Bed type

Brother Profile KH551 serviced in February 2026

Brother Profile knitting machine is a standard-gauge machine with 200 needles, 4.5 mm apart. It has a push-button needle selection mechanism that allows to knit patterns. Read more about the pros and cons of this model in my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia. This post is dedicated to a specific Brother Profile 551 serviced in my shop in February 2026.

The carriage was cleaned and serviced (oiled as well). All levers and buttons move freely.

The machine was cleaned and oiled. The sponge strip in the retaining bar was replaced with a new one. The retaining bar is the original.

All the needles were inspected; first visually while I cleaned them, and then by knitting on all of them. I did discover a couple of faulty needles (one ofthe “finds” is shown in the video), which were replaced. To test all needles, I knitted several different patterns: plain stockinet, slip (or part) stitch with the patterning on every other needle as well as tuck-stitch. See the video. All needles formed correct stitches (but read below more on tuck).

I included a new needle indicator strip.

The machine comes with all major and most minor accessories.

Among the major accessories, the tension mast, the ratchet lever (it the video I used a different one but later replaced it with the original one), and the table brackets are original. The missing minor accessories are 1) one of the sinker plate yarn hangers (I am including the second one and if needed, one of a similar shape can be made from a paper clip. These are only needed for fair isel and/or weaving (refer to the manual)); 2) tool box, 3) case for the minor accessories and 4) the unravel cord (any silky strong thread will work as well). I forgot if I included a tapestry needle (sorry 🙁 ) but any needle of your choice with a wide eye works. I even included a small tube of good lookingmoriginal knitting machine oil. But for future lubing, order Hope’s gun oil on Amazon.

A hard copy of the manual, unfortunately, will not be included. I don’t even have my own copy. But it is available online for free.

The transfer tool set is not original (the original one has metal needle pushers/combs), but it is brand new. It includes the transfer tools, latch hook, and the 1×1 needle selection comb. The two other combs are not original either, but in great shape, and the selection-“teeth” correspond to those mentioned in the manual.

The replacement needles are not in the picture, but they are indeed included (I placed them inside the kit).

Things to pay attention to:

When removing the retaining bar to inspect the sponge strip or to replace the needles, the tape on its ends might come off. Securing the sponge strip ends with some sort of tape is a typical way of replacing these sponge strips. Just apply a fresh section of medical tape. Make sure not to wrap too much around: not even once, but just enough to attach the sponge and leave the top surface of the retaining bar exposed.
Check the position of the row counter once in a while. Because I had to loosen up the sliding bracket, it might become loose if the machine is not fastened strongly enough by the table clamps and vibrates a bit.
If the carriage starts making strange noises, check the sinker plate positioning (described in the video).
The manual online has a poor resolution. There are a couple of pdfs for the manuals for other pushbutton machines on that website. The position of the levers is the same. So, when uncertain: refer to those or message me.
If the cast-on comb teeth are slightly bent, apply gentle pressure (just with your hand) to bent them back. No extreme bent please so they dont snap.
Since there is no toolbox, I placed the tools inside the bubble wrap and placed it on the needlebed. They might fall out when you open the lid. I fastened the bubble wrap with purple masking tape. So if you see this tape, it is not to secure the lid and the case but to prevent the bubble wrap from sliding inside.

Imperfections:

it turned out that the cast-on ruler set that came with this machine is not the original one (the original ones are metal). They do not quite fit inside the lid’s brackets. But they are in such a great shape and match the color that I felt they should go with this machine. So, it might be quite frustrating to put them back into the lid, but this is the best way they are stored/travelled.

The handle has some minor cracks.

The row counter is not the original one, but it works great. I had to expand the socket a bit to accommodate its wider base so it will only go inthe middle position. The left- and right-hand rail-like placement slots can accommodate the tool holder. One in a while
Needle picker has some age-related discoloration but works fine. Watch a video I put together on how to use it.

There is a small section on the lid where a small connecting plate broke off. It was either glued or soldered on. It is such an awkward place and I just let it be. The lid is a tiny bit loose in that area but nothing too bad.

