Category: Knitting Machine

Brother KH551 tested and cleaned in September 2022

Preface: If I had to describe this machine with just one word – it would be FLAWLESS!!!

But, first, a little bit of history. Brother KH551 knitting machines were introduced to the market in the 1960s and were the first machine with somewhat semi-automatic patterning capabilities. In this machine, there are 4 buttons, that you push to prepare for the needle selection and then rotate the knob (using the wrench) to select the corresponding needles. It is an excellent machine for beginning knitters. I feel that it would be also great for people who are not quite yet ready to give up hand-knitting but want to have more even stitches and a bit faster progress…. Brother KH551 is also lighter than other machines mostly because its bed is narrower. The carriage is also significantly lighter and I could easily move it with just one hand.

The machine comes with heavy-duty cast-on combs that eliminate the need for any other weights. As you can see from my video, I did not attach any additional weights and had only one small problem with an uneven stitch which is amazing considering no additional weights and a rather difficult (with specs and boucle) yarn.

Not the whole machine is light, but the carriage is also light and small and is ideal for somebody with small hands and not a lot of upper body strength. Its lightweight makes it pretty portable, compared to other machines. The machine is capable of plain old knitting with hand manipulations of the needles. But also is capable of semi-automatic needle selection. The petiteness of the machine also makes it easier to store when not in use. I like the three-thread tension mast and a yarn clip in from of the tension mast rod. I love the three-horned tension section of the mast (not just a triangle) where each color of yarn can be inserted individually. However, the tension on the second and middle tension disk only has two settings (although they might depend on the very right one).

One feature of this model that I have not observed in others: There is some kind of protective lever at the end of the bed because the machine does not slide very easily from the end of the bed. One has to work really hard to “accidentally” pull it off the machine. In the video, you will see me seemingly struggling with the carriage towards the bed’s end (when knitting on a full bed only). But the knitting itself did not struggle: I believe it was just that protective mechanism in action.

The setup includes all major accessories. A couple of minor things are missing:

  • Sinker plate yarn hanger. The machine came with only one. However, when or if or both you decide to knit using the plating technique (see p. 18-19 in the manual), you can just make a similarly shaped hanger out of a heavy-duty paper clip). On other machines, when I knitted multicolor slip- and tuck-patterns, I was just leaving the thread on the side of the machine to keep it out of the way…Regardless of the technique you chose, the absence of this part does not affect the machine’s functioning and you can still do a LOT of various things with it using a variety of techniques.
  • I did not want to include the old container with oil because I did not want to risk putting such old oil onto this machine. I recommend getting a Hoppe’s gun oil (this is what I used to clean the needles and lightly oil the machine) and oil only lightly on the parts mentioned in the manual.

This machine comes with two brochures: a hard copy of the manual (which is in great shape) and a knitter’s guide (which contains techniques, a bunch of how-tos advice, and a couple of examples on garment knitting). I used this brochure when I knitted my sweater last year (using another KH551). The manual is also available online but the scanned copy is not of great quality.

I tested this machine and other KH551 and I was very pleasantly surprised by how well it handles potentially challenging yarns. This machine handled boucle yarn without any problems. In fact, I did not even have to restart the knitting of this shawl. Check out a pretty pathetic attempt of me modeling it below. I later added decorative edging to the shawl. I found a yarn that matched the color of the tiny yarn specs (boucle), made a cord out of it, and then attached it to the edges. I actually like how it turned out. Light yet warm garments are the most favorite types of garments for my constantly-cold petite body.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of other things I liked about KH551: Love the small container for tools. I like that it is so easy to remove and position onto the bed. I also love a special container that stores all the tools when not in use. The table clips are somewhat different than the younger models. It is first screwed onto the case and then onto the table.

I removed all the needles, cleaned them and inspected them all individually. I then knitted on a full bed machine, which helps me to identify faulty needles even more: when there is a propagating error or a flaw in the knitting that appears in the same place, it is definitely due to faulty needles.

A couple of disclaimers about this machine. The case (lid and the bottom part) has several very small dents (hey – it is over 50 years old after all! It is like us having age spots and wrinkles). The table clamp attachments (on the bottom portion of the case) were rusty and I cleaned them and painted those areas with rustoleum to slow down or even prevent further rusting to extend the life of this wonderful machine. It appeared to be the only place, where I observed rust on the main bed. There is some rust on the lid – at the ends where the metal ends touch the cover panel.

