I’ve been wanting to get into knitting for a while now, but honestly, hand knitting just seemed so slow and kind of intimidating. That’s when I started looking into knitting machines. Boy, was that a rabbit hole! So many different types and brands, it was tough to figure out where to even start.
First, I spent hours just scrolling through forums and blogs, you know, trying to get a feel for what was out there. I quickly realized that most people suggested starting with either Brother or Silver Reed. I ended up going with Silver Reed mainly because it’s the brand I stumbled upon first, and I just kind of stuck with it. Plus, they’re still making machines, so finding spare parts seemed like it wouldn’t be a huge headache.
The next big hurdle was figuring out which Silver Reed model to choose. I learned that the LK150 is like the basic, entry-level one. It handles medium-weight yarns, which seemed like a good starting point for me. Then there’s the SK280 for finer yarns and the SK155 for those bulky ones. I decided to start simple and grabbed an LK150.
Then I saw a lot of people talking about circular knitting machines, especially the Addi and the Sentro. I was tempted by the Addi because it’s supposed to be made of sturdier plastic and geared more towards adults or pros. The Sentro seemed more like a toy for kids. But the Addi was way pricier, so I held off on that for now. I figured I’d get the hang of the flatbed machine first.
My First Project
- Choosing the Yarn: This was surprisingly tricky! I learned that the LK150 is best for medium-weight yarns, like Sport, DK, or Worsted. I picked up a few skeins of Worsted weight yarn in different colors, just to experiment.
- Setting Up the Machine: Okay, this took some time and patience. I watched a bunch of videos online and followed the manual, but it still felt a little awkward at first. Getting the tension right was especially fiddly.
- Casting On: I practiced this a few times before I felt comfortable. It’s basically getting the yarn onto the needles so you can start knitting.
- Knitting the Rows: Once I got the hang of it, this was the fun part! You just slide the carriage back and forth, and the machine does the knitting for you. It was so much faster than hand knitting!
- Casting Off: This is how you get your finished piece off the machine. It was a bit tricky at first, but I got it eventually.
My first project was a simple scarf. It wasn’t perfect, but I was so proud of it! I made a few mistakes along the way, dropped some stitches, had some uneven tension, but you know what? I learned a ton, and it was so much fun seeing it come together.
There is still a long way for me to learn and practice, but it was a very interesting experience. I am thinking I might try a hat next, but I’ll probably need to get a bulky knitting machine for that thick yarn.
