So, I picked up one of those Michaels Sentro knitting machines, the circular ones you see sometimes. Thought it looked like a quick way to crank out some knits. Took it out of the box, and it felt pretty lightweight, mostly plastic.
Getting Started
Setting it up was easy enough. Just snapped the legs on and threaded the yarn guide. The instructions were okay, but honestly, watching a couple of online videos helped more to see exactly how to cast on. That first cast-on row is kind of important.
My first try? Total mess. Dropped stitches like crazy. The yarn kept popping off the needles. I realized pretty fast that tension is everything with this machine. You can’t pull too tight, but too loose is also bad. Finding that sweet spot took some practice. I also learned you gotta crank it slow and steady, especially at the beginning.
Figuring It Out
After a few frustrating attempts where I just made tangled messes, I started getting the feel for it. I switched to a smoother, slightly thicker yarn – I think it was just some basic worsted weight acrylic. That seemed to work better than the really fuzzy stuff I tried first.
I practiced just making tubes. Round and round it goes. Once I got a consistent rhythm and kept an eye on the needles making sure they caught the yarn each time, it started actually looking like knitting!
Then I tried the flat panel setting. There’s a switch you flip. That was a bit trickier because you have to be careful at the edges when it changes direction, but again, slow and steady watching the yarn feed did the trick.
What I Made
Okay, once I got comfortable, I actually made some stuff:
- Lots of beanies. Seriously, you can make a basic beanie tube super fast. Just knit a long tube, cinch one end, fold up the brim, done.
- A couple of simple scarves using the flat panel setting.
- Some leg warmers for my kid, just tubes again.
It’s really good for basic tube shapes or flat panels. Nothing too fancy, though. Forget about complex patterns or shaping like you’d do with hand knitting.
Thoughts on the Machine
It’s fast, no doubt about it. For simple things like hats and scarves, it’s quicker than hand knitting. It’s also pretty easy once you get past the initial learning curve with tension and dropped stitches.
But, it feels a bit like a toy. It’s plastic, and sometimes it feels like it might break if you crank too hard. Dropped stitches still happen sometimes, especially if your tension wavers or you use difficult yarn. The stitch count is fixed too, so you’re limited in sizes unless you sew panels together.
It’s not replacing hand knitting for me, not by a long shot. But for quickly making simple gifts or charity items? Yeah, it’s pretty handy for that specific job. It was a fun experiment, and I did manage to produce some finished items, which is the goal, right?