I replaced the sponge bar and cleaned the machine, carriage and sinker plate from dust/lint.

The row counter is easy to operate: also shows how many rows remained and how many rows are current. The numbers do not jump uncontrollably as in a couple of other machines I tested when you are trying to re-zero the ones- or tens positions. Basically, the numbers do not slip when you turn the wrong way. This type of row counter is actually my most favorite out of all other machines I tested.

To summarize, below are the lists of pros and cons for the Brother KH551:

Pros:

+ Carriage is very light and slides very easily

+ The bed is narrower than other machines – which makes it more compact

+ …and makes the machine lighter than other similar models

+ relatively easy deep cleaning – all parts are solid and straightforward to insert/assemble/disassemble

+ The needle count is engraved on the bed – so these slippery and constantly in-the-way paper liners showing the needle count won’t annoy you by constantly sliding and getting lost.

+ Threading the yarn is a bit more intuitive and straightforward in my opinion

+ built-in capabilities for 3 different yarns

+ the hard case is a combination of fake leather and plastic, which makes it not only look neater and nicer than other machines but also made durable. The case shows absolutely no discoloration despite the age of this machine.

Cons:

  • The push-button mechanism helps to select the needles but you need to change the needles selected quite often (basically turn the ratchet tool to SET and OFF). It might be tedious and you need to keep track of the correct order. When I tested this machine, I got into this zen-like rhythm that helped no prevent mistakes…
  • Some might find the machine too simple – yes, it has only limited patterning capabilities. However, with manual needle selection and yarn manipulation, the possibilities are endless.
  • I discovered some typos in the manual when I was testing the patterns. I vaguely remember that I’ve seen an addendum to correct the errors but I cannot find it now. Maybe it was for another machine… Just keep it in mind when you try the patterns from the manual and they are not working.

A little bit more about potential typos in the manual. I tried at least a dozen of times to knit the patterns on p. 33: a purl-like stitch on the left and another one on the right. The purl-like was either dropping stitches on the whole swatch or was tangling the yarn so bad that I had to start all over again multiple times…I do not exclude a complete operator failure….But: when I started reviewing the pattern on the right-hand side (the anonymous one on p. 33), I noticed some inconsistencies. I was still able to knit it but the pattern did not look like in the manual: see the picture below (the very top swatch) of what I got and compare it to the manual – two big differences. Well, at least the swatch did not fall off the bed like in the case of the “purl-like” pattern attempt. But that pattern (on the right-hand side in the manual) definitely had typos: Look at the schematics: it shows TUCK but the description writes PART. I vaguely remember seeing an addendum to one of the manuals of the machines I refurbished last year… Maybe the purrlike stitch pattern on the left also had typos/errors and this is why I could not figure it out… But I successfully knitted herringbone (not shown in my video – sorry), seed stitch A, seed stitch B (pics below and on a video), and diamond design (pattern I in the book on p28)….I then knitted these patterns on the whole bed and converted what I got into a hood/neck warmer/cowl…

Not much else to say about this machine left, other than it was an extremely pleasant experience working on it. Indeed, now, after failed attempts to knit a “purl-like” pattern, I want to go back and experiment with all possible knob and lever combinations to see what other UNKNOW YET patterns I will come up with.

360 for Laura, cleaned in August 2022

Studio (also known as Singer, Silver Reed and Elna) machines are great machines to have for beginners or advanced knitters…They offer a lot of versatility. So far, I had a simple (without any automatic patterning with the exception of manual needle selection) and punch-card Studio machines. Studio 360K appeared on the market in 1980-1982. They are equipped with a 24-stitch patterning mechanism transferred to the needles using the punch-card reader.

The hero of this blog, Studio 360K, has 200 needles. The distance between needles (which is also called a gauge) is 4.5 mm, which is considered a “standard”. The best yarn for this machine is sports weight. Thicker yarns can be kitted on every-other needle.

