These unique knitting machines, Brother KH800 and KH801, make it super easy to make punch cards and knit various patterns.
However, as I started to explore the steps on how to knit these various patterns, I discovered that the manual does not really present all the steps clearly, especially for the two-color fair isle knitting. So, a combination of researching manuals of similarly (with a ratchet) working push-button machines and my own trial & error, will be presented to you below as an attempt to ease up your learning of how to operate these wonderful machines. I also made a video of how I knitted a fair isle on my own Brother KH800 machine.
Before you even start, take a look at your main carriage. Find the N/T/MC knob in the top-right corner (we’ll need the MC settings). Please find the button on the carriage (we’ll need to push both PART buttons in). The slide lever on the carriage is on the settings “3”.
The change lever on the right-hand side of the needle bed in the top corner should be moved to MC.
These are the components we need to pay attention to to change to knit fair isle on Brother KH800 and KH801 knitting machines.
Preparation: knit several rows of stockinet in the main color. The second yarn is threaded into the left-hand side wire of the tension mast.
Step 1. The carriage is on the left side. On the carriage, set the change knob to MC and establish the desired tension (a two-color fair isle is recommended to knit at higher tension numbers). MC change lever is also at the MC setting. Holding cam lever (HCL) is at the setting “3”. Insert a desired punchcard and pull the step indicator up (“unlock” position) so it advances every time we knit one row.
Step 2. Move the carriage to the right. All needles will shift to DI position. Push both PART buttons on the carriage. Double-check your tension. Guide/insert the second yarn into the slot on the left side of the sinker plate.
The manual for the KH800/KH801 knitting machines does a very poor job of showing how to insert/guide the second yarn into the slide slot of the sinker plate. I found an excellent demonstration in the manual for the KH710 knitting machine, which has very similar steps to the knitting fair isle. Also, watch my video on how I did it.
Step 3. Move the ratchet tool to move the needles according to the punch card. Notice they will split into the DI and DII positions. The needles that will knit with the second yarn remained in the DI position. The needles that will knit with the main yarn will move to the DII position. Move the carriage to the left while holding the second yarn gently (watch the video).
Step 4. Before moving the carriage back to the right, activate the needle selection for the second row: move the ratchet tool. As you move the carriage to the right, place the contrasting yarn onto the right-hand side guide of the sinker plate. Also, make sure that the row indicator moves after you pass the V-shaped trigger. If the row indicator does not move, pull it upwards.
Continue these steps.
The same approach can be used on fair isle patterning on pushbutton machines, like Brother KH585, KH588, KH581, KH552, KH601, etc. The carriages for the pushbutton machines and for the 12-stitch punchcard models KH800 and KH801 are the same (except for the slide lever – the 8-pushbutton machines have side levers for the same purpose). Thus, after the needle selection, all consequent actions are very similar for all these machines.
This blog is about a specific Brother KH800 knitting machine, which I cleaned, serviced, and tested in March 2024.
To learn about the Brother KH800 model, with all its pros and cons, read my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia.
All needles were removed, cleaned, serviced, and inspected. The sponge in the retaining bar was replaced. The case and the lid were wiped thoroughly but I did not subject the case and the lid to excessive rubbing to remove all staining. So some stains remain. The same applies to the plastic panel: I was able to remove most of the dirt and grime but some minor staining might still be visible.
I installed new weaving brushes (it is typically a pain in the butt to do it – so take good care of them). The old ones completely fell apart. They are not black as the original ones but white with strong bristles.
The machine will come with all major accessories (which fit inside the knitting machine case lid):
extension rails (to accommodate the lace carriage if you are using one or to accommodate the main carriage when you are knitting on the full bed)
tension mast
lace carriage
big and small cast on combs
Most critical minor accessories are included too:
metal 1×1 needle pusher
claw weights (greenish. like the machine)
latch and transfer tools as well as crochet needle
set of 3 spare needles
carriage lock
puncher
table clamps
set lever (also known as ratchet tool)
cleaning hand brush (good for cleaning carriage and removing some lint between the needles)
two carriage handles (one for the main carriage and one for the lace carriage)
row counter (I specifically looked for a greenish row counter to match the machine)
The minor accessories that are NOT included are marked below. These minor accessories do not affect the functioning of the machine. But read below about the punch and pattern cards.
