Month: February 2026

Brother KH521 knitting machine for Kate

… still in progress. Last update: February 10, 2026

Brother KH521 knitting machine is a standard-gauge machine with 200 needles and four pushbuttons to activate the needle selection mechanism with an automatic 4-stitch repeat pattern. Read more about the pros and cons of this machine in my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia. The article in the Encyclopedia was put together using a lot of information I got while testing a specific machine described further in the post.

This post is dedicated to Brother KH521, serviced and tested in my shop in January 2026 for a customer.

First of all, this machine is so cute, and even though it looks vintage, it works like a trooper! It is overall in great shape, no rust, and has most of the accessories. The picture below shows accessories for the Brother KH511 machine. The setups between KH511 and KH521 are identical, with the exception of the carriages: they look different but work under the same principle and are interchangeable. So are their corresponding sinker plates.

After the usual maintenance (cleaned, inspected, and oiled the needlebed, needles, and carriage; replaced sponge in the retaining bar), I ran numerous tests on a small number of needles and on a full bed to make sure all the needles form correct stitches, and the machine operates over the whole needlebed correctly. All the tests are documented in this video. Sometimes needles knit stockinet stitch OK, but struggle with tuck. Therefore, I want to make sure ALL needles form correct stitches. The main stitches are: stockinette, slip and tuck. fair isle is knit as slip/part and was not tested.

Plain (stockinet) and slip-stitch were very easy and straightforward to knit, on both swatches and a full needlebed. However, please, still pay attention to the tension on the mast: if after finishing the row, two or more needle butts are pushed forward due to the yarn tension, the tension is very likely too high. Adjust it accordingly. If only one or none, the tension is ok. If the loops are forming on the sides, the tension is too loose. Paying attention to the yarn on tension on the mast is especially (and extremel important) when knitting on a full bed with a tuck-stitch or with more than just a swatch number of needles.

To adjust tension, experiment with how the yarn is fed through the steps shown in the manual. For example, if the tension is too high, skip step D, or pass the yarn on different sides of the small lever in D. At the end of my tests video, I briefly show how I threaded skipping step D becuase the tension was too high and the mast bent too much.

If the tension is still problematic, use the extra tension mast I am providing (see below).

In fact, when I knitted tuck-stitch on the full bed, I could not achieve an even enough tension with the original mast but had no problems when I used the replacement mast. Its adjustable tension cylinders provide more even tension even if the carriage is moved to the far left or far right sides.

The machine came with a full set of all original accessories. Cast on combs are in great shape. In fact, all accessories are in great shape.

The accessories that will not be included are:

  • hard copy of the manual. Use the combination of the manuals: KH531, and KH551 for patterning and setup. For general tips, manuals for other 4- and 8-pushbutton machines are useful too.
  • Cast-on thread is not included. Use any silky, and strong yarn/thread.
  • Although not shown in the diagram above, the original setup contained an oil bottle, but it is too old to use. Use Hoppe’s oil available on Amazon.

The writing on the carriage is in Japanese. Refer to the manual for details. As a quick reference, the two left-hand side buttons are “tuck”, the middle button is “plain” knitting or to reset the buttons and the right-hand side buttons are “part” or “slip”.

The row counter works great. Since it is a bit on the super vintage side, the knobs on the back (to change numbers) move only in one direction. So, to rezero, simply keep rotating the knobs until you reach zero. (In later models, the knobs on the row counters rotate in both directions). I kinda like it because I never remember in which direction to rotate to faster achieve zero… and then if I move in the wrong direction, the second dial switches…. Well, it turns out to be the same number of rotations 🙂

I included a new needle indicator (the strip under the needles showing the needle numbers). I will also include (new-stock) light-weight claw weights as I think they are important to have (put them on the edges of the fabric). The matching ribber Brother KR321 will have claw weights but they are somewhat heavy-duty and might be too heavy for knitting on just a single bed.

I will include an additional tension mast: it is not perfect but it is what I can spare at the moment so you will have the original tension mast and an additional tension setup to avoid problems with tension like I did when knitted tuck. The wax disk on the tension mast below will come with it too. It is not new but still has a lot of life in it.

A couple of words of wisdom.

  • When learning how to work with this machine (all machines are so different and all have their own temperaments), experiment with different speeds and how you shuttle the carriage back and forth. Sometimes is moving too fast, the carriage drops stitches. Moving too slowly might create loose tension and loops on the ends of the knitted fabric

ABOUT IMPERFECTIONS:

  • there are a couple of uneven spots on the needlebed (you see them in the video and in the pictures below, although it is hard to see). I see a lot of those in these vintage machines. It does not interfere with quality knitting.
  • the lid has some spots where the paint came off. However, it is in great conditions otherwise especially considering the age of the machine: no major bumps or scratches.
  • One end cap has some rust spots. I typically cover those with silver Rustoleum, but this time I feel it would damage the authenticity of the machine. The endcaps are smooth and shiny, and a layer of Rustoleum would ruin it. The other end cap is in much better shape.

Brother KR321 ribber tested in my shop on Brother KH521 knitting machine

Brother KR321 ribbing attachment complements vintage manual/basic and four-pushbutton Brother knitting machines. Read more about this model in my Knitting machine Encyclopedia. The post below is dedicated to a specific ribber serviced in my shop in February 2026.

The ribber is in very good shape. However, I still cleaned it, inspected the needles, serviced, oiled and cleaned the carriage. The sponge in the retaining bar was replaced. The metal retaining bar is original.

The ribber is very easy to install/attach. It is easy to maintain distance between the ribber and the machine (which is important).

To test the ribber, carriage functions, and to check if all needles form correct stitches, I knitted on the full bed. All this is documented in this video. All needles formed correct stitches. I knitted on two sets of every-other needle to check that. The machine knits beautiful ribbing. Please be mindful when choosing thicker yarns or textured yarns. I will include a partial cone with yarn that I used in my tests (the dark green yarn),

I spent quite a lot of time familiarizing myself with this ribber and learning about it. I followed the manual for the original cast-on instructions. They are shown in this video. This original method recommends suspending the cast-on comb on the needlebed before the first row is knit. However, the cast-on can be hung after as well (similar to just the usual knitting).

However, I quickly discovered that the original wire hangers do not attach well when too many needles are used for knitting. Thus, I am including the wire-hangers from KR830 with smaller ends to get through the free section between the ribber and the main bed. The small barrel weights (also from KR830) seem to be a better fit than all weights included with the standard setup, so I am including those as well.

I also think, if not absolutely necessary, it is better to knit, leaving 5-6 needles on each side in a non-working position. In this case, it is easier to insert the side weights (on wire-hangers), to distribute weight evenly on the cast-on comb and to better see if the cast-on comb and other weights are not getting caught on something.

The ribber will come with all its “official” accessories, according to the manual. The setup comes with a generous number of replacement needles.

I am including additional accessories: barrel weights, wire-hangers with a round end, and table clamps with a less sharp S-angle. I’ll also include remaining strip for the sponge bar (please, keep it in a dark place away from fumes and light to extend its longevity).

Imperfections:

  • Retaining bar with a fresh sponge strip is a bit hard to insert and remove (see below).
  • couple of the bar-weights that came with the ribber have minor rust spots on them
  • Carriage knobs have tiny cracks. I super-glued the most cracked, and it holds well. It did not affect the knitting and the knobs move up and down well.
  • I am not sure what the original design of the handle is supposed to look like, but this metal feature on the handle protrudes a bit.
  • Well, talking about the handle: it is not critical, but screw it on evenly: a little bit on one side, then a bit on the other, so it goes on evenly.

Several more words of wisdom and things to pay attention to:

  • when assembling and disassembling the sinker plate to remove or accommodate the brush-arm assembly, pay attention to how the brush arm assembly goes in. It has the yarn guide, which is important for correctly forming the stitches. It might touch the pegs if incorrectly set up or cause problems when knitting tuck.
  • If you need to remove it to replace the needle, stick a pencil (with an eraser on its end) into the retaining-bar channel and gently hammer on it until the other end of the retaining bar shows on another end. Then grab pliers and remove it. I noticed that with time (for those couple of weeks I was testing the ribber), it became easier as the sponge was probably being compressed a bit). I tried to use different kinds of retaining bars: plastic ones like in later models, but they did not hold the needle,s and they were not even staying in the working position (sliding back). And I could not find any other narrow enough spongy material to fit.
  • If you feel that the arm-brush assembly is touching the ribber needles, pull the arm a bit towards you and then fasten the oyster clamps.
  • When knitting a small section on the ribber, using the original setup is ok (I did not encounter any dropped stitches when knitted swatches). However, for wide panels, I strongly suspect you will need the “new” table brackets. Those gave me the most reliable weight across the comb and no dropped stitches.
  • be patient and learn one technique at a time, do not start complex projects until feeling confident with less sophisticated ones. Ribbers, in general, are honestly a pain in the butt: so many (additional) things to keep track of.