This particular Studio 360K knitting machine came to me in a pretty decent shape so no major disassembling was required. There was no rust. I removed dust/dirt using a brush from under the bed (I did not disassemble it). I removed all needles and polished them as there was a tiny bit of rust on them where a bad (decomposed) sponge bar was touching them (it is pretty typical for old neglected machines). However, all the needles were inspected individually and I tested them by knitting on a full bed using different techniques. The short answer is – everything looked good. For more justification/information on how I judge it – refer to the youtube video made for this machine. The sponge bar was replaced at the beginning of August 2022. It was only used to test this machine (made three cowls on it – see below).

The carriage was somewhat more sensitive to the combination of yarn and tension than the other machines I refurbished. If possible, I would recommend using new sport weight yarn, wound into cakes, and taking the yarn from the middle of the cake while knitting.

The machine came with no end rails. This is a typical problem for most Studio/Singer machines. These end-rails are rubber, which decomposes with time. Some Singer/Studio machines have metallic end rails but this one had separate rubber ones. They typically tend to decompose due to time and fall off. So, initially, these rubber end-rails were still present but while I was using the machine they fell off since they already showed a lot of cracking and deterioration. These end rails are also not very critical pieces and the machine will work fine without them. They are important when knitting on all 200 needles. But even in this case, if you slow down the carriage on the last 10-20 needles and don’t let the carriage slide too far, you will be ok. These end rails are needed to prevent drums from mis-patterning if the carriage is moved too far from the bed.

I typically do not include end-rails with my refurbished machines because most knitters do not use the full bed – only some needles in the middle. However, I felt that because this machine is sensitive to tension, it could be relatively easy for a new knitter to accidentally slide the machine from the bed. So, I installed the new Installed end rails. The carriage without them did not run as smoothly. FYI: if these decompose and fall again, the new ones simply snap on but the lid needs to be removed. Contact me if you need help with that.

BEFORE:                                                  AFTER:

I did not extensively test the knit leaders because I do all my calculations myself. But all buttons turn freely and the paper advances as the carriage moves back and forth. The video shows this as well.

The machine came to me without the original punch cards. I purchased a set so this machine has all accessories. Some of the punch cards correspond to the original set and some are different (more exciting, in my opinion).

The machine also DID not come with a hard copy of the manual but it can be found here (totally free). This and this brochures are also typically included with the package for 360K. they cover some knitting techniques as well as garment shaping. I found them very useful when I knitted my sweater last year.

All the tools are present, including replacement needles. If more are needed, I recommend purchasing the replacement needles here. Only one set of unraveling cord, card snaps, point cam, and yarn separators are included. The yarn separators and point cams are needed to knit 2 single motifs. To be honest, a single motif on punchcard machines requires a lot of skills. So, by the time the user decided to knit two single motifs (where two sets of these are needed), this knitter would be considered advanced and will either know where to get these parts or will switch to an electronic machine (single motif on electronic machines is so easy!!!). The carriage lock (accessory number 2) was not supplied with the original setup. So, I ordered a 3D printed one specifically for this machine. The card guide was also missing (accessory number 18). But I included a large knitting needle that I used while testing this setup.

This carriage runs on the bed a bit tighter than my other 360k. It is also very sensitive to tension. Make sure the yarn flows really REALLY smoothly and that the cake/bobbin/cone is right underneath the tension mast.

The machine has several cosmetic imperfections. They are:

  1. The discoloration on the carriage. It is not affecting its function. Probably a previous owner attached a sticker to it and the plastic around it became darker with time.
  2. Shipped end by the end rail. It also does not affect the functioning of the machine.
  3. A couple of scoff marks on the knit leader card advancing mechanism.

I also replaced the two front top panels (they are slightly lighter than the middle one – see the last picture above). They were severely cracked and needed to be totally replaced.

To learn about the general pros and cons of Studio/Singer 360K, please, refer to my previous post.

When I test machines, I really like to knit something in the process. So, I am making these wide pieces of knitted fabric, which I then convert to cows/hoods/neck warmers. Below are the cowls that I made while testing this machine:

You can see me making these in this video (no instructions though – yet!)

All these are going to charity to support the Happy Hats Maryland project to supply 1000 hats and scarves to those in need in my county.

Happy knitting with this machine!!

Electronic knitting machines and software combinations

This is a list for me as I am learning about various software and knitting machine combos. Feel free to comment if you see errors.

