Plastic

Needle positions of various flat-bed knitting machines

Retaining bar vs knitting machine model chart

Brother Simple Seven, also known as KX350, knitting machine

Singer HK100, fully serviced and tested in December 2022

Personal knitting machines museum (those I personally tested_.

MACHINES:

RIBBERS:

KX350 cleaned and tested in November 2022

Flat Bed Brother KX350 knitting machine, cleaned and tested in October 2022

List of pros and cons of various machines I personally tested

Review of Scrubby yarn and how it knits on circular knitting machines Addi

Testing Lion Brand 24/7 cotton yarn on Addi circular knitting machine

Brother Knitting machines

Silver Reed Knitting machines

Standard (4.5 mm gauge/distance between needles):

Mid-gauge:

Bulky:

A – non-working position

B – standard working position

C, DI, DII – patterning positions

E – holding position

Basic (manual) knitting machines
Machine Model number	Needle Positions

4-Pushbutton machines
KH511
KH521	A	B	C	DI	DII	E
KH531	A	B	C	DI	DII	E
(Profile) KH551	A	B	C	DI	DII	E
8-Pushbutton machines
KH552	A	B	C	DI	DII	E
KH561	A	B	C	D		E
KH571	A	B	C	D		E
KH581
(Profile) KH583	A	B	C	D		E
KH585	A	B	C	D		E
Profile 585	A	B	C	DI	DII	E
KH587	A	B	C	DI	DII	E
KH588	A	B	C	DI	DII	E
KH601
(Genie) KH710	A	B	C	DI	DII	E
12-stitch punchcard machines
KH800, KH801	A	B	C	DI	DII	E
24-stitch punchcard machines
KH830, KH840, KH890	A	B		D		E
Electronic machines
KH900, KH910, KH930, KH940, KH950, KH965, KH970

The table below lists the lengths and widths of various knitting machines I measured myself. Use this table as a reference to ensure you purchase the correct retaining bar for your machine.

Model	Retaining bar
Model	material	sponge?	length, inch/cm	width, inch/mm
Brother KH500	metal	yes	41/104	0.375/10-10.5
Brother KH551	metal	yes	41/104	0.375/10-10.5
Brother KH552	metal	yes	41/104	0.5/11-11.5
Brother KH581	metal	yes	41/104	0.5/11-11.5
Brother KH585	metal	yes	41/104	0.5/11-11.5
Brother KH588	metal	yes	41/104	0.5/11-11.5
Brother (Genie) 710	metal	yes	41/104	0.5/11-11.5
Brother KH800	metal	yes	41/104	0.5/11-11.5
Brother KR810 ribber	plastic	no
Brother KR830 ribber	plastic	no
Brother KR850 ribber	plastic	no

Silver Reed SK120	metal	yes	42/109	5 mm/0.2 inch

BUY HERE and PAY LESS

Simple Seven Knitting machine: $330 + $50 shipping (USA only)

$380.00

KnitKing Simple seven is a plastic flatbed knitting machine. It is also known as Brother KX350.

It is considered mid-gauge but it can actually knit pretty bulky yarns (like RedHeart Super saver).

This model of knitting machine is excellent for beginners as it is easy to maintain, operate, handle, and lift.

I have a lot of experience with Brother KX350 and can tell you it can handle many tough situations other machines often struggle with. I knitted cables (shown in my video specifically for this machine in here).

It packs nicely into an original box with the styrofoam pieces cut out for all the parts so there is no confusion about where each part goes. The box is a bit beat-up but still holds everything nicely.

The machine will come with all major assesories except for:

A can of oil. The oil that came with this machine was old and I discarded it. A good oil can be purchased on Amazon.
A hard copy of the manual will not come but can be found online for free.
A typical setup includes a videotape with instructions. But this machine did not come with a videotape. With a myriad of youtube videos available on this machine, I doubt you will miss that videotape.

Additionally, I will include 3 extra needles in case you need replacement.

