I prefer the eWrap cast on in all situations including when I’m casting on ribbing.
The zig-zag, or circular cast on shown in machine manuals involves multiple steps and changes to the carriage settings and I can count on forgetting at least one setting. I’ve had many FUBAR’s using the circular or zig-zag method suggested in the manual. But eWrap cast on has never done me dirty like that.
Look Ma, No Ripples!
You know what else the eWrap cast on doesn’t do? It doesn’t create a ripple in my work. Consider the swatches pictured below.
1 x 1 Ribbing knit on the Singer Knitting Machine
Or these swatches…
eWrap Cast on – 1 x 1 Rib
For a 1 x 1 rib, we set the pitch on our ribber to ‘P’ and the swing to 5. Using our 1 x 1 needle pusher we pull our desired number of needles from the main bed and the alternating needles of the ribber bed with our carriages on the right (COR).
We wrap our yarn counter clockwise around the needle, effectively we are forming the letter ‘e’ with our yarn around the needle.
For our ribber needles, we wrap clockwise. Knit one row and insert cast on comb.
2×2 Industrial Rib – eWrap Cast On
For 2 x 2 Industrial Rib, we set our pitch to ‘H’ or half pitch. Swing is set to 5. With our carriage on the right (COR) and using our 1×2 needle pusher, we pull needles on the main bed and ribber bed so they look as above.
Again, we wrap our main bed needles counter-clockwise and ribber needles clockwise. Knit one row and insert cast on comb.
Let’s learn how to work the bubble stitch on any knitting machine.
I really do adore this bubble stitch pattern. I found it in an old book on handtooled knitting machine stitches from 1987. Handtooling for Chunky Knitting Machines by Kathleen Kinder. Oh how we forget the torture of reading Times New Roman.
First – The Abbreviations
COL – Carriage on Left
COR – Carriage on Right
UWP – Upper Working Position
Cast On for the Bubble Stitch
Cast on by hand towards the left. Choose a multiple of 10 plus 1 stitch on either end. Knit one row – COR.
Now we knit our first bubble
Next, set your carriage to hold. Pull all of the needles except the group of 10 closest to the carriage (plus the 1 extra) into hold position. Knit – COL
Repeat Start:
Pull the outer most 5 needles (plus the extra one) into hold position.
Hang your weight on just the bubble you are working. (Affiliate links ahead) I like to use these claw hangers and small barrel weights, although something a little lighter would be nice.
From the 5 needles still in working position, pull the one closest to the carriage out, yarn will auto wrap. Of the 5 needles in hold, push the closest one back into UWP. Knit to the right. COR
Wrap yarn under the needle farthest from the carriage, knit left. COL. Repeat from start above to here until the 5 needles that started in hold are back in work and the 5 needles that started in work are in hold.
Wrap the extra needle. Push the 5 held needles of the group plus all 10 needles of the next group back into UWP. Knit row, COL.
Pull 5 needles farthest from carriage into hold, hang weight from the stitches you are working and then repeat from >>Repeat Start<< until this bubble is finished. Move to the next bubble and carry on until all your bubbles have been knitted. Don’t forget the last needle is not a part of a bubble. It should be knitted to finish the row.
Now do it all in reverse!
Leave the first 10 needles plus 1 in working position, knit across COR.
Pull first 5 needles opposite carriage into hold. Pull first needle closest to carriage into hold for the autowrap. Push first held needle into UWP. Knit accross, COL.
Wrap needle, knit back across. Repeat until bubble is completed and then move to the next bubble. Keep working the bubbles back and forth until you’ve reached the length you are looking for. And that is the bubble stitch.
So what do you think? Is this a stitch you would use? Do you knit for texture or is color work your thing? Let me know in the comments.
If you are looking to buy a knitting machine or you already have a metal bed knitting machine, you want a ribber.
Why you Want a Ribber
When hand knitting, a knit stitch is created by pulling the yarn through your loop from the back, a purl stitch by pulling the yarn through from the front. A knitting machine can only pull the yarn through from one direction. So on a single bed knitting machine, the “knit” side faces the back of the machine and the “purl” side faces you.
Since stockinette tends to curl, when we hand knit we usually have borders to the pattern that are some combination of knit and purl so our finished project is less likely to curl. And of course we also use ribbing for cuffs and waist bands where we want a closer fit.
By adding a second bed, or ribber, to our flatbed machines we have a way to create the “purl” stitches for our finished project. With some limitations…
Ribber Limitations
With a ribber you can knit any combination of ribbing on your knitting machine – 1×1, 2×2, 2×3 and so on.
What the ribber can’t do is automatically transfer stitches from bed to bed. So to knit garter or moss stitch, you would have to manually transfer stitches back and forth. There are tools to help and it is easy enough to do on a small scale, but maybe not so much if you’re knitting a full bed afghan and want a garter strip edge. That could get tiresome. It can be done, it just depends on how determined you are.