     

Wincrea

Passap E6000

  

image2track

Brother KH-930, KH-930e, KH-940, KH-950i, KH-965i, KH-970

  

Knit and Sew

Brother kh-940, KH-950i, KH-965i, KH-970, KH-930, KH-930M

  
     

DAK (design a knit)

All (to the best of my knowledge)

  
     

AYAB (All yours are beautiful)

Brother electronic machines

  
     
     

My first ever electronic KH930

Say hello to my freshly refurbished and tested Brother KH930 knitting machine. It was made in Japan in 1986 and is a standard machine with 200 needles. Standard means that the gauge is 4.5 mm (the gauge is the distance between needles). The needle bed is metal. This and the electronic components make this machine pretty heavy.

The machine has electronic patterning capabilities to knit slip, tuck, fair isle, and single motifs as well as lace and weaving.

Since this was the first electronic machine I ever used, I would like to elaborate on the pros and cons of it first. I must say that there are barely any cons in my opinion as I am completely in love with this machine.

Pros:

  • Very easy to move the carriage, especially in KC mode (the mode where the carriage latches onto the timing belt, which makes the carriage move even easier).
  • Very smooth knitting overall
  • The manual is very well-written and covers everything that a user would need to start knitting. In fact, after reading numerous knitting machine manuals, I was amazed at how well the manual for KH930 is written. Just make sure you read it without rushing to the next bullet point and pay attention to all details. I did not even refer to any other tutorials (videos on your tube or brochures).
  • I had the best ever experience knitting a single-motif fair isle. Prior to that, my only experience was knitting single motifs on Punch card Singer/Studio/Silver reed machines. In the case of Brother KH930 knitting a single motif was absolutely a no-brainer. Look what I got:
  • I absolutely loved the simplicity of this machine. Although, some beginning machine-knitters might find it confusing…
  • A built-in storage box with a lid: fit all accessories.

  • A convenient holder for tools is located to the very left of the electronic display:
  • This model can be used with a variety of other accessories: knit leader, color changer, garter carriage, etc.
  • Replacement parts (needles, sponge bar, transfer tools, etc.) are very easy to find, for example, on Aliexpress. Another source of electronic components is Knit and Sew world. However, the rumors are that after their transition to a new website, it is hard to find information. One needs to call them and ask specifically. But yes, they have electronic replacement components.
  • The machine has an outlet to connect a cable for data transfer. Some electronic Brother knitting machine models do not have this option. Some consider it a con and some a pro. However, in the case of Brother KH-930, you can have an option to connect the machine to an external disk driver (PPD-100 or FD-100), to a computer equipped with special software (DAK) or to be modified to connect to a free source software (like AYAB or image track).
  • A lace carriage comes with every set. In some machines, the lace carriage is optional but not with the Brother KH930. When not in use, it sits inside the lid. When in use, it is compact on the bed or can be moved to the side of the extension rails.

Cons:

  • Without power, only the stockinet stitch can be knitted. Some patterning can only be achieved with manual stitch manipulation. I assume that to live without electricity these days is nearly impossible but the electric components can be damaged. However, electronic replacement parts are often pop up on Ebay (for example through the dragonfly.knitting.machine.parts store), Etsy and FB marketplace. A German company sells (through Facebook only) an AYAB interface that can be used as a replacement if the original electronics fails.
  • Some might find the manual a bit confusing but once the user follows all steps, the explanations will start making complete sense.
  • IMPORTANT: turn off your machine when not in use. The patterning will remain active in the machine memory (including where you stopped your knitting). However, overheating is one of the main reasons for electronic part failure. for example, when I knitted stockinet – I turned the machine off. even if I stepped for a coffee – I turned the machine off. MY husband (who is an electrical engineer) even recommended installing a mini fan by the machine to ensure the prolonged safe operation of the electronic parts.

On this particular machine (I am going to call it August 22 because I refurbished it in August 2022) I tested stockinet, tuck-stitch, slip (or skip)-stitch on a full bed. Also, fair-isle, single-motif fair-isle. I did not test any weaving and lace capabilities. I did not test the lace carriage. However, the extensive testing on a full bed ensured that all needles are in great shape, that all major levers are in working order, and that the operational functions of the machine worked.