A brand new sponge was inserted (the black strip shown under the needles in the under-carriage view of the machine shown below). So you will not need to replace it for several months.

This particular machine was thoroughly cleaned, and every needle was inspected and tested to make sure that they were all straight and no stuck latches. I knitted two headbands shown below and all stitches formed nicely.

I hope this blog convinced you to consider Simple Seven for your craft needs. It is a wonderful machine and is excellent not only for beginners but also for advanced knitters (who sometimes combine two or more beds to knit wider panels). If you got this machine and do not know where to start, patterns specific for Brother KX350 can be found online but any other pattern for the chunky machine will work too.

Read more about the Brother KX350 model’s pros and cons in my previous blogs.

https://thoughtsandknits.com/2022/11/07/kx350-cleaned-and-tested-in-november-2022/

https://thoughtsandknits.com/2022/10/11/flat-bed-brother-kx350-knitting-machine-cleaned-and-tested-in-october-2022/

Singer HK100 plastic flat-bed knitting machine was made in 1983 to supply hobbyists with less expensive and simpler knitting machines. Indeed, it is extremely easy to set up and is almost intuitive to use. It still can produce a lot of nice garments with a variety of yarns. I personally tested some cotton yarns, acrylic (Red Heart – shown in my video), and the worsted wool blend. This machine is excellent for beginners who are just trying to get a feel for what machine knitting is like.

Singer HK100 is considered a mid-gauge/bulky knitting machine. It contains 120 needles and is capable of only manual stitch and needle manipulation to create various patterns, like, tuck, slip, fair isle, cables, lace, etc. However, there are so many youtube tutorials and printed patterns that the possibilities are endless.

The machine has a unique brown/white color combination, which makes this machine very distinguishable.

What I found especially user-friendly is the yarn guide/tension mast. It simply inserts into the carriage while the yarn cone or cake is positioned on the floor. The reason I find it newbie-friendly is that even seasoned machine knitters sometimes struggle with the metal tension masts on more advanced knitting machine models. Additionally, when I knit on my flat beds, I typically don’t lift my head up to see what’s going on with the yarn on the mast and sometimes there are sudden stops if the yarn tangles. In the case of HK100 and the yarn being right in front of you, you will always see what is happening with it and you can easily catch the knots before they choke your carriage. In fact, my video shows that there was a knot in the yarn, I caught as it was about to enter the carriage, untangled it, and then continued knitting without problems. I was very pleased that I fixed the problem on the go.

I also liked very much the intuitiveness of this machine. For example, when I was a newbie on my metal flatbed machines, I always had to look in the manual as to what the position of the levers meant; what I need to do to simply slide the carriage without knitting. On Singer HK100 there are not that many levers and the only function of the levers on the side of the carriage is to NOT KNIT 😊 You will see in my video that after I made a mistake, I simply pressed the lever and slid the carriage out of the way without knitting.

Another interesting observation I made with this model is that it handles knots without too much drama 😊 Here is what I mean by that: during one of my tests, my worsted wool blend tangled a bit and formed a small loose knot. It passed through the carriage so easily that I only saw the knitted-in knot after 10 (or so) rows. On one side, I was pleased because in my other machines, a knot in the yarn means a tighter row, breakage, sudden stop… But in this case, the knot became part of the knitted fabric. In fact, the knitted-in know was visible only on the wrong side but not on the right side.

Below are the specifics on the machine, I cleaned and tested and offering for sale here and in my Etsy store:

When I just took the machine out of the box (which looked like it was the original box), it looked like it was never used. However, it was dusty. I took out all the needles and cleaned and inspected each individually. I removed the sponge bar, cleaned the “canal” for it inside the machine (right under the flatbed), and inserted a new sponge bar. (Video on how to remove a retaining for inspection, or for a needle change bar is here.

The machine comes with all major assesories, a hard copy of the manual, and three brochures on how to knit various things (all in excellent, barely-use, like-new shape).

