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Alright, let’s gab about them old-timey round sock makin’ contraptions, the kind they call “antique circular sock knitting machines”. I seen a few in my day, though I never did get the hang of usin’ ’em myself. Too fiddly for these old hands, ya know?
So, you’re thinkin’ ’bout gettin’ one, huh? Well, lemme tell ya, it ain’t as simple as pickin’ apples. First off, folks think just ’cause somethin’s old, it’s worth a fortune. That ain’t always the truth. These machines, they gotta have all their bits and pieces, and them little instruction books too. Otherwise, they ain’t much good for nothin’ but lookin’ at, unless you’re one of them collector fellas.
Now, why would anyone want one of these things anyway? Well, they say it’s faster than knittin’ by hand. And the socks, they come out all the same size and tightness, which is more than I can say for my knittin’! You can even make fancy patterns, if you’re clever enough. And the best part? You don’t gotta sit there watchin’ it every second like you do with regular knittin’. You can go start a pot of stew or somethin’ while it’s chuggin’ along.
These machines, they been around a long time. Some fella, a Frenchie named Marc Brunel, he cooked up the first one way back in 1816. Made tubes of fabric, they did. Then, during that big war, the one with all the soldiers, they needed socks somethin’ fierce, so these machines got real popular. And now, well, some folks still use ’em, and some folks just like to look at ’em.
- Thinkin’ ’bout buyin’ one? You gotta look close. Make sure it ain’t missin’ nothin’. Check for rust too. Rust ain’t your friend.
- Where to find ’em? Well, I hear tell there’s this place called eBay. They got all sorts of things there, even these old machines. You can find all kind of prices there, some cheap, some not so cheap. Seen some as low as $49.99, and some over $8,000. You gotta watch out for them shipping fees, though. Them fellas can get you on the shipping. And of course you also want to think about if you want brand new or used.
- New ones vs. old ones? The old ones are made of metal, real heavy-duty stuff. The newer ones, some of ’em are made of plastic, which might be lighter but I don’t trust ’em as much. And the old ones, well, they just look nicer, in my opinion.
Now, these machines, they work by weavin’ yarn into a circle, that’s how you get the sock shape. The old ones, they got cranks and gears, all metal. You gotta turn that crank, keep it goin’ steady. Some of the newer ones, they might have motors or somethin’, but where’s the fun in that?
So, if you’re lookin’ for a hobby, somethin’ to keep your hands busy, one of these antique circular sock knitting machines might be just the ticket. But don’t go thinkin’ it’s gonna be easy. It takes practice, and patience. And you gotta be willin’ to get your hands dirty. But when you finally crank out that first pair of socks, well, there ain’t nothin’ like it.
Remember, though, just cause some seller on eBay says it’s “vintage” or “antique” doesn’t
