Today I am sharing with you some of my early machine knitting days. Back in the 80's my mom wrote (you know snail mail letters) to me that I should buy a knitting machine. What is that I thought. She mentioned it a few times and one day in March of 1986 I saw an ad in our local newspaper for a knitting machine dealer. I told my DH that curiosity got me and I am going to go have a look at one. A couple hours later I told my DH I needed some money, I really wanted this machine to add to my business. I had been sewing doll clothes to sell at local craft shows. A week later I had my first knitting machine that used sport weight yarn!! Yes I said first. A couple years later my DH surprised me with one that would use thicker yarn, like 4 ply. I went on to acquire an electronic one with a motor on it a few years later.
The main thing I wanted to make were sweaters for kids, you have seen a few of those and I'll have more in tomorrow's post. I did that and more. Here is the more...
The kitties were a knitted panel and then we cut the sweatshirt apart and sewed in the panel.
This is a sweater I knitted for my dad. Oh how he loved it!
Little knitted Christmas tree ornaments, stockings, drums, mittens, tiny hats, and peppermint candies. Kind of tedious to make!
A lot of color changes in this Norwegian adult style sweater. It was beautiful with a dark green and red design.
I couldn't resist making a few knitted outfits for 18" dolls such as American Girl.
I got a call from the local High School my kids were attending asking if I could make mittens for their school store. Wow I jumped on that and mitten dozens and dozens for them. It was so fun going to football games and seeing high school students wearing what I knitted!! While doing that I contacted another school and these are things I made for their school store.
I presented them with a prototype of a dressed up bear in their colors and logo. They loved it and I made several dozen of them.
The majority of my machine knitting days were before quilting took over my life;) I still knit just not that much. Here is a sweater being knitted. As you knit you see the backside of the item you are knitting. This one has tractors on it. These machines are so fascinating with 200 needles. You only use the amount your pattern says for the size you are making. But it has the capability to use all 200 like if you were making an afghan. All my machines are Brother brand, which long ago went out of business.
Thank you for visiting and I hope you have enjoyed seeing more of my knitting. There are lots of You Tubes on the machines if you want to see one in action.
Linking with
The knitting machines fascinate me. I had no idea you could do intricate designs on them, too. Do you have to leave the machine set up somewhere all of the time, or do you take it down when you're finished?
ReplyDeleteThat was very interesting. I love the cute bears with their school sweaters on. And the American girls in their knits...oh my goodness! It's amazing what you used to make.
ReplyDeleteFun to see this post with all those cute knitted items! I would think it would be very fun to see the mittens being worn at the games - how cool is that?!
ReplyDeleteWow, have you made good use of your knitting machines, Vicki! I love the American Girl doll outfits and the school gear! Fun!
ReplyDeleteWow, interesting, Vic! I love the deer sweater for your dad!!! And those AG dolls are awesome. That was a fun knitting machine overview--thanks!
ReplyDeleteYour mom was a smart one! You really did need a knitting machine. You have made so many beautiful things over the years. Those dressed bears are adorable!
ReplyDeleteAnd one of these days I'll get to see your knitting up close and personal (hopefully the next time I get to see my granddaughter).
ReplyDeleteOn my goodness! My five year old granddaughter wants to learn to knit, would it be cheating to get her a machine??? Knitting is one craft I struggled to learn!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting post, Vicki. I am intrigued with the knitting machine. I can see where having one would be a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteThey are so versatile! I have a friend who bought one, I think in the early 90s, and she loved it, and made beautiful things with it. I had never heard of them before. Luckily, your mother was more in tune than I!
ReplyDeleteHi Vicki! Fascinating! Wow, I had absolutely no idea. How cool that it is motorized and has 200 needles. Gosh, those school spirit items are just fabulous. I love the mittens and the bear all decked out in the appropriate colors. And that sweater you made for your Dad!! I would have loved to have given my dad something like that. Thanks for sharing this glimpse into the past and how you are currently knitting a sweater. ~smile~ Roseanne
ReplyDeleteHow fun is that? I love all of the wonderful things you have made. How long does it usually take for you to knit one sweater?
ReplyDeleteI've just read your three Monday Memories posts. Isn't it interesting to see how our craft experiences have evolved? What was the largest number of anything that you made (mass production)? Forty years ago I was an avid needlepointer. I still have a huge tub of Paternayan yarn. Then counted cross stitch was all the rage. There is a needlework shop just two blocks from my house and I know that there are so many new threads, evenweave cloth, and fibers. Along the way I have managed to resist the siren call of rubber stamping and scrapbooking, beading, and polymer clay.
ReplyDeleteYou are a person who creates a lot! I mostly have stuck with quilting and sewing, but do a tiny bit of knitting every once in awhile. You were a master with that machine!
ReplyDeleteSo interesting! Those bears are just adorable. No wonder they sold like hotcakes! :)
ReplyDeleteI am definitely going to check out some of the video's. This is so interesting Vicki. Years ago I thought I might want a knitting machine but never found anywhere local to purchase one. I've always wondered how they work. Those sweaters you made are fantastic! And the school mittens - wow! This was a really fun post. Thanks for linking to MCM!
ReplyDeleteBack in the 80s I told my husband I needed a knitting machine too, I went on to get an electronic, and chunky. I still hav3 both machines but haven’t used them in years!
ReplyDeleteLots of neat knitted things--thanks for showing us all those fun items! I got to the Lourdes items and remembered that your kids went to high school in Rochester (though not my alma mater of Mayo) and that must be the Lourdes I knew! Fun!
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