The parafin is only needed for the yarns that are prone to static. The pen is actually for the knit leader and not for the machine. The greaze was old and I tossed it away. Any gun oil will work to service this machine. Any strong thin yarn can serve as a cast-on or waste-yarn thread.
All minor advisories are stored inside the built-in box with the lid.
The handles for both carriage are screw on and are also stored in this storage box. The carriage moves very smoothly on the needlebed.
The machine did not come with the original hard copy of the manual. It can still be found online for free. I can include a printed copy that came with this machine – just let me know but it might add to the weight (1-2 lbs) of the shipping package.
Even though the original pattern and punchcards are missing, it is very easy to make your own cards. I made a video on how to do it and described it in another blog. Follow the links for free pdf-files for the blank and pre-patterned cards. In my video, I printed out and used those cards.
Also, the cards are very easily to make (punch). Simply insert the cut-out of a new card into the punchcard reader and punch the wholes either using the punch provided or using a simple pencil. I describe it in my other blog and show it in my video as well.
The machine can be easily attached to a knit leader using the triangular tripper and the rod above it. Read on the manual of a specific knit leader on how to attach the machine to it.
I knitted several swatches (tuck, slip, stockinet and fair isle) on this machine to ensure the carriage functions properly. I also knitted on the full bed to ensure all needles form proper stitches and that the patterning mechanism works well on the whole needlebed. Watch the video of all tests. The picture below shows the tuck-stitch fabric knitted during these tests.
Check out my blog and a video (…coming soon) on the fair isle patterning on this machine. It was quite interesting.
The panel I knitted during all these tests was converted to this 3-in-1 berett/cowl/hood shown below.
Turned out pretty good!!
Now about imperfections:
The most obvious imperfection is the scratches on the main carriage. They seem to be just cosmetic and did not affect the functioning of the machine.
All other impefections are also cosmetic. Like some minor dents and scratches on the lid and the case (not shown).
Brother KH800 and KH801 knitting machines have unique designs for needle selection: they accept 12-stitch punchcards that are positioned flat on the special panel on the machine (called “card presser”).
Brother KH800 pattern center with the 12-hole card pressure in the middle.
If your machine came with original punchcards, you are super lucky! If you did not get the punchcards, or you want to make more cards for your own custom patterns, it is very easy to do.
Below are step-by-step instructions. You can also watch a video I made with these steps.
You need to cut a piece of paper, 20.5 x 6.5 cm (8 x 2.5 inches). Regular printer paper will work. Or print this file which shows blank cards for KH800. Another option is to print a standard set of cards (from the file downloaded here) and then punch the holes using the steps I will describe below.
Insert the cut-out punch card into the pattern card cassette holder. The manual describes all the steps of inserting the card really well. The only difference from the manual is that you will have to push the paper through the setting pins.
If your machine comes with a special puncher, you are again lucky. You can now use it to punch your pattern through the holes. If your machine did not come with it, you can use a marker with a relatively thick end. Ideally, find a marker that no longer draws (dried up or broken) so it does not draw on the machine.
Continue punching holes according to your desired pattern.
The holes do not have to be fully complete: they just need to be open enough for the patterning rods to go through upon activation.
Watch in the second half of my video how I tested and ensured that the rods indeed went through.
Happy punching and Happy knitting!
Also, read or watch about the patterning mechanism of Brother KH800/801.
Just a quick note on the differences between Brother knitting machines under the model numbers KH965, KH965e, and KH965i. The reason there is a lot of discrepancies and misunderstandings about the additional “i” in the model number is that these machines are very scarce and because the functionality seems to be . They are very desirable and those that are still available on the used market are still in great shape.
First, about “e” :
Even if Brother KH965e indeed exists, it would simply mean an anniversary edition since “e” stands for “eleganza”. This machine would be identical to the functionality of the KH965 knitting machine but the color combination of the carriage, end caps, and control panel might be different (like in the case of KH930/930e and KR850/850e setups). However, I’ve seen only the KH260/KH260e, KR850/850e and KH930/KH930e combinations. Brother KH965 was released to the market significantly later (by about 5 years), so there will be no even for an “anniversary edition”. If you’ve seen the KH965e model and want to prove me wrong, shoot me a message.
Now about “i”:
The differences between the KH965 and KH965i models of electronic brother knitting machines are subtle and might vary depending on which market the machine was made for.
Some think that “i” in KH965i stands for “intarsia”. However, both KH965 and KH965i have built-in intarsia knitting capabilities according to the instructions (as well as their a bit older analogs, KH930 and KH940).