Also if you have a machine with patterning capabilities, some patterns use the ribber but the patterning doesn’t extend to the needles on the ribber bed.
Beyond Ribbing
Adding a ribber to your knitting machine does allow for more than just ribbing though.
Circular or Tubular Knitting
With a ribber, you can knit circular. So seamless, or nearly seamless socks and hats are possible without investing in a CSM (Circular Sock Machine)
Racking
A ribber is made to adjust the ribber bed from left to right and back again. Shifting, or racking, the bed back and forth creates interesting zig-zag and wave effects with your machine knitting.
Pintuck &Â Plating
Two techniques that use thinner yarns but give some interesting effects.
Double Bed Jacquard or DBJ
I think this is the ultimate reason to have a ribber. Colorwork like Fair Ilse but without the floats! With DBJ you can have your colorwork design on one side with either a plain backing, striped or birds-eye backing. If you’re willing to work for it, you can even create a reversible DBJ.
There are so many things I wish I had known before I started buying vintage knitting machines. Things like never buy a machine displayed in a basement with visible moisture issues. That would be me when I bought my chunky Singer SK-150.
It’s usable after lots of elbow grease, I’ve even knit dishcloths on it. But it’s still a junker machine. Even after spending $50 replacing most of the needles because they were so rusty it still needs more.
So this post is all about what I wish I knew then.
Buy From a Machine Knitter
Of the 3 machines I have, the one that was in the best condition was the one that came from someone who actually used the machine. The woman I bought my first machine from may have tried it, but she never really used it. They did however oil it before listing it. Unfortunately they did not clean it first and what a mess that made.
When I brought my Singer 700 home, I did a full tear-down of the carriage to remove felted yarn fibers and actual yarn from around the spindles of the patterning drum. I also replaced a lot of the needles on both beds because it had been used by someone who did not know what they were doing – before me that is, since I had no clue what I was doing when I first used it either.
Don’t expect to just start knitting immediately
Unless you’re buying your vintage knitting machine from a business that specializes in them, don’t expect to just set it up and go. At the minimum before you try to knit with the machine, you will need to check the sponge bar or needle retaining bar is in good condition. Ideally you should do a full inspection of the needles and a give it a good cleaning. If you use your machine, you will need to maintain your machine so you may as well start right. There are loads of resources, many of them model specific, on YouTube. The video below is old but a fabulous resource.
Is everything that came with the machine there?
There are some necessary accessories to knitting machines and more if you’re buying one with a ribber attachment. Some accessories are brand specific – Brother machines typically come with a cast on comb, Singers do not. Replacing any of the ones you really need might not come easy. You will spend a lot of time searching for missing bits and pieces and the cost adds up.
The best way to find out what should come with a machine is to download the manual for the model you are looking at before you go to see it. There will be a list of items that come with the machine at the beginning of the manual. Don’t forget to research any optional attachments that are coming with the machine so you can be sure to have all of their parts and and accessories. Manuals for most machines and even many attachments are available at Machine Knitting Etc.
At a minimum you should expect the following:
Please note all of the links below are affiliate links.
Clamps
Your machine must be clamped to a surface to use it. It should come with ‘C’ clamps and if there is a ribber, a special angled clamp that tilts the machine to the proper angle for using the ribber. If you’re buying a machine with a ribber you need both sets of clamps to set up your machine.
Weights
Claw weights for the main bed – ideally 5, and if it comes with a ribber, barrel weights – 3 large and 2 small. Keep in mind this is the minimum needed. You will probably be scouring Amazon for extras.
Needle pushers
My Brother machine should have come with one needle pusher, my Singer 700 came with 3 and I think the Chunky came with 4. These help you pull your needles forward either as a group or in a variety of staggered and alternating positions. Chunky pushers don’t work on standard machines and vice-versa. They are also brand specific – Brother needles have bigger butts so the Singer pushers don’t work very well for Brother machines.
Transfer tools
Each of mine came with three transfer tools plus a latched hook. These are specific to the gauge of your machine.
Cast on combs.
Brother machines come with a cast on comb, Singers do not. But if you have a ribber, then you need a different type of cast on comb. Usually in 2 lengths – one for the full bed and a shorter one for knitting narrower projects.
Goes without saying (almost)
Unless you’re buying a super cheap parts machine, the yarn mast, carriage and sinker plates along with any model specific plates or cams etc. If it comes with a ribber – the carriage for that and the arm that connects the two carriages.