Other than that, the lid and the case are in great shape. There was some staining on the outside, which I cleaned, but some minor stains are still there (or maybe I am just seeing them after spending so much time trying to remove them 🙂 )

General advice on knitting, which is applicable to any machine:

pull the yarn up a bit when knitting on a large number of needles and turning the carriage to knit in the opposite direction; it will help to avoid looping on the edges and dropped stitches due to the tension change.
also, to avoid looping and dropped stitches on the sides, especially when a lot of needles are active, apply claw weights. I just realized that they are not in a typical setup but I’ll throw a couple into the package. Please, look for them.
Tuck-stitch might be a steep learning curve (see above) but with patience, you can do it!! General advice, especially when just learning your machine: when knitting tuck stitch, move the carriage slowly, watch for any signs of incorrect tension, watch for stitches that did not slide correctly, apply weight for tension on the fabric, and pull the yarn up when turning the carriage. All this might not be needed for some yarns but for some, it is a must, especially at the beginning of familiarizing yourself with your machine and its likes and dislikes. In the video, I made a mistake during yarn switching and some of the needles dropped stitches. This is why the tuck with pink yarn was not on all needles. But notice that I am not adjusting the stitches as I did with the grey yarn. Tuck overall is finicky: certain tension is needed, low static, oiled needles… just to name a few “issues”. The video shows some tricks.

Happy knitting!

Solving mispatterning problems with Brother punchcard machines.

….in progress. Last updated: March 2026

KnitKing, Defendi and, most famous, Brother machines accepting 24-stitch cards, bulky and standard, for automatic needle selection, and, thus, patterning, can be quite finicky, especially if you inherited the machine that has not been recently serviced. There is myriad of reasons; some are simple, some are more complex. Below is my attempt to identify and summarize them.

The bullets below are NOT listed in their troubleshooting order.

old sponge in the retaining bar: replace
old grease in the carriage which causes some of the levers be stuck. See my demo how to check for stuck flippers.
Problems with sinker plate: it might manifest itself by expected needle selection when ONLY the carriage is used but when the sinker plate is attached, the needles are selected incorrectly. More on this here.
The timing belt was reattached incorrectly. A small demo of correct attachment is here.
The timing belt and the rotating shaft are misaligned (shown here).
Relative position of the patterning pins and square brackets is incorrect. See examples of correct and incorrect positions here. Watch how fix an incorrect installation.

Solving problems with mis-patterning Brother punchcard machines: problems with sinker plate alignment

… in progress. Last updated: March 2026

The advice below applies to Defendi, KnitKing, and Brother knitting machines accepting 24-stitch cards, bulky and standard-gauge.

I came across this problem right after I spent hours cleaning the insights of the machine, aligning the timing belt, all pins and plates, and removing old grease. I was very confident that the insides and alignment of the machine was in excellent shape. In fact, when I was passing the carriage back and forth, fast and slowly, while card #1 was inserted, every other needle was selected in each pass like a clock.

However, when I attached the sinker plate, some of the needles started being selected incorrectly (watch a video of what I mean). I was very puzzled because this was the first time I ever experienced something like this.

One of the most probable causes is a sinker plate alignment (on the carriage itself). So watch closely how the sinker plate goes onto the carriage. If both sides slide in easily without any (even minor) drop-in. The misalignment can be due to a bent versus just damaged sinker plate. I noticed that if I loosen up the sinker plate, it does NOT mispattern. So, after lots of staring and measuring, I noticed that the carriage plate underneath the thumb nuts was a bit bent on one side. I straightened it and the sinker plate was attaching more evenly and mispatterning disappeaed.

On another occasion, I noticed that the left and right sections of the sinker plate assembly were not symmetrical. One was slightly above the other. There was a small bend in one. I straightened it and adjusted the screws to make both parts symmetrical relative to each other.

I will be collecting pictures of sinker plate misalignments (but it would still be hard to cover all angles). So in the meantime, just stare at your sinker plate and watch for any asymmetries, weird angles, loose sections, etc. It helps if you have another (good/non-faulty one) sinker plate for comparison.

Good luck, and let me know how it went!

Brother KH521 knitting machine for Kate

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 the 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.

Brother KH840 prepared for Rose in December/January

Brother KH840 knitting machine has 200 needles, 4.5 mm apart. Read about the pros and cons of this model in my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia. This article is dedicated to a specific Brother KH840 machine serviced and fully tested in my shop in January 2026.

The machine was opened, cleaned, oiled and inspected for rust. It had some minor rust spots (mostly on the case) but they were all treated. All needles were removed, cleaned, inspected, and replaced (with new ones from new stock) if they were faulty.