A couple of minor things missing are:

The plastic gauge ruler (also called a gauge scale). The gauge scale can be easily calculated manually. In fact, I find these rulers confusing.
Tapestry needle, but any needle can be used. In fact, I like using colored plastic needles since they have a larger opening and are not as sharp, and easier to see if dropped. But I am also not worried if I, my kids, or my other family members including dogs step on one.
Ravel cord. Actually, any smooth yarn could be used as a ravel cord (also sometimes called a waste-yarn thread). I keep several long sections of various yarns on the hook next to my machines to use as a ravel cord. Some knitters don’t even use ravel cords at all.

The fact that all these minor assesories are missing, does not affect how the machine works.

One missing part that I had to fix is a row counter tripper. The machine arrived to me without it. I glued a yellow piece of plastic shown below and it stayed throughout my whole testing.

To make sure it does not break again, I packed it with lots of bubble wrap. Other solutions are possible as well (for example, inserting an L-shape piece of plastic into one of the slots on the back of the carriage).

I recorded a video of almost all the tests I ran on this machine. The knitted fabrics were converted into a colorful cowl/neck warmer, and a set of matching scarf, and a slouchy hat.

A favor: please, comment on the blanket in the background. Apparently, I used it without my son’s permission and I am now in trouble. But if he hears from my readers how cute his favorite blanket is (it is his camping blanket), I might be forgiven 😊)

Basic models: Brother KH550

Push-buttons:

4-push buttons: Brother KH551

8-push buttons: Brother KH552, Brother KH581, Brother KH588, Genie 710 (Brother)

Punch-cards:

Studio: Singer 321, Studio 360K, Singer 360K, Singer 210, Singer 700 memomatic

Electronic: KH930, KH930e,

Basic models: KX350 (7 mm gauge)

Basic models: Brother KH210

Punch-cards: Brother 260, Brother 260e

Standard: Studio SRN321

Bulky:

Brother KX350 is a plastic bed, mid-gauge, knitting machine. It was my first ever flat bed knitting amchine and I am so glad that it was because otherwise, now knowing how capricious other machines can be, I would not have become an avid machine knitter.

This particular model was cleaned. The spong bar is new. Needles were checked.

It comes with the original box, although the box is somewhat beat up. The storofoam inside the box is a bit worn but clean and still holds the machine and the assesories well.

The set includes all standard assesories shown below. You can start knitting right away! It is super easy to setup up. The manual is written very well and is easy to follow. If you are a visual learner, a video tape includes additional instructions.

The machine sounds a bit loud. My husband calls it an old type writer. There is not much more to say about this particular machine as it behaved excellently during the full bed tests (knitting stockinette) and that all levers on the carriage move freely.

It is a wonderful machine for a beginner, and I am glad it is going to a loving home.

Read more about Brother KX350 model’s pros and cons in my previous blogs.

Flat Bed Brother KX350 knitting machine, cleaned and tested in October 2022

Let me introduce a freshly cleaned and tested Brother KX350 knitting machine. It is a plastic flat bed knitting machine with 132 needles positioned 7 mm apart. So, it is considered a mid-gauge. But it handles bulky yarns (medium worsted) pretty well. I was able to easily knit Red Heart Super Saver yarn on this machine.

It is extremely straightforward how to assembly and setup p the machine. The manual is written very well.

The machine is very light-weight, which makes it easy to handle.IT comes with all assesories including a video tape (if you are into that kind of things )

About this specific machine:

All worked great. The box shows some tear and wear.

Pros and cons not mentioned earlier:

(+) The sinker plates is NOT detachable, which prevents it from being lost.

(+) Simple and straightforward to use.

(+) Includes heavy-duty combs, which act as cast-on combs and weights at the same time.

(+) Very clear manual with some instructions on knitting garments and other knitting techniques.

(+) Not as loud as metal beds when knits

(+) There is a stopping mechanism to prevent the carriage from accidentally sliding when knitting too vigorously

(+) Numbers for the needles are written right on the bed. I like it a lot since nobody has to worry about misplacing the strip

(+) putting the machine back to the box is so EASY! (especially comparing with the metal beds with heavy lids). All assesories are stored in their designated places inside a sterofoam.