Check the needle bed carefully
Storage matters a lot! A machine that was stored on it’s end could have a bowed or warped needle bed. A machine that was stored in a damp place could have rust. A bit of rust on the needles is one thing but rust anywhere on the needle bed is a red flag. If the plastics have yellowed this is strictly cosmetic. The plastics used in these machines were not UV stable so yellowing is likely due to sun exposure. If the plastics have not yellowed, be mindful to cover the machine when not in use and keep it out of direct sunlight. And never ever store your machine on it’s end. Always store them flat.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, just a few things I wish I had known beforehand.
Buying a knitting machine means first deciding if you want a vintage knitting machine or a new one. I went with the vintage knitting machines although I might some day add a newer one like the LK150 to my collection.
Please note, some of the links below are affiliate links. I will receive a small commission on purchases made through these links.
Vintage Knitting Machine or New?
There are good reasons to choose either. While Brother, Singer, Elna and any other sewing machine brands have stopped producing the metal style knitting machines, you can buy Taitexma machines new. Of course there are also the plastic bed LK150 (affiliate link) machines. They have some advantages over the metal beds. They’re much lighter for one and also you can expand the bed for more needles and knit much wider items.
On the other hand if you choose to go vintage, there are more optional accessories that may either come with the machine or you can search for on eBay and other used marketplaces. Just expect to do some work before you start knitting.
You will also sometimes see reference to Japanese or Japanese style knitting machines. Typically, the Singer and Brother machines were made in Japan. Passap on the other hand, were made in Switzerland. I don’t have a Passap myself but there are some differences between them and the Japanese machines.
What kind of knitting do you want to do?
Mid to Bulky Gauge
To knit afghans and dish cloths with worsted weight yarn like Bernat Super Saver then you need a mid to bulky machine. The LK150 will absolutely work for you, but you can get vintage mid to bulky weight machines too. You just might have to search a little longer.
Circular Sock Machines or CSM’s
When socks and hats are your jam, then maybe you don’t even want a flatbed machine. There are the Sentro and Addi (affiliate link) type machines for not much money and a lot of YouTube videos showing what you can do with them. Then there are the expensive vintage metal CSM’s and even more expensive new metal CSM’s, or the 3D printed CSM’s such as Dean & Beans Sock Machine.
Fine Gauge
There are fine gauge vintage knitting machines out there that are meant to knit the finest of thread like yarns for lace and other lightweight fabrics. But unless you’re already hand knitting that type of yarn it’s not usually a first time purchase, and it’s one you would probably search some time to find.
Standard Gauge
Standard gauge machines are the most commonly available from eBay, Facebook Marketplace and other second-hand marketplaces. One of these will allow you to knit yarns from cobweb to fingering or sometimes DK weight. Because they’re more common the also tend to have the most optional accessories available – depending on the brand and model. Brother seems to have produced the most accessories by far and some of them are very useful.
Patterning or Non-Patterning
The most basic machines can do some patterning, it’s just a matter of how.
A non-patterning machine can do patterns, but it’s all done manually. An example of this would be my Simple Knitted Dishcloth.
My Singer 700 is an example of punch card machine. For these machines, a punch card is fed into a reader. This determines which needles will be knit on each pass. With your carriage settings you decide if the pattern will be tuck, slip, or fair isle. You can buy blank punch cards and create your own designs but generally restricted to either a 12 or 24 stitch repeat.
Then there’s the electronic machines like my Brother 930. Depending on how advanced the model is, you can do a lot more with these and with fewer restrictions on pattern width. Some of them can be connected to your computer and with the right software you can create patterns that extend the full width of your needle bed.
See what to watch for when buying vintage in my next post.
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I prefer the eWrap cast on in all situations including when I’m casting on ribbing.
For a 1 x 1 rib, we set the pitch on our ribber to ‘P’ and the swing to 5. Using our 1 x 1 needle pusher we pull our desired number of needles from the main bed and the alternating needles of the ribber bed with our carriages on the right (COR).
For 2 x 2 Industrial Rib, we set our pitch to ‘H’ or half pitch. Swing is set to 5. With our carriage on the right (COR) and using our 1×2 needle pusher, we pull needles on the main bed and ribber bed so they look as above.
Cast on by hand towards the left. Choose a multiple of 10 plus 1 stitch on either end. Knit one row – COR.
It’s usable after lots of elbow grease, I’ve even knit 
When I brought my Singer 700 home, I did a full tear-down of the carriage to remove felted yarn fibers and actual yarn from around the spindles of the patterning drum. I also replaced a lot of the needles on both beds because it had been used by someone who did not know what they were doing – before me that is, since I had no clue what I was doing when I first used it either.
A non-patterning machine can do patterns, but it’s all done manually. An example of this would be my 
My Singer 700 is an example of punch card machine. For these machines, a punch card is fed into a reader. This determines which needles will be knit on each pass. With your carriage settings you decide if the pattern will be tuck, slip, or fair isle. You can buy blank punch cards and create your own designs but generally restricted to either a 12 or 24 stitch repeat.