All accessories are included (with the exception of the design sheets which is simply glorified graphed paper). The paper showing needle numbers is faded on the left side… But the users can write numbers with a fine marker.

I also tested its memory capabilities and was able to transfer a large pattern to knit (see the pictures of the baby blanket above). The memory is somewhat limited and could transfer this large pattern in 5 different sections. It is not the most convenient way of doing it but it was relatively straightforward and I was able to do my first transfer without mistakes. Some KH930 have extended memories. I think a memory card from an analogous KH940 is simply inserted into the console. But it was not the case for this machine.

For example, a friend sent me a pattern for a blanket. The file was 200 stitches by 270 rows. Because 930 has limited memory, such a large file DAK can only be uploaded into the 930 in 66-row sections. So, 5 sections total. So, I first knitted 5 rows of stockinet (which is always recommended), then patterned the device and knitted the first section. The machine beeped and flashed 66 when my carriage was on the left. All needles were selected. While the carriage was on the left, I uploaded another pattern. Then I programmed the pattern and then knitted the last row of the previous section (where all the needles were still selected).

I was so impressed with how easy it was to knit single motif on this model, that I want to dedicate it to a special paragraph outside of the Pros/Cons section. Before this machine, I only tried single motifs on punch card machines (where you have to set up magic cams, yarn separators, points cams… oh, man!!). It was a lot of struggle for me to get a hang of knitting single motifs using a punch-card-machine. So, I intuitively suspected that a single motif on electronic should be much more straightforward, and it indeed WAS!!!

While testing this machine, I manually entered two patterns (W and S for a vest for my son’s teddy bear) into the machine’s memory and used them to knit a vest. I successfully loaded a pattern from a disk (through FB100) and I also transferred a pattern through a direct link cable (from DAK) and knitted a book cover for my son with his initials.

Overall, I cannot even express how excited I was to knit with this machine. It offers a lot of various levels of challenge. So, you will never get bored with it. And with the patterning capabilities (including external ones on DAK or other software), the possibilities are truly endless.

My ultimate goal is to learn about knitting machines as much as possible. Out of all machines I tested so far, which is only 12 (which includes Singer/Studio/Silver reed punch card machines, Brother manual and Brother push-button machines), this is by far my favorite. Luckily, I have three more of these machines and one is definitely going to live in my machine knitting garage!!! I hope you will think the same!!

Read more about this model in my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia: https://mightyknittymachines.com/brother-kh930-electronic-knitting-machine/

Studio 360 K memomatic reported in August 2022

This post is in progress as I am editing it while cleaning the machine.

Replaed two main plastic consoles since they were broken. Took these parts from identical (but for parts) Studio 360K. Cleaned very thoroughly inside the mechanism (but I did not disassle it since there was no rust and overall everything looks in good shape and everything moed freey).

This machine was a rare find since the patterning drums did not shut stuck and moved freely. I suspect this machine was not used a lot since even during cleaning I did not see a lot of fold grime.

Replaced sponge bar, inspected all needs, polished and visually chcked. Also checked all needles in action (see my video on a full-bed knitting) to make sure the needles not just looked good but also functioned well.

Singer 321 with English manual and English writing on carriage

Well, this caption is so strangely phrased because the very first Singer 321 came with a Spanish manual and with the knitting terms written on the machine in Spanish.

Checked all needles, replaced sponge bar, and tested how it knits tuck stitch, slip stitch, fair isle and stockinette. I did it on the whole bed to make sure all the needles function properly. The machine is capable of patterning using the old-fashioned punch-card technology.

A little bit of history: Singer/Studio 321 machines were introduced in 1972 and were the second-earliest model capable of patterning with 24-stitch punch cards. It is a standard (4.5 mm) gauge machine with 200 needles. So, this machine is 50 years old!!

It is still beautiful and this particular model has barely any age-related discoloration.

The machine came with all accessories, with a couple of exceptions:

  • Box to pack all the tools is missing. It did not come with this machine. I will pack all the tools in a sturdy bubble-enforced plastic bag. All other accessories are included.
  • The carriage lock is, unfortunately, missing too. The lock secures the carriage on the metal bed during storage and transport. I will secure the carriage with zip ties to make sure it does not slide.

