OK, so, I’ve jumped into this whole knitting thing, but not with the tiny needles. I got myself this big boy – the Addi Express King Size Knitting Machine. Yeah, the name’s a mouthful, I know. Anyway, this thing is supposed to make knitting a breeze, right?
First off, I unboxed it. Inside, I found this circular machine with a bunch of needles – 46 to be exact – a pattern book, and a weird-looking hook thing. Oh, and a manual counter, which is pretty neat. The whole setup looks simple enough, I thought. It’s got this crank handle that you turn, and that’s supposed to do the knitting. There’s also a way to use it to make flat panels. You can also use any type of yarn with it. Pretty cool, huh?
I picked out some yarn I had lying around. Nothing fancy, just some regular worsted weight stuff. Clamped the machine onto my table – it’s got these clamps at the bottom – and started feeding the yarn in. It takes a bit of practice to get the yarn to catch on all the needles, but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty smooth. Then, I started cranking.
Now, this is where the magic happens. As you turn the handle, the machine starts knitting in a circle. It’s actually kind of mesmerizing to watch. Round and round it goes, and before you know it, you’ve got a tube of knitted fabric. I made a small one first, just to test it out. It was not perfect. I dropped a few stitches here and there, but hey, it was my first try, and you have to keep that tension, you know.
Cranking Out Projects
- Hats: These are super easy. Just keep cranking until you have a tube that’s long enough, then take it off the machine, cinch one end, and boom, you’ve got a hat. You can even get fancy and switch yarn colors to make stripes.
- Scarves: For these, I used the machine to make a flat panel. It’s a bit trickier than knitting in the round, but still way faster than using regular needles. I did notice I had to pay more attention to the edges, otherwise they can get a bit wonky.
- Blanket Squares: Okay, so a whole blanket might take a while, but making individual squares and then sewing them together is totally doable. I’m thinking of making a patchwork blanket with different colors and textures. It’s going to be epic, I just know it.
I spent a good chunk of my weekend playing around with this machine. Honestly, it’s pretty addictive. There’s something really satisfying about seeing a project come together so quickly. And yeah, it’s not quite the same as hand-knitting with needles – the stitches are a bit looser, and you’re kind of limited in terms of stitch patterns – but for churning out simple stuff, it’s great. I’ve already made a few hats and a scarf, and I’m planning on making some small blanket squares next. And I heard it was pretty sturdy and could handle heavier yarn. I will try it out next time.
So, yeah, that’s my experience with the Addi King Size Knitting Machine. It’s a fun little gadget, and I can see myself using it a lot in the future. If you’re looking for a way to speed up your knitting, or if you’re just curious about machine knitting, I’d say give it a try. Just be prepared to lose a few hours (or days) to it, because it’s seriously addictive!
