Okay, so, I got into this whole machine knitting thing a while back. It was totally new to me, and honestly, I was pretty lost at first. I mean, I had this Addi knitting machine, but figuring out what to do with it? That was a whole other story.
I spent hours browsing online, trying to find some guidance. I learned a lot from just trying things out, making mistakes, and trying again. Eventually, I found some patterns on the internet that really helped me get the hang of it. They were like a lifesaver! They gave me some actual projects to work on, and that’s how I started to understand the machine better.
Yarn Talk
Now, let’s talk about yarn. Picking the right yarn for your knitting machine is super important. I learned that the hard way. At first, I just grabbed whatever yarn I had lying around, but that led to a lot of frustration. Some yarns would constantly get jammed in the machine, others would create uneven stitches, it was a mess.
Then, after some experimenting and reading up on it, I found out that medium-weight, also called worsted, yarn is like the gold standard for these machines. It just glides through the needles without causing too much trouble.
- Acrylic: I’ve used a lot of acrylic yarn because it’s affordable and comes in so many colors. It’s great for things like toys, decorations, you know, stuff that’s more for fun than heavy-duty use.
- Cotton: Cotton yarn is another one I use a lot, especially for practical stuff like washcloths or dish towels. It’s more durable than acrylic, so it can handle being washed a bunch of times.
- Blends: And then there are these acrylic/wool blends. They’re a bit pricier, but honestly, I love working with them. They feel nicer in your hands, and the finished product just has a better quality to it. If you can swing it, I’d say go for these.
Machine Brands
As for the machines, there are basically two big names: Brother and Silver Reed. Personally, I started with Silver Reed, and I’ve stuck with them ever since. It’s just what I’m used to, you know? I like how they work, and it’s easy to find parts if something breaks. But I’ve heard good things about Brother too, so it probably just comes down to personal preference.
I am still learning, still making mistakes, but now I can make more beautiful and interesting projects with my machine. And you will too.