Pros and Cons of this particular machine:

Pros:

  • Typically, these machines have rubber end rails to keep the carriage from sliding from the bed and mis-patterning as a result. These end rails are made from rubber, which degrades with time (years). But not in this machine: you don’t have to worry about them. This machine has metal end-rails, which will stay forever.

Cons:

  • No built-in leader. It is not a deal breaker for me. I calculate and keep track of all my patterns and forms myself.
  • This model does not come with a lace carriage
  • The carriage does not have a release lever: if the carriage gets stuck during knitting, you will have to remove the sinker plate and then move the carriage.
    The rest of pros and cons is typical for all other singer/studio knitting machines with punch card mechanism, namely:

General Pros and Cons for Singer/Studio machine with punch card patterning mechanism:

Pros

  • The patterning drums make it very easy to move the machine. They engage with the punch card mechanism very nicely without much noise.
  • The manual is very well-written and I was able to follow the instructions with ease and to learn all the techniques.
  • Easy-to-find replacement needles since these models are relatively newer ones. I get mine on Aliexpress.
  • The tools are pretty standard and are pretty interchangeable with other models.
  • I found that putting this machine to storage and opening and closing is much easier than the multiple Brother machines I had a chance to struggle with. There is a very clear schematic on the cover with the order of how to place the parts together. I found this extremely helpful, as putting these machines away is often a big, frustrating struggle.

The cons are:

  • no timing belt, which might make the carriage movements somewhat hard, depending on your tension, knitting pattern, and technique. It was not a problem for me at all.
  • The most significant flow in my mind is that the patterning drums often get stuck if not oiled regularly, especially when not used for a very long time or put into storage (I restored already two OTHER machines where the drums were simply shut… They needed to be soaked in an oil bath and some heavy-duty disassembling). To avoid this problem, put some light oil regularly on the patterning drums. Lucky for me, this machine had the drums in excellent shape

Check out my freshly posted YouTube video: https://youtu.be/te0sV0o78FI

This is what I knitted while I tested this machine: a two-in-one cowl/scarf and a head cover. I love multipurpose things.

This machine is a beauty despite some of its minor flaws (Like missing pieces). It has a beautiful color combination and barely any discoloration of the plastic.

Studio 326 restored in May 2022

This wonderful machine was made in 1970th and, I think, it was the first model to include a built-in knit leader. Like most standard gauge knitting machines, the Singer 326 has 200 needles spaced 4.5 mm apart. It has a built-in row counter, punch-card reading mechanism for automatic patterning using a punch-card reading mechanism. I gave this machine a thorough clean. The carriage was also deep-cleaned and serviced and all knobs and levers and functions were thoroughly tested. Drums on the carriage move freely.

It comes with all accessories including (numbers are going in the order as they are listed in the manual).

1) magic cams,

2) point cams,

3) separators,

4) box to store and transport all tools,

5) replacement knitting needles,

6) brush to clean the machine,

8) weaving arm,

9) container with oil

10) crochet hook

11) tapestry needle,

12) ravel cord for cast-on and to use as one-row intermediate level during waste-yarn knitting,

13) round brushes for tuck knitting (I already installed them on the sinking plate for you),

14) card snaps to clip the patterning cards together,

15) stitch scale (simply a set of rulers to help with knit-leader and stitch counting),

16) gauge scale to count stitches and your gauge on a swatch,

17) and 18) tension mast assembly,

19) weights to hang on the ends of your knitted piece,

20) set of stitch transfer tools,

21) tappet tool,

22) clamps to secure the machine to the table. On this particular machine with these particular clamps, it is somewhat hard to attach them to the bed– the bed needs to be at a certain angle. But with enough wiggle, they will fit in.

23) carriage lock to secure the carriage during transport and storage

24) card guide,

25) needle pusher and needle selector,

26) set of punchcards: the original set was supposed to include 20 cards but this machine came with only 19. Card #19 is missing,

27) a set of pattern paper with some patterns for knit-leader (also known as knit contour).

All accessories fit nicely in the box.