Cons:

(-) plastic bed (which to me does not seem to be a con at all…. I am not worried about rust. I am also not worried about plastic being brittle and discolored if I keep the machine in the box when not in use)

(-) comes in a carboard box, which is not a bid turn off for me anyways…

(-) the machine has only basic patterning capabilities. But since it knits regular yarns (those that you can buy in Michael’s and Joan Fabric) – no patterning is needed since you can get self-striping and variegated yarns that provide a lot of interesting color combination and self-patterning. .

Read more on pros and cons on this machine in my previous article about this machine.

While testing this particular machine, I knitted using medium worsted yarn the cowl/neck warmer below.

The original box has some minor staining. The machine will be shipped in original box covered with brown shipping paper.

Overall, in my opinion, this machine is perfect for a beginning machine knitting. You will get a feel of what it is – machine knitting. You will not kill your back trying to carry this machine. You can still knit a lot of various patterns, however, they will require a lot of hand-manipulations. Which is again great for people who LOVE hand-knitting and just need to have knitting with more even stitches and faster.

Watch this machine in action in my video blog.

Updated: May 2022

Summary of the machines I personally tested/refurbished/cleaned/fixed (more details pros and cons are below):

Singer/Studio

Needle selection mechanism

Max pattern

Tuck?

Slip?

Fair Isle?

Weaving/weaving brushes?

Built-in Knit leader?

Row counter

# of needles

Carriage removal mechanism: if carriage is stuck during knitting…

Toolbox?

Main bed material?

End rails?

Comments

Singer

210

Punch card

24 stitches

yes

200

Unscrew the sinker plate

metal

Standard set include only 10 punch cards. No hard lid. All parts are inside a sterofoam mold/packing

Singer

321 English

yes

Yes/yes

detachable

200

Yes

metal

Built-in metallic

Comes with Spanish and English version (words on the carriage and manual)

Singer

321 Spanish

yes

Yes/yes

detachable

200

yes

metal

Rubber

Singer

326

yes

Yes/yes

yes

200

Yes, free standing

metal

Rubber

Singer

360

Yes

Built in

Release lever

Built-in

metal

Rubber

Studio

360

Punch card

yes

Yes/yes

yes

200

Release lever

Built-in

metal

Rubber

Studio

700

Punch card

yes

200

metal

Brother

		Patterning mechanism	Tuck?	Slip?	Fair Isle?	Weaving/weaving brushes?	Built-in Knit leader?
Brother	KH551	4 push buttons	Yes, manually			No
Brother	KX350	Manual needle selection	Yes, manually			No
Brother	KH930	Electronic	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No (but there might be an option to program it in the machine memory)

