I think I want to buy a knitting machine.
08-14-2018, 07:07 PM
#11
Power Poster
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
What is a good place to buy the LK150? Do they ever go on sale?
Also, what is a good machine cone yarn to start with, and where to buy it? I like acrylic #3 DK weight for doll clothes. My favorite yarn to hand knit is Lion Brand's Modern Baby, but it comes on a skein.
Which brings me to the question, should I invest in a yarn swift and ball winder? What about the intarsia carriage?
I'll probably start with baby clothes, but eventually I would like to figure out how to knit American Girl doll clothes on the machine.
Oh, and Barb, thank you! for the advice about Diana Sullivan. Her videos are perfect for me because (1) I need the very beginner instruction and, (2) they are short enough for me to be able to pay attention and not lose focus.
Also, what is a good machine cone yarn to start with, and where to buy it? I like acrylic #3 DK weight for doll clothes. My favorite yarn to hand knit is Lion Brand's Modern Baby, but it comes on a skein.
Which brings me to the question, should I invest in a yarn swift and ball winder? What about the intarsia carriage?
I'll probably start with baby clothes, but eventually I would like to figure out how to knit American Girl doll clothes on the machine.
Oh, and Barb, thank you! for the advice about Diana Sullivan. Her videos are perfect for me because (1) I need the very beginner instruction and, (2) they are short enough for me to be able to pay attention and not lose focus.
08-15-2018, 12:18 AM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: North-East England
Posts: 681
Hello again!
In answer to your questions, bearing in mind I live in the UK -
I bought mine new direct from Silver Reed but they did come up on EBay now and again.
Yarn came from online yarn stores, EBay and thrift stores.
I had a yarn winder. You can not use yarn directly from a manufacturer’s ball or at least I could never manage to!
Intarsia carriage - I had 2 for my steel beds but at the time I was machine knitting there was not one for the 150.
Diana Sullivan videos are great!
In answer to your questions, bearing in mind I live in the UK -
I bought mine new direct from Silver Reed but they did come up on EBay now and again.
Yarn came from online yarn stores, EBay and thrift stores.
I had a yarn winder. You can not use yarn directly from a manufacturer’s ball or at least I could never manage to!
Intarsia carriage - I had 2 for my steel beds but at the time I was machine knitting there was not one for the 150.
Diana Sullivan videos are great!
08-15-2018, 03:11 AM
#13
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Deltaville, VA
Posts: 139
I own several knitting machines, even repaired them, demonstrated at several seminars and love mine. Please PM me.
Am I crazy?
Being away from my quilting for so long (working on house rehab for daughter), I picked up my hand knitting again. As a child, when we got together to play dolls, I always wanted to be "the dressmaker", and I find hand knitting at night very soothing. I do not have the patience for people clothing, especially since I am an extremely slow hand knitter, so I hand knit doll clothing. I have not mastered seaming yet, so all my doll clothes are unfinished.
Apparently, in my retirement, I still want to be a doll dressmaker.
Anyway, what I am looking at is purchasing a Silver Reed LK150. I have researched the topic over at the knittingparadise forum.
Any experiences, comments? It seems as if machine knitting is a dying hobby, but it does interest me.
Being away from my quilting for so long (working on house rehab for daughter), I picked up my hand knitting again. As a child, when we got together to play dolls, I always wanted to be "the dressmaker", and I find hand knitting at night very soothing. I do not have the patience for people clothing, especially since I am an extremely slow hand knitter, so I hand knit doll clothing. I have not mastered seaming yet, so all my doll clothes are unfinished.
Apparently, in my retirement, I still want to be a doll dressmaker.
Anyway, what I am looking at is purchasing a Silver Reed LK150. I have researched the topic over at the knittingparadise forum.
Any experiences, comments? It seems as if machine knitting is a dying hobby, but it does interest me.