A couple of minor accessories are missing:

  • Only two-point cams are included. These are used for single-motif fair isle knitting. By the time you are ready to knit a single motif, you will be an expert in knitting and will know where to find the second pair (if you need to knit two single motifs).
  • Name paper: it was included with the originally new machine so the owners can write their names to mark the machine as belonging to them.
  • Ravel cord: any silky or acrylic yarn will work

I tested the machine on single -and double-color slip-stitch, tuck-stitch and fair isle techniques. On

this machine, the ‘fair isle’ is marked as a ”knit-in on the carriage. Old terminology? Hm..

I knitted on a full bed to make sure all needles were not bent and without any other defects. I knitted a double-sided reversible cowl on this machine.

A disclaimer: I typically completely disassemble machines only if they show a significant amount of rust or damage. The old screws often don’t make it threw frequent screwing and unscrewing. And these screws are hard to find in regular hardware stores.

A couple of things to keep in mind about Singer/Studio machines in general. It seems that table clamps for Singer/Studio are slightly different than those from Brother machines. Singer clamps have a slightly longer top part. However, not all Singer/Studio machines have clamps with flat tops (some have large screw-top fasteners).

Some Singer/Studio machines have metallic end rails but this one had separate rubber ones. They typically tend to decompose due to time and fall off. So, initially, these rubber end-rails were still present but while I was using the machine they fell off since they already showed a lot of cracking and deterioration. These end rails are also not very critical pieces and the machine will work fine without them. They are important when knitting on all 200 needles. But even in this case, if you slow down the carriage on the last 10-20 needles and don’t let the carriage slide too far, you will be ok. These end rails are needed to prevent drums from mispatterning if the carriage is moved too far from the bed.

Some of the pictures above were taken prior to a complete cleanup – so the machine looks dusty on some. But it is much cleaner and happier now because it is a working horse and I hope you will adopt it for your knitting projects.

I did not extensively test the knit leaders because I do all my calculations myself. But all buttons turn freely.

The tuck brushes, according to the manual, need to be installed when knitting tuck-stitch patterns. In the video I created for this machine, I demonstrated that these brushes can stay on the sinker when knitting slip-stitch, stockinet, and fair-isle. Also, tuck-stitch can be knitted without these brushes (also shown in my video).

The sinker plate comes with already installed tuck-brushes and honestly, I do not recommend removing them as it is rather painful to put them back.

Overall, I was very pleased with this machine: it absolutely does not show its age and knits wonderfully! I hope you will be able to enjoy it soon too and knit a lot of wonderful garments! Talking about age: it might have some super minor scratches on the bed but everything else looks great.

And last, but not least, pros and cons:

Pros:

  • The patterning drums make it very easy to move the machine. They engage with the punch card mechanism very nicely without much noise.
  • The manual is very well-written and I was able to follow the instructions with ease and to learn all the techniques.
  • Easy to find replacement needles since these models are relatively “newer” ones. I get mine on Aliexpress.
  • The tools are pretty standard and are pretty interchangeable with other models. Aliexpress also sells them.
  • Some might find having the built-in knit-leaders very handy: there is no need to have a separate long setup lying around – in this setup, all fit into one carrier box
  • I found that putting this machine to storage and opening and closing is much easier than multiple brother machines I had a chance to struggle with. There is a very clear schematic on the cover with the order of how to place the parts together. I found this extremely helpful as putting these machines away is often a big frustrating struggle.

The cons are:

  • no timing belt, which might make the carriage movements somewhat hard depending on your tension and knitting pattern and technique. It was not a problem for me at all.
  • The most significant flow in my mind is that the patterning drums often get stuck if not oiled regularly, especially when not used for a very long time or put into storage (I restored already two OTHER machines where the drums were simply shut… They needed to be soaked in an oil bath and some heavy-duty disassembling). To avoid this problem, put some light oil regularly on the patterning drums. Lucky for me, this machine had the drums in excellent shape
  • This model does not come with a lace carriage
  • The carriage does not have a release lever – if the carriage gets stuck during knitting, you will have to remove the sinker plate and then move the carriage.