List of pros and cons of machine I personal tested

Model		When obtained/restored	What has been done…		Opinion
Miscellaneous machines					Own?
Addi King 46 needles		2019	Knitted sweater, scarves, hats, neck warmers		(+) Excellent circular machine, very reliable, fast to knit (-) can knit limited items – hats might be too small for some, lots of hand-manipulation of finished garments required for more advanced items	Yes
Add 22 needles		2019	Knitted gloves, socks, toys for dogs		yes
Brother
Brother KX350		Fall 2020	Cleaned, changed sponge bar, replaced all needles, knitted two sweaters with cables		(+) Nice, light, reliable, easy to maintain, parts easily available, takes bulkier yarns (-) too much hand manipulation for patterning. Limiting for those who want to do more advanced knitting	SOLD, January 2022
Brother KH551		October 2021	Deeply cleaned, refurbished, cleaned needle selection mechanism, full tested, knitted a sweater and neck warmers/scarves		(+) Excellent for beginners, lighter than other metal bed machines, easy semi-automatic needle selection (+) Very robust almost failure-proof patterning mechanism (-) still requires a lot of manual manipulation (but with the ratchet tool), manual might be confusing for some	SOLD, December 2021
Brother KH551		November 2021	Cleaned, replaced sponge bar, extensively tested, knitted two blankets		SOLD, January 2022
Brother KH930	August 2022	Cleaned, tested electronics, tested pattern transfer from DAK, knitted single motif, fair isle, tuck, slip	(+) easy patterning (+) spare parts are available online, many of them are interchangible with other 700 and up Brother machines (-) electronic might go bad with time but electronic parts are still easy to find to replace	To be posted on Etsy in September 2022
Singer/Studio
Studio/Singer 360K Memomatic		September 2021	Cleaned, fully tested, knitted a sweater for mom (light burgundy) using tuck punch card		(+) very reliable, easy manual, would keep it for sure for myself (+) All manuals and brochures are available online. (+) Easy-to find replacement needles (+) Built-in row counter (+) Built in knit leader (-) not electronic (which might be good – nothing will go bad with time) (-) rubber end rails (but easy to manage without them even if knitting on a full bed)	SOLD, October 2021
Studio 360K memomatic		February 2022	Cleaned, fully tested, replaced sponge bar, check and cleaned all needles		SOLD, April 2022
Studio 360 memomatic		July 2022	Cleaned, fully tested, replaced sponge bar, check and cleaned all needles, replaced ends on the machine side		SOLD, July 2022
Studio 360K memomatic		August 2022	Cleaned, fully tested, replaced sponge bar, check and cleaned all needles. Replaced two large plastic parts of the top console: left where the built in box as and		Currently cleaning/testing

Singer MemoMatic 210		November 2021	Cleaned, changed sponge bar, tested on full bed (made a blanket on all 200 needles).		(+) very reliable, easy manual, would keep it for sure for myself (+) looks less overwhelming than 360K (+) light weight… (+) Easy-to find replacement needles (-) does not have a hard case cover (-) not electronic and has limitation	SOLD, December 2021
Singer/Studio 700		November 2021	Changed the sponge bar, tested Knitted a patterned blanket. Knitted fair isle socks/leg warmers		(+) The patterning drums make it very easy to move the carriage. (+) The manual is very well-written (+) All tools fit nicely into a built-in storage box, the cover of which actually shows how to arrange them. (+) The tools are pretty standard and interchangible with other models. (+) built-in knit-leader (+) putting this machine to storage and opening and closing is very easy (+) built-in row counter (+) All parts fit into a case. The schematics on the case lid shows how to put away the machine and it is very easy to follow (much easier than on Brother). (+) Easy-to-learn patterning. The knobs on the carriage are straightforward – just follow the steps in the manual. (-) drums often get stuck if not oiled regularly. (-) setup does not contain cast-on bars	SOLD, March 2022
Studio 321 Spanish		May 2022	Replaced sponge bar, cleaned needles, covered rust spots on cover, cleaned punch card mechanism from rust Knitted neck warmer, shawl		(+) very reliable, easy manual, would keep it for sure for myself (+) the manuals is available online. (+) Easy-to find replacement needles (+) The tools are pretty standard and interchangible with other models. (+) built-in metallic end rails, not rubber – will not decompose and fall off (-) not electronic (which might be good – nothing will go bad with time)	Posted on Etsy
Singer 321 English		May 2022			(+) very reliable, easy manual (+) the manuals is available online. (+) Easy-to find replacement needles (+) The tools are pretty standard and interchangible with other models. (-) not electronic (which might be good – nothing will go bad with time) (-) rubber end rails like most studio/singer machines	SOLD August 2022
Singer 326		May 2022			(+) very reliable, easy manual, would keep it for sure for myself (+) The manuals is available online (but the scan quality is not that great). (+) Easy-to find replacement needles (+) The tools are pretty standard and interchangible with other models. (-) not electronic (which might be good – nothing will go bad with time)	Posted on Etsy

Soon to refurbish/test/clean
Brother KH260						Yes, started

Brother KR260						yes

Brother KH840						yes
Brother KH930						Currently tested, posted soon
Brother KH910						yes
Brother KH860						yes
Brother KH890						yes