I researched pictures of a lot of pictures of various KH965(i) machines and all of them have the intarsia option. … which kind of makes sense because KH965(i) is an updated version of KH930/KH940, which also had this option.
Some think that “i” might stand for is “interactive” or “interface” and the difference is that KH965i has a compartment to insert the PPD disk, however, KH965 has the same disk port (and the manuals for these machines both mention the compartment and disk port). So, basically, KH965i can accept files from external sources without any modifications to the machine.
Knitters who prefer a more advanced way or pattern transfer use a special cable instead of the PPD disk. This cable is inserted into the slot for the disk for file transfer through special software.
The KH965i model has also the capability of inserting the cable into the machine itself (originally assumed to be for the FB 100 disk drive and file transfer). And this is one of the main differences between KH965 and KH965i.
Another critical difference is the settings on the selection dial on the carriage. Brother KH965 does not have a KCII setting…
…unlike Brother KH965i.
However, KH965 released to the Japanese markets (Topical-5) noticeably has also 4 positions on the selection dial, which probably implies KCI and KCII settings (Sorry – I would be more sure but I don’t read Japanese).
Thus, it seems that even if your KH965 does not have “i” next to its name, it might still have functionalities of the KH965i machine.
Thus, to identify whether you have a KH965 or KH965i, look for:
KCII option on the selection cam on the carriage (or four different options on that dial)
A port on the back panel of the machine.
All other functionalities of the KH965 and KH965i are the same (namely, memory, functions of the buttons on the panel, etc).
I really hope you are a lucky knitter who has Brother KH965(i) in their collection!
Brother KH551 is a standard gauge knitting machine with 4-pushbutton-based patterning mechanism. This blog is dedicated to one specific machine I serviced. If you want to know more about the Brother KH551 knitting machine model, refer to my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia article.
The machine (including carriage and all needles) was cleaned and serviced. All levers and the buttons on the carriage were checked and they moved and worked without problems. These levers were also tested while knitting. All needles were also checked while knitting on a full bed. No faulty needles were detected.
The 15 needles on each side (30 total) came from my refurbished stack. Thus, when I was knitting on the full bed, I was inspecting the edges especially closely to make sure all these refurbished needles worked well. Also, because of such a high number of refurbished needles, I am including the set of 5 spare needles (instead of usual 3).
The machine comes with all major assesories.
Several missing minor assesories are:
A hard copy of the manual is not included but can be found online.
Sinker plate yarn hangers, left and right. It can honestly be replaced with a regular paper clip (just unbent them to a desired shape). The manual describes their usage on p. 18. manual
The tool storage box is not included
Oil is not included also but I recommend Hoppe’s Elite Gun Oil.
Additionally, the small cast-on comb is not all metal – I pulled it out from my own stash.
On the full bed, I knitted stockinet, tuck, slip and hold patterns (see the video of tests – all went well). Butterfly stitch is my favorite on this machine.
Now about flaws and imperfections:
I had to replace the push-buttons but I did not have a part for the button marked #1. So, I replaced it with the button marked as #4 but it is of different shade of white. If you want, you can put a sticker on it with “#1” (I prefer not to put stickers on machines since it damages and stains the vintage plastic).
Despite being vintage, this machine will still serve your craft needs for many years especially if regularly serviced.
If you just purchased or snatched a ribbing attachment to your knitting machine, I can imagine how happy you are!
If your ribber came to you fully serviced and tested, you still need to learn yourself how to use it and attach to you machine. So, follow the steps below. However, if your ribber came to you AS IS, follow the steps outlined in my other article on how to clean and service it before you start the knitting tests.
The first most important step is attaching your ribber to the main knitting machine bed. Your ribber manual is the best source for this. If you are a visual learner, there are plenty of youtube video on how to do it for your particular ribber.
Before you even attach the ribber carriage, main carriage and the connecting arm together, you ABSOLUTELY have to make sure the distance between the main and ribber bed is the optimum. Too wide or too narrow distance between the beds will cause all kinds of problems: yarn is not latching onto the needles, resulting in dropped stitches, grinding noise, difficulties to move the carriage, bent latches, etc. for Brother knitting machines, the best manual that explains how to do it is for the Brother KR810 ribber (available online, just Google it). There are also a lot of YouTube resources on how to establish the optimum distance.
Check all magnets on connecting arm and carriages to make sure nothing got stuck to them.