08-15-2018, 03:23 AM
#14
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: western NY formerly MN, FL, NC, SC
Posts: 51,430
I would definitely invest in a ball winder. I have had this one for over 30 years https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lacis-Jum...&wl13=&veh=sem
at least I think it is this one... looks so much like it. the description says it will hold 7 oz of yarn, but, as one of the questions says, I can put at least a pound of yarn on it. Someone says it slips... mine has rarely slipped. I get a ton of donation bulky yarns and it winds them all. When using the wound balls, pull the yarn from the center to avoid problems. The yarn has to be free to pull smoothly to work on the machine.
When doing my knitted knockers, the pima cotton yarn came in hanks... so I did get this swift https://www.walmart.com/ip/Umbrella-...&wl13=&veh=sem It feels a little rickety but works just fine. And the yarn goes from the swift to the winder.
Some machines have a built in intarsia capability. My bulky did not and I got the Brother intarsia carriage for it. I have used it a fair amount, and even made Christmas stockings with it.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]599569[/ATTACH]
at least I think it is this one... looks so much like it. the description says it will hold 7 oz of yarn, but, as one of the questions says, I can put at least a pound of yarn on it. Someone says it slips... mine has rarely slipped. I get a ton of donation bulky yarns and it winds them all. When using the wound balls, pull the yarn from the center to avoid problems. The yarn has to be free to pull smoothly to work on the machine.
When doing my knitted knockers, the pima cotton yarn came in hanks... so I did get this swift https://www.walmart.com/ip/Umbrella-...&wl13=&veh=sem It feels a little rickety but works just fine. And the yarn goes from the swift to the winder.
Some machines have a built in intarsia capability. My bulky did not and I got the Brother intarsia carriage for it. I have used it a fair amount, and even made Christmas stockings with it.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]599569[/ATTACH]
08-15-2018, 06:58 AM
#16
Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Helena, Montana
Posts: 33
Years ago I was making Baby Sweaters and Blankets on a Passap Knitting Machine. It was Swiss made. I had 2. Took some time to learn but I really loved it. I sold them after my Husband passed because he did all the maintance. I just found one on Craigslist. I got it and I am so happy. BTY I have 5 Sewing Machines. I sew about 200 Book Bags for ELCA. Love staying busy.
08-15-2018, 09:32 AM
#18
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Central Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Posts: 7,695
I had one of the earlier ones as a teen and loved playing with it. I say playing because all I ever had was the yarn it came with, so I made items and took them apart to try other things. I wish I had it now, I could do so much with it.
08-15-2018, 10:04 AM
#19
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 1,663
Sewing Machines Plus in California now sells knitting machines. I get their e-mails (have bought two machines from them) and they are advertising them regularly. They offer lots of sales, so getting on their e-mail list would be a great idea!
I have two Brother plastic-bed knitting machines, and a very heavy metal one (can't remember the brand at the moment). Right now they are sitting in my basement unused, but now you've done it... I need to get them back out again! I have every conceivable accessory and put some time into learning a few years back, but I've never made a garment on the machine. I mostly wanted to knit yardage and do cut-and-sew projects. I've also used them for making charity blankets because I can get them done reasonably quickly. I'm a hopelessly slow hand knitter although I love it. I crochet like lightning though LOL!!
I have two Brother plastic-bed knitting machines, and a very heavy metal one (can't remember the brand at the moment). Right now they are sitting in my basement unused, but now you've done it... I need to get them back out again! I have every conceivable accessory and put some time into learning a few years back, but I've never made a garment on the machine. I mostly wanted to knit yardage and do cut-and-sew projects. I've also used them for making charity blankets because I can get them done reasonably quickly. I'm a hopelessly slow hand knitter although I love it. I crochet like lightning though LOL!!
08-15-2018, 01:32 PM
#20
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Outside St. Louis
Posts: 38,213
I taught myself to hand knit, just to prove I could. I thought it too slow. I was crocheting afghans at the time and thought it was faster. I am not very patient.
Al I do now is make quilts, mostly for donation.
Al I do now is make quilts, mostly for donation.
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