Brother KR810						yes
Brother KR850

Toyota 747						yes
Toyota 901						Yes
Toyota 610						Yes

Singer 666						yes
Studio 327						yes
Singer/Studio 360
Studio by White						Yes
Studio SK740						yes
Singer HK100						yes


SR50						yes



Mitsubishi						yes

Garter carriages (88, 89, 93)						yes

Color changer, Brother						yes

Knit Leader, KL116, KL113, KL111						yes

Scrabby yarn (from IceYarns or from RedHeart) has sort of an eye-lash thread but with the “eyelashes” are created with the twistiess. It is typically used to knit washcloth for dishes and baths

Knitting by hand with this yarn was fun – it creates a unique texture without any effort. I also decided to use my Addi circular machine to see if I can make household items faster. So, I was able to knit loofahs, coffee holders (aka reusable sleeves for paper cups), place holders, table pads and coasters.

Both IceYarns and RedHear offer a very wide variety of colors, including solid, two and three color variegated types. I chose white and black yarn because in my opinion it hides all the crumbs and spills really well

The IceYarn offers scrubby yarn as 100% polyester. One skein holds 3.53 oz (100 g) and contains 103 yards (95 m). Red Heart offers both 100% polyester (100g/3.53 oz and 85 meters/92 yards per skein) and 100% cotton yarn (weight and yardage depend on whether the color is solid or variegated). I only tested the 100% polyester yarn because I had cotton washcloths and I could never get rid of the smell of dirty dishes even after washing the scrubbies over and over again.

The cast-one was straightforward and relatively easy. It did help to keep the tension loos but not too loose because the yarn is silky (very smooth) enough where it can skip stitches (which we don’t want). However, I started using contrasting waste yarn because it is easier to manipulate the stitches afterward (in order to put the washcloths together )

The knitting on the machine became significantly easier after the first two rows. However, some of the stitches did not sink into the slots on their own and I had to help “them” . Even though the yarn will hide all defects because of the variegated colors and because of the twisties on the yarn, I still did not want to create tuck stitches because they sometimes lead to missed stitches. Check out my youtube video on how I dealt with these stubborn stitches.

A square scrubby took 12 rows. In the same video, I demonstrated the techniques I used to finish these square scrubbies. I tested them and they are washable on a regular cycle and even dryable on “knits” cycles. Coffee mug sleeves would probably take 12-30 rows depending on whether you like it single-or double-layered. Placement mats should be done on large Addi. I made mine rectangular and double-layered with 60 rows.

Machine Model number

Needle Positions

I was again trying to discover what yarns my Addi will like. Additionally, I was destashing and helping a friend with a charity project. So, I decided to see if I can make a scarf out of this Lion brand 24/7 Cotton yarn.

Each skein contains 186 yards (170 m) and 3.5 oz (100 g) of yarn. I used grey color – neutral color and can be a scarf for male or female.

Typically, cotton yarns are not very suitable on circular knitting machines because of their rigidity. Additionally, this yarn almost looked like a chain and had to stretch to it. Or maybe the thread could be described as a cord. However, the skein was wound so tightly, I could not even get the other end from inside of the skein. So, I decided to rewind it into a cake (which I strongly recommend for all projects on circular and flat bed machines especially operated with a power adapters or motors).

The yarn surprised me: it behaved flawlessly. I was able to hand-crank and get extremely even stitches. First, I was very cautious because at the very beginning (as always), the first rows knitted somewhat loose and I was worried the machine might even skip/tuck of drop stitches or skip the yarn. But once I had enough length and attached a weight, I was even able to knit the whole length of the scarf with a power adapter to my Addi. See my video that shows actual knitting speed – was pretty fast!!

Looks at this beautiful web of stitches created by both hand and drill-cranking.

One skein proivded 252 rows of the scarf with beatiful even stitches. I was so pleased!! I hope you will enjoy knitting with this yarn – just remember the apply enough tension to knit without problems.