Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to get into knitting for a while now, but, you know, the whole two-needle thing seemed a bit… daunting. Then I stumbled upon these circular knitting machines, and the Addi Express with 22 needles caught my eye. I thought, “Why not give it a shot?”
First off, I ordered the machine online. It arrived pretty quickly, and I was super excited to unbox it. The machine itself is made of plastic, it’s not heavy at all, and it looks pretty straightforward. It’s got these 22 needles all set up in a circle, a yarn guide, and a handle to crank.
Next, I needed some yarn. The instructions said not all yarns work well with the machine, but I just grabbed some medium-weight yarn I had lying around. I started by tying a slip knot and placed it on the first needle. Then, I followed the instructions to cast on, which basically involved wrapping the yarn around each needle in a specific way. It was a little tricky at first, but I got the hang of it after a few tries.
- Casting on was a bit fiddly, ngl.
- But once I got the rhythm, it was smooth sailing.
Once the yarn was on all the needles, I started cranking the handle. And let me tell you, it was surprisingly satisfying! The needles moved up and down, and the yarn magically started turning into a tube. I just kept cranking and cranking, watching the knitted fabric grow longer and longer.
I decided to make a simple beanie for my first project. I just kept knitting in the round until the tube was long enough, then I followed the instructions to cast off. It was a bit more complicated than casting on, but basically involved transferring the stitches from the needles onto a piece of yarn.
A Few Snags
- The yarn got caught a couple of times.
- I had to stop and untangle it, which was a bit annoying.
- And I dropped a few stitches along the way.
But overall, the process was pretty smooth. And the best part? I ended up with a finished beanie in just a couple of hours! It wasn’t perfect, a little wonky in places, but it was handmade by me, and that felt pretty awesome. It’s so warm that you don’t have to worry about the cold in winter. I even plan to give one to each of my family members for Christmas this year! I know it sounds crazy, but I’m just too excited.
I’m definitely going to keep experimenting with this Addi Express machine. I’m thinking scarves, maybe even some small blankets. It’s such a quick and easy way to knit, and the possibilities seem endless. Knitting no longer seems like something difficult.
