Okay, so, I’ve been getting into this whole knitting thing lately. Not by hand, mind you, but with one of those big industrial knitting machines. Let me tell you, it’s been a journey.
First off, I started looking around for these machines. I mean, where do you even find a used industrial knitting machine? So I started searching, browsing through different categories, sellers, you name it. It was kind of overwhelming, to be honest. There’re so many different types, flat knitting machines, circular knitting, fully fashioned ones – it’s a lot to take in.
Then, I tried checking out this site that was supposed to be just for knitting machines. The problem is it felt super outdated. It was like stepping back in time, and not in a good way. I spent some time clicking around, but it was kind of a pain to find anything useful.
I decided to try a more general marketplace, you know, one of those places where you can buy and sell all kinds of industrial stuff. I figured it was worth a shot. They had everything organized into categories, which was helpful. I started browsing through the knitting machine section. There was quite a few to choose from.
I did found some old machines. But man, it’s tough to tell what’s worth it and what’s not. A lot of these sellers think their machines are gold, but some are missing parts, manuals, who knows what else. I wasn’t looking for a collector’s item, just something that worked.
After digging around for a while, I found a couple of options from Brother and Silver Reed. They seemed like the most popular brands. I’d used a Silver Reed before, so I felt a bit more comfortable with that one. Plus, they’re still making machines, so finding spare parts shouldn’t be a nightmare.
I started contacting a few of the sellers, asking questions, you know, just trying to get a feel for the condition of the machines. It was a bit of a back-and-forth, but eventually, I found one that seemed promising. We negotiated a bit, and I finally pulled the trigger.
When the machine finally arrived, it was a beast. I mean, these things are huge! Setting it up was a whole other adventure. I had to clear out a bunch of space in my workshop and figure out how to actually get it running. Thank goodness for online manuals, that’s all I can say.
Once I got it set up, there was a whole learning curve. I mean, these machines are complicated. It’s not like hand knitting where you can just pick it up and go. It took a lot of trial and error, messing up, and starting over. But slowly, I started to get the hang of it.
Now, I’m not saying I’m an expert or anything, but I can actually make stuff now! It’s pretty cool to see the fabric coming off the machine, all nice and even. I’ve been experimenting with different patterns and yarns, just having fun with it.
Honestly, this whole experience has been a wild ride. It’s been frustrating at times, but also really rewarding. I never thought I’d be into industrial knitting, but here I am. It just goes to show, you never know what you might end up enjoying. There is also a community school near my home, and I noticed that they have textile courses. I think I will go to the school and share my experience with them. They may also know of students who are interested in the second-hand machine. And if all else fails, I can share it on the social media and I am sure that someone will need it.
