Category: Brother

Brother KR830 ribber, prepared for Vivian in August 2023

Brother KR830 is an attachment for Brother knitting machines. These ribbers are compatible with Brother knitting machines starting with models KH8XX and above, all the way to the electronic models. It is one of the simpler ribber models.

Brother KR830 ribber attaches to the main bed through a series of clamps/bolts to knit purl stitches and to create ribbing for necks, collars, and sleeves. The attachment setup is described in the manual and is pretty easy to follow.

About this particular machine. It was thoroughly cleaned, wiped and inspected. All needles were taken out, cleaned, inspected and inserted back into the bed.

This KR830 ribber comes with all assesories mentioned in the manual.

All the assesories are supposed to fit into styrofoam form but this machine will come without the original box/packing. All the tools will be packed with extra padding.

The hard copy of the manual is not included but can be found online.

It took me a good amount of time to set the distance between the machine and the ribber correctly. It was done by following wonderful instructions in this video. Unfortunately, the manual was not much help in setting the distance between the main bed and the ribber correctly. Since the ribber was sitting too far from the machine (too high) I had to remove the “lift” brackets. The manual mentions them but apparently incorrectly.

Below is the first row of the double-bed cast-on. The first sign of the incorrect distance between the beds is missing stitches, which I got.

After the adjustments and measurements of the correct distance between the beds, I got a perfect zig-zag-like first cast-on row.

After all the distance adjustment was performed, further tests were very easy. Additionally, the KH830 knitting machine that also goes to Vivian was used to test the ribber and to set the distance between the machine and the ribber. Apparently, knitting machine chats often discuss how ribber  adjustments depend on the particular knitting machine (not just a model).

These tests were performed on a small swatch and on a full bed using every other needle on both main and ribbing beds. A video blog of all these tests can be found on my youtube channel.

To ensure that all needles knitted properly, I ran two tests on the full bed. First, I selected every other needle after the first needle and then, during the second test, after the second needle. In this case, I used all needles (except the very first one).

The knitted fabric was converted to a hat: I simply sewed along the long edge and tightened the ends. Easy, fast, and reliable!!! No measurements are needed – just knit away on a full bed.

I am planning on knitting a matching scarf while testing other ribbers. It was a lot of fun! I hope it wll be fun for you, Vivian, too !

Brother KH830, August 2023, for Vivian

Here is Brother KH830 knitting machine prepared for Vivian in August 2023. Read specifics about this model in my freshly published Knitting Machine encyclopedia. 🙂

This particular machine was cleaned and thoroughly tested on a full bed to ensure all needles worked adequately and that the carriage patterns correctly over the whole bed. The video of these tests is available here.

The sponge in the retaining bar was replaced. All needles were cleaned and inspected. One faulty needle was identified during the full bed knitting. It was replaced.

The lace carriage was not tested in knitting but all levers move as they are supposed to.

Carriage is very easy to move. The handle on the carriage folds for easy storage inside the case when not in use.

 

The machine comes with all major assesories including extension rails, lace carriage, two (one small and one large) cast-on combs, and all stitch manipulation tools.

Most of the small tools fit into a built-in stoage box.

Minor assesories not included with the setup are:

  • Wax and its storage container
  • Cast-on thread (any smooth and silky thread/yarn will work)
  • Tapestry needle (any sewing needle with a large eye)
  • Oil (I recommend getting a Gun Oil from Amazon)

Below are pictures of the fabric I knitted while testing the machine:

  • “Wrong” side of the fair-isle

  • “Right” side of the fair isle

  • “slip” stitch-knitted panel (using card #8)

  • Tuck-stitch-knitted panel (also using card #8)

    Below is the cowl/neck warmers made from these fabrics:

    Reversible hood/neck warmer made from fair-isle-knitted panel:

The “other”side:

The only imperfection of this machine (with the exception of the minor bents on the case and its lid) is the slight discoloration of the plastic on the carriage due to some UV damage (the plastic on the lace carriage is a bit lighter and has some UV-burn stains). It is typical for these old machines because back in the day UV-damage blockers were not added to the plastics.

Also, a hard copy of the manual is not included but can be found here.

Overall this machine was very easy to use and I did not experience any major issues with it. Hope you will enjoy it too!

Brother (Genie) KH710 for Larissa

This would be my 10th push-button machine cleaned, serviced and tested for customers. I love push button machines for their reliability, resiliency, simplicity and hard work.

Brother KH710 (aka Genie) is a metal-flat bed knitting machine with 200 needles, 4.5 mm apart from each other. This distance (4.5 mm) makes this machine a standard gauge.

Brother (Genie) KH 710 is an 8-push button machine with a full pattern center that makes needle selection much easier and more automatic. The pattern center consists of the slide display, 8 push buttons to select the needles, one push button to deselect all selected needles, A-B lever to select the needles according to either pushed (position A) or unpushed (position B) buttons and a L/R sliding knobs which enables knitters to slide the needle selection by the corresponding number of positions. I know it might now make any sense now but refer to the manual – it explains everything very well.

The machine is in excellent shape including needles and there are absolutely no signs of rust. I still cleaned and inspected the needles. Additionally, all the needles were tested on a full bed to make sure all latches function properly. (In my video, you will see that one needle started mispatterning, which I identified by the tucked stitches first but then by its bent latch. This needle was replaced and the swatch- and the full-bed-tests were performed again to make sure all needles function properly).

A completely new sponge was attached. I reused the retaining bar. Because the sponge is still very puffy, it is somewhat resistant to go into the retaining bar channel. The ends of the retaining bar need to be pushed down when inserting it to make sure the tape does not come off.

The machine comes with all major accessories.

The minor ones not included are:

  • Cast-on thread: any smooth strong yarn will do (not too thick though)
  • Wax – the one that came with the machine was too old and just crumbled
  • Oil – the one that came with the machine was too old and yellow so I discarded it. A good oil for knitting machines is gun oil available on Amazon.
  • A toolbox and a toolbox lid will not be included. They did not come with the machine. The toolbox is to store the tools right on top of the bed when the machine is put away. The way the toolbox sits on the main bed and clings to it is convenient for storage. However, I find that I do not use the tool box when the machine is out because it is hard to easily get the tools out of it. All the tools will be packed carefully for transport.
  • A hard copy of the manual will not be provided but an electronic copy can be found here.

The machine was tested on a full bed and everything works