The sponge strip in the retaining bar was replaced. I placed medical tape on the end to prevent the sponge strip from buckling. I recommended getting some medical tape because if you remove the retaining bar (for example, to replace needles), the tape might come off because the retaining bar with a new sponge strip sits pretty right in its channel.

The carriage was thoroughly inspected and deep-cleaned as well. All buttons push with ease. All levers and flippers move freely, too.

After the machine was deep-cleaned, I tested it on a full bed by knitting tuck, slip/part, and two-color fair isle. I used two different yarns. All tests went well (watch a video of these tests) and demonstrated that the machine patterns without any flaws and that all needles form correct stitches. In fact, during the testsm I discovered that one needle (despite a thorough inspection) did not form correct stitches and I replaced it. After that, no more faults in the fabric.

The setup will include all major and almost all minor accessories, some of which are new: tension mast, carriage lock, claw weights, table clamps, row counter, button for the punchcard mechanism and needle selection tool set. The accessories are stored in the built-in toolbox.

The missing accessories are the oil (but Hope’s gun oil on Amazon). Hard copy of the manual will NOT be included but a manual in English as well as in other languages is available online for free.

Additionally, the original end caps for the case were cracked so I replaced them with the new ones. Thus, you will see some color mismatch. All plastic rivets are also new.

I will include a new set of 15 punchcards for tuck, slip, and fair isle, 10 additional cards for lace (typically only 5 are included in the standard card set), and additionally 5 custom cards. I will also include a small sample of yarn that will work really well for this machine, so you can learning how to use it with problem-free yarn.

Pros:

The machine was deeply cleaned and inspected
The punchcard reader was deep-cleaned and tested; no mispatterning
A lot of accessories included are new
I typically do not test lace carriages, but I did in this case because the lace carriage included is not from the original machine but from Brother KH910. In fact, I tested two carriages for this customer and picked the KH910 lace carriage. Here is a video of this particular KH940 on your machine that I tested specially for you. You are welcome! 🙂
including additional punchcards: 5 extra cards for lace and 5 extra custom-punched cards from my stash

Cons:

The insides of the case had some minor rust, which I treated and covered with silver rustoleum. The bed itself did not have any rust.
The lid has some minor scratches and scuffs
Some color mismatch due to newly installed plastic rivets and end caps
The sinker plate has some minor roughness, but it does not affect its working.
The tool holder on the front panel has some staining inside it.
The lid had some rust, and I covered it with special protective paint.
The model name tag is a bit discolored

The pictures of these imperfections are below. Happy Knitting!

Making button holes when knitting using Brother garter carriage.

It is very easy to make horizontal button holes for small buttons when knitting projects using garter carriages. This blog is a text version of the video posted on the same subject.

First, decide the position of the button holes. Pick two stitches (in my demo, I decided to pick two sets of two stitches where I knew the machine needles, not the carriage’s, would knit). Move the left stitch out of these two to the stitch to the left of it and the right stitch to the right of it. Push the freed needles back to B position.

Knit one row with your usual pattern. The needles that were empty, now have yarn hooked on them (no stitch formed). Using a double eyelet tool, take the yarn off one hook, twist it, and then put back into a needle. You just formed a loop. Do it for the remainin needles in the button hole.

Continue to knit as usual.

Brother KH840 knitting machine for Ray, December 2025

Brother KH840 knitting machine is a standard-gauge machine with 200 needles, 4.5 mm apart, and punchcard reading capabilities for patterning. Read more about the pros and cons of this model in my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia. This post is dedicated to a specific Brother KH840 serviced and tested in my shop in November/December 2025.

Per my usual routine, I deep-cleaned the punchcard reader, the timing belt cams, and the carriage. I removed all needles, cleaned them, and inspected. First visually and then while knitting on the full bed to ensure all needles (even after they passed the visual inspection) form the correct stitches. See the video of these tests. I knitted tuck, slip/part, and two-color fair isle. All tests went great with no mispatterning.

In the video, I forgot to attach the row counter during my tests. But a new row counter (new stock) will be included with the setup. The lace carriage was not tested but all buttons and levers move freely. It is a simple carriage and does not need extensive testing.

I treated minor rust spots on the inside of the case cover with a protective coating and Rustoleum. The needlebed itself did not have any rust spots.

The machine will come with all major accessories and with only some minor accessories missing.

The lid has new plastic end caps. The old ones were cracked. Thus, you might see some color difference between the case end caps and the lid end caps. I also attached the lid end caps with brand new snap clips instead of old, yellowed ones.

