Okay, so, I’ve been getting into this whole vintage crafting thing lately, you know, trying to bring back some old-school skills. And I stumbled upon this thing called a Gearhart sock knitting machine. I mean, who even knew these existed, right? I certainly didn’t until I saw one listed online.
I got interested after seeing that it was a Gearhart, which I guess is pretty well-known, and it was listed as a “1904 Circular Sock Knitting Machine” for $1,100. I started looking into this rabbit hole of sock knitting machines.
I started looking around on eBay, that’s where I usually hunt for vintage stuff. And what do you know, there are a bunch of these machines on there. Some are in better shape than others, some are “refurbished,” which I guess means they cleaned them up and made sure they work. I saw one that said “museum quality,” I mean, come on, how cool is that? I imagined myself knitting socks like they did back in the olden days.
I did some more digging, ’cause I really wanted to know if this was something I could actually use. Like, could I make socks for my family with it? I found out that there are different cylinder sizes, like 60-slot and 64-slot, and they are for different yarn weights and sock sizes. One website said a 60-slot cylinder is good for kids’ socks or adult socks with heavier yarn. I am learning so much!
I found an old Brother KH260 for sale too. It looked pretty good. Then I saw people talking about Silver Reed machines. Apparently, those are still being made today, and you can find parts for them.
But here’s the thing, these machines aren’t cheap! Even used ones, they’re going for like a thousand bucks, minimum. It’s a splurge, for sure. Some sellers think that because they are old they are worth a lot, but from what I read they may be missing key parts or instructions. I guess it’s only worth it if you’re a collector.
I even saw an ad saying, “Enjoy Discounts & Hottest Sales On Gearhart Knitting Machine. Limited Offer. Shop Now.” It sounded a bit too good to be true. But then another ad said, “Save Time & Money.” So many choices, I couldn’t decide!
I’m still on the fence about buying one. It’s a lot of money, and I don’t even know if I’ll be any good at it. I watched some videos online, and it looks kind of complicated. But hey, it would be a pretty cool hobby, right? Maybe I’ll find a good deal, or maybe I’ll just keep dreaming about it for now. I will update you guys if I take the plunge!
- Pros:
- Unique and historical hobby
- Potential to create handmade socks
- Some models are still supported with parts
- Cons:
- Expensive, even used
- Steep learning curve
- May require hard-to-find parts
- Takes up a significant amount of space
Conclusion
It has been a wild ride researching these old machines. I am not sure if I will actually buy one yet, but it’s definitely on my radar. Maybe I’ll get lucky and find a real bargain somewhere. But until then, I’ll keep watching those videos and imagining myself cranking out socks like a pro. If any of you have experience with these machines, hit me up! I’d love to hear your stories.