So, I did everything for this machine so you can simply take it out of the box and start knitting (cleaned, tested, replaced sponge bar, and checked all needles). I hope this machine will soon find you 🙂

List of pros and cons of knitting machines I used

…in progress. Updated: June 2025

abbreviations:

b-in = built-in

mb = metal bed

sg = standard gauge

st = stitch

Singer 210

mb, sg, 200 needles, 24-st punchcard

https://youtu.be/L1GwyLg46V0 Can do tuck slip, 2-color fair isle; if carriage is stuck, unscrew the sinker plate, no built-in toolbox; has built-in knit leader; standard set of punchcards has only 10 cards, no hard case lid (all parts are inside a sterofoam packaging; budget, lightweight model. https://wordpress.com/post/thoughtsandknits.wordpress.com/427

Studio mod. 324

m, sg, 200 needles, 24-st punchcard

https://youtu.be/27blcVPYAlw Can do tuck slip, 2-color fair isle; if carriage is stuck, unscrew the sinker plate, no built-in toolbox; no built-knit leader; compatible with standard add-ons (ribbers, knit-leaders, color changers, row counter) http://thoughtsandknits.com/2025/05/26/studio-mod-324-knitting-machine-prepared-for-lara/

Studio mod. 326

md, sg 200 needles, 24-stpunchcard; b-in knit leader, tool tray

https://youtu.be/0PnXE_Bc8yc Can do tuck slip, 2-color fair isle; if carriage is stuck, unscrew the sinker plate, no built-in (but has stand-alone) toolbox; compatible with standard add-ons (ribbers, color changers, row counters) http://thoughtsandknits.com/2022/06/11/studio-326/

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Singer 321, manual and carriage in Spanish

This was the first Singer 321 that I refurbished and cleaned. But having already gained experience in servicing and refurbishing Singer/Studio machines, I did not hesitate to start working on it.

A little bit of history: Singer/Studio 321 machines were introduced in 1972 and were the second earliest model capable of patterning with 24-stitch punch cards. It is a standard (4.5 mm) gauge machine with 200 needles. So, this machine is 50 years old!!

I inserted a brand new sponge bar and sponge bar (purchased it from the Knitting Closet). It was specifically advertised for Studio/Singer machines. It fit right in but the white plastic end sticks out only on one side. So, make sure you don’t push the bar too far otherwise it will be hard to get it out to replace the needles and to replace the sponge.

I removed all removable rust from the inside of the machine and covered some rusty spots inside the case with an anti-rust coating.

To remove the carriage from the needles in working positions (for example, to unravel a row or if the carriage is stuck), the sinker plate needs to be removed from the carriage first. It is a bit not as convenient as other, newer models, but not the end of the world, in my opinion. The dial on the carriage is in Spanish but it is intuitive to use, especially if you have an English copy of the manual in front of you. If you are a Spanish speaker, then it is an extra bonus for you!!!

The manual is very well written. This machine could be accompanied by Spanish or English versions. This particular machine has words in Spanish )on the carriage) and an accompanying manual in Spanish. Please, let me know which copy you prefer. I liked very much that this machine have pegs to attach a row counter on both sides of the bed. I knitted a shawl and was glad that I did not have to transfer carriage all the way to the opposite end just t count my rows. The machine comes with all accessories mentioned in the manual, all of which fit nicely into a special box. It includes a set of punch cards but only 18 – cards 14 and 16 are missing.


I tested all the knobs, levers and card readers extensively. I knitted patterns using tuck-stitch, slip-stitch and fair isle on partial and full bed.

[videopress jSZLTGgc w=”540″ at=”5″]

The sinker plate and the tension mast fit inside the case lid when not in use.

Now about the imperfections. Maybe because this machine is 50 years old, or maybe because the previous owners did not love her as much, there are some cosmetic imperfections and cracks on the case. None of these affect the machine performance. See the pictures below with brief description.

Side racks are missing. They are rubber pieces that go on the ends of the bed to prevent the carriage from mis-patterning if knitting on a full bed. However, with careful knitting and by not going too fast, it can be avoided. As I demonstrated in my video, it did not affect me tuck-stitch knitting on a full bed.

The body of the machine has a spot that I could not remove.

The case cover has several dents. The one below is especially visible.

Some spots and discoloration on the outside of the case, including the handle

These are where the holding clamps attach at the bottom of the machine. They are rusty but are very strong and held a machine for me without problems/.

Overall, I was extremely pleased with this machine. It is simple yet strong and will serve its new owners long years if serviced and take care of correctly. Check my video blog, showing this machine in action.

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

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.