Once you are satisfied with the distance, make sure the connecting arm is attached to the main carriage properly. (Poorly attached connecting arm will manifest itself in dropped stitches, grinding noise, difficulties in moving in one or both directions, damaged needles or needle latches). Follow manual instructions to the dot. Once you attached the connecting arm to the main carriage, run through the needles (no yarn) to make sure nothing is touching the connecting arm. Start with 20-30 needles and if everything is good, add another portion of 20-30 needles, and so on.
Attach the ribber carriage (unless you have a vintage, earlier model, of ribber, in which case you don’t need to do that) to the connecting arm/main carriage assembly. Again, follow instruction to the dot. Then run again the carriage assembly through just the ribber needles. For this purpose, only bring 20-30 needles to working position and run the carriages through. If everything seems smooth, add another section of 20-30 needles, and so on.
Start knitting on a small swatch. Start with 1×1 rib on every other needle. (When setting up the ribber and knitting the first cast-on rows, it is extremely important to move the needles to the B working position as close as possible. Otherwise the carriage might bend the latches.) Use very thin yarn at first. Preferably the yarn that is no prone to static. (Quick side note on how to check the static of the yarn: bring a small strand of yarn to the crack between the beds and if the yarn sticks to one of the beds, yep, you probably have static. Change the yarn or apply wax). Do not use cotton yarns. Thin smooth acrylic yarn should work. Starting with the very thin and smooth yarn will prevent you from having problems related to JUST yarn: static, tension, friction if yarn has texture. (Please, do not think that knitting swatch is a waste of your yarn or time. There are several learning opportunities. For example, you will also learn how to choose the right tension for the yarn you chose, practice transferring the stitches (by hand or using a transfer carriage), whether there is static with this yarn, etc.) Follow the cast-on and knit instructions to the dot. Knitting just a small swatch will let you 1) check whether all buttons and functions move freely on the ribber carriage and 2) master the cast-on procedure.
Knit on a full bed using the yarn you had success on with the swatch. Start with the 1×1 rib on every other needle. I do not recommend knitting on ALL needles on the ribber – leave 1-3 on each end in non-working position. It will be easier to attach wire-weight-hangers and will also ensure you all stitches are knitted before the carriages returns in the opposite direction. Knitting on the full bed will show you whether all needles function well (If a needle is bend, misaligned, or has a sticky latch, stitches will not form properly. You might also see dropped stitches, tucked-stitches or lots of pull stitches. ) And also discover (if any) additional problems with the setup. (All minor problems not seeing while knitting the swatch might manifest in a full bed in a more pronounced way). The panels knitted on the full bed during your tests can be converted to hats (knit 100-120 rows for one-layered hat with a brim and 200+ rows for a double-layered hat). During your tests on a full bed you’ll also learn how to hang and rehang the wire-hangers with weights to ensure nice edges, how to recognize dropped stitches, how to catch dropped stitches on the very ends of the panel and what to do to prevent them, etc. Knitting on a full bed when you are just starting is a whole new game.
Carriages of Brother knitting machines have several types of springs to ensure smooth needle handling. This article is about a medium size spring, part of the intricate mechanism of Brother knitting machine carriages. These springs can be purchased in my store.
In particular, this short blog article is about a tension spring responsible for smooth the movement of the middle button on the carriage. (At the end of this article, I show other places in the carriage where the same type of spring can be used). This button is typically used to knit fair isle or/and to reset all other buttons.
To expose that spring, one needs to remove the plastic carriage cover (this step NOT covered in this article) and then remove the metal cover.
For that purpose, remove the two screws marked below.
The plate will then hang by the springs marked in the picture below but they do not have to be removed. Just push the metal plate out of the way. If the springs detach, they are easily to put back. Just take a picture of the agreement before removing the cover.
Once the cover is removed, you will see the springs right away. In my case, one of the springs was simply missing and the mechanism was not retracting automatically the way it was supposed to.
So the replacement spring was placed where one was missing. I made a short video showing where the spring was installed.
“How” the spring was installed is NOT shown in that video because it is kind of hard to capture how to attach the spring. But the loops of the spring need to grab the posts marked in the picture below.
The same spring can be used in positions shown below. The springs marked with crosses are either small/bigger in size or a spring without the loops (springs for the buttons) and thus, cannot be used.