Table clamps, row counter and claw weights are new (new stock).

The missing accessories are:

Tapestry needle (any needle of your choice will work)
Lubricating oil (use Hoppe’s oil available on Amazon)
A hard copy of the manual will not be included, but it is available online for free.
The cast-on combs are not original to the KH840 setup but I am including a two-part Brother cast comb with a clip for extension.

All 25 punchcards are included but they are not the original Brother KH840 cards but they are for the Brother punchcard machine. The lace card #25 was damaged, so I replaced it with a card from another set. Some cards match those in the manual, and some don’t.

Imperfections:

The case has some very minor scratches (not shown)
some mismatched discoloration because of the age-related yellowing and some parts being new(er).

handle for the main carriage has some very minor scratches

After this thorough cleaning, the machine behaved really well despite some minor imperfections.

Brother KH860 machine and Brother KR830 ribber (with KR850 carriage) serviced and tested in November 2025 in my shop

Brother KH860 knitting machine combined with Brother KR830/850 ribbing attachment is a powerful standard-gauge knitting setup capable of producing garments, blankets, and other knitted items. Read more about pros and cons of KH860, KR83,0 and KR850 in my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia. The post below is dedicated to the particular setup serviced and tested in my shop in November 2025.

A typical first step for any needlebed is to remove, clean and inspect all needles. Bent needles or those with bad latches are replaced with new stock. Then I clean the needlebeds and carriages from old gunk and grease. I opened both carriages and cleaned under the lids as well. All the needles were then tested while knitting various fabrics: tuck, slip, fair isle and ribbing (see the videos of the ribber and the machine).

Knitting machine:

I replaced the end caps for the lid and the main bed as they were cracked. You might see slightly different colors between left- and right-hand side plastic caps.

The machine was tested on all needles. I knitted tuck-, slip- (same as part) and two-color fair isle. I discovered several faulty needles during these tests and replaced all of them.

Punchcare reader was cleaned from old grease, insides were cleaned from lint and old gunk. Its functionality and needle selection were tested using card #1, where every other needle is selected on every other row (easy to see if there are any problems).

The machine came without many accessories, but I collected a nice, almost all-new stock of accessories.

The missing items are: oil (use Hope’s oil, available on Amazon); a tapestry needle (any needle of your choice will work); and wax.

Brand new (new stock) Brother row counter. Because it is new, its color is lighter than the plastic panels of the needle bed (they show yellowish discoloration due to the sunlight, which is typically seen with these machines).

The cast-on combs are in good shape, too.

New tension mast (new stock). A tension mast that came with this machine did not include a slot for the wax and a slot for the garter carriage sensor. The only “original” accessory is probably the carriage lock.

This KH860 does not include built-in garter carriage rails (in the past, I worked with some KH860 that indeed include those).

Imperfections:

Overall, the machine is in great shape. The case and the case lid are in good shape. The lid has one medium-sized ben,t but overall is almost free from scratches and scuffs.

2. Carriage has some minor rust spots on the plate where the sinker plate attaches, which I treated but not painted with Rustoleum (it sometimes creates too thick of a layer and might prevent smooth gliding). No rust inside the carriage or on the undercarriage side.

3. The lace carriage has a superficial crack and some minor scuffs on the handle.

4. The retaining bar with a newly replaced sponge strip goes in with a bit of effort. This configuration is the only one out of several I tested (I had to reglue several different sponges) that provides 100% accurate patterning on the whole bed. If the tape on the ends wears out (which happens if you remove the retaining bar often to replace needles, etc.), just tape with very thin medical tape with just one (non-overlapping) layer. Medical tape is the best because if it comes off, it is not as gluey as other tapes (like electrical tape).

Despite all the imperfections and a couple of missing minor accessories, the machine works great (see the video). The carriage slides on all needles (without yarn) very easily, with just one hand, with different carriage settings. Even with the yarn, it glides easily.

RIBBER:

The ribber bed is KR830 model but the carrigae is for the KR850 (the lili buttons are a give-away).

The carriage was deep-cleaned and inspected. All buttons, levers, and pressers work and move smoothly (see the video).

The ribber brackets were cleaned of old grease to ensure smooth movement (but you don’t want it too smooth to prevent the ribber from unplanned sliding down).

