufacturers were hit hard too. Now you can hardly find any yarn on a cone. I still have some of the hard twist yarns that are rayon and wool mix, but softer yarns can't be found. Don't let me discourage you from finding a machine, but be sure you get some lessons from someone. I'm almost 85, and I don't knit much anymore----switched to quilting.
Hope this gives you a little insight into machines. (most of them had 200+ needles on the needlebed.)