Brother KR850 ribber fits numerous standard-gauge Brother knitting machines. Read more about Brother KR850 ribber in my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia. The blog below is dedicated specifically to the ribber serviced in December 2023 for my customer.
Brother KR850 was serviced and tested for Judith in December 2023. My store offers other ribbers for Brother and other knitting machines.
This ribber comes with all assesories including a hard copy of the manual (not shown in the pictures).
The bed, carriage, and assesories were cleaned, inspected and tested. All needles were cleaned and inspected individually, first visually and then by knitting on a full bed 1×1 ribbing (in two different combinations to make sure all needles were tested).
Swatch test was performed first. Swatch tests are useful to ensure that the carriage functions work well. In the case of swatch tests, we do not have to worry about artifacts and problems (such as the correct tension of the yarn, yarn thickness, yarn texture, correct number of barrel weights, side weights, etc.) associated with large number of needles in working positions.
Then the machine was tested on a full bed in two different configurations to ensure that all needles form nice and correct stitches. Carriage is very easy to move on swatch and on a full bed.
When knitting on the ribber, tension, the correct number of weights and the distance between the ribber and the main bed play a very important role. This machine handled really well two different distances between the ribber/machine beds and three different yarns (with different thicknesses and texture, see my video). One of the yarns was a mohair-containing fuzzy yarn. The machine handles it well too although some tests on the correct tension was needed as well as some wax (fuzzy yarns are more prone to static formation than other yarns).
The machine will come in its original packaging: two Styrofoam forms to fit all assesories …
… and pads inside the bottom of the cardboard box to support and protect the machine.
The only obvious flaw was the tape attached to one of the cast-on combs. I did not remove it because actually it is convenient to have that tape to store the fine bar ( the long plastic and very fragile rod-like bar) more easily (often it is overlooked during unpacking and thrown away).
This machine would serve long years especially if regularly oiled, cleaned and stored in controlled environment.
This machine was ordered as a Christmas present from a loving husband to his crafty wife.
It is a very nice vintage setup with blue hues. This post is dedicated to this particular machine. To know more about this model, read in my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia about its pros and cons.
The machine was cleaned from old dust and gunk and tested. The sponge in the retaining bar was replaced and will come inserted into the machine. I completely replaced the weaving brushes on the sinker plate as the old ones completely decomposed.
All needles were removed, cleaned and inspected, first visually and then by knitting on a full bed. The full-bed knitting tests were on stockinet, tuck, slip and holding patterns. The video with all these tests demonstrates that the machine did not have any problems knitting these stitches and none of the needles showed any signs of forming misshapen stitches.
Lace carriage was not tested but all knobs and levers move without problems.
While knitting on a full bed all patterning buttons, knobs and levers were tested in action (with the exception of the N/MC lever but it moves freely) and are fully functional.
The machine comes with all major assesories (lace carriage, rails, row counter, sinker plate) and the majority of the minor assesories.
The row counter is from the new stock – the original row counter was missing from the setup.
The minor assesories missing are:
the assesories kit: it is simply a cover with pockets to keep assesories inside
the lid for the assesories box. The plastic was so weak that it crumbled when the machine arrived to me and I had to discard it.
hard copy of the manual will not be included but it is available online for free. I strongly recommend following the manual step-by-step as it is the best resource to start knowing your knitting machine.
The 3/1 needle selection/transfer tool is missing the one-prong therefor I will include a universal stitch transfer tool as well.
I will include an old wax in its tube that came with the machine. Also, there is half a bottle of still decent looking oil. I will include it as well. If it runs out, I recommend using Hoppe’s Elite Gun Oil, available on Amazon and in local hardware stores.
The manual lists mostly basic patterns but additional patterns are in this brochure.
Despite working flawlessly, the machine had some minor imperfections:
The pattern center panel has two cracks: on the right-hand side and in the middle. additionally the knob on the AB lever is from another machine and thus is not blue in color (the original knob was missing).
The assesories box has a crack on the side and a broken piece on the bottom. The plastics from the 1960s and 1970s were not as weathering resistant as current plastics and thus severely degrade with time especially when exposed to the UV light and moisture.
The case has some minor scuffs on the outer side.
Some of the stains on the lid will remain as they did not come off completely (and I do not subject the old plastics to extensive exposure to harsh solutions).
The lid has some minor rust stains on the inside.
The ratchet tool has a minor crack.
None of these imperfections and some minor missing assesories affected the functioning of the machine, as you can see in my test videos.
