The Salty Knitter

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.