The machine comes with all accessories (including a hard copy of KR850 manual; KR830 can be found online). When attaching the needlebed, refer to the KR830 manual. When operating the carriage, refer to the KR850 manual. I do not have a plating feeder at the moment; that is an accessory to the KR850 carriage. Nor do I have the pressers (when I knitted, I did not use them at all). My understanding is that these are not all that critical. Most knitters do not get that advanced in choosing plating.

The ribber was tested using two different combinations of every other needle (it is easier to knit on every other needle than on all needles: problems associated with yarn and tension selection are less pronounced) to ensure that all needles form the correct stitches. I used two separate yarns but they are only different by color.

BTW, I am including the yarn I used while testing the ribber (the bluish one) for you to practice with a knwon-to-work thread

I am also including a manual for the KR850 for the carriage functions. I do not have a spare manual for the KR830 but it is available online for free. The only difference between KR830 and KR850 beds is the brackets: how they are inserted and attached to he main bed. All other settings and functions are the same. As a result, some of the accessories that typically come with the KR850 ribber bed will not be included with this KR830 bed.

Imperfections of the ribber:

The cast-on combs are not as smooth as I wished, but the yarn does not get pulled. So I left them alone.
The knob for the I-II change lever (at the bottom of the carriage) is in a bit rough shape. But it sits pretty tightly, so I left it along.
When attaching the connecting arm to the main carriage, sometimes the plastic from the oister screw-on knobs comes off as small shavings (the metal screws rub against the thread on the oister knobs). It is pretty typical for these old machines.

These imperfections are mostly cosmetical. They still did not interfere with me knitting several pieces of fabric that I converted into the items below.

Hat:

Ear warmer/head band:

KnitKing RK900 ribber serviced and tested in October 2025

Knitking RK900 ribber fits most Brother and Knitking knitting machines with punchcard and electronic capabilities. It is identical to the Brother KR850, KR890 and KR900 ribbers. Thus, read the corresponding articles about their pros and cons in my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia. The rest of the blog post below is dedicated to a specific ribber, serviced and tested in my shop in November 2025.

Before I even started testing the ribber, I removed all needles, cleaned them and inspected each individually for any bents, flaws, sticky latches, etc.

I then tested the machine using three different yarns. One yarn is a sport-yarn thickness with wool content (50%), and two others ones are thinner 100% acrylic yarns. The machine handle all of those wonderfully. The tests were done on small number of ever-other-needles, on two configurations of every-pther-needles, but on the full bed and on all needles on a select number of needles. The machine behaved really well during the tests: watch a video I recorded to confirm that.

On one of the knitted panels, I saw an area with an ok-formed stitch but not super even. I was not sure what it was (probably because I mistakenly moved forward several needles on the main bed to B position, not every other one). I tested that middle section on ALL (not on every-other-one) needles. Because all the needles were selected, the carriage moved a bit harder. But all stitches formed beautifully. So: false alarm.

All carriage buttons and level move freely. The little round knob on the carriage bottom lever is missing but will be replaced soon.

The machine will come with all accessories. A lot of these accessories look brand new (from my personal stash), especially the cast-on combs and the barrel weights. Several are indeed new from new stock (double eyelet transfer needle, needle selection comb, ratchet tool, claw hanging weights).

A hard copy of the manual is included as well (it is marked as Brother KR900, which is the same model).

CONS and IMPERFECTIONS:

Carriage cover has some minor scratches and spots (none affect the functioning)
The only, very minor “accessory” missing is a spare needle case
Attaching the connecting arm might need paying attention (see below)
Cam lever knob is missing (but is replaced soon)

The way I figured out the best way for this setup to attach the connecting arm is this: insert the connecting arm into the main carriage, slightly fasten the oister knobs, move the carraige+connecting arm to connect to the ribber carriage; after it snaps into the ribber carriage, finish fastening the oister knobs, but do not overtighten it. I found out that this is the best way to securely and reliably tighten the connecting arm to the main carriage and to the ribber carriage. When I tried the usual method (completely insert the connecting arm, tighten and then attach to the ribber carriage positioned to the left of the carriage, they did not feel all reliable and did not nest as snugly. My TLC-method is also shown in the video.

The panel knitted while testing this ribber were converted to a hat (the brown ribbing in on the “right” side and the greyish ribbing is on the inside), which will go to charity during our local Thanksgiving and Christmas hat and scarf drive.

Happy Knitting on this wonderful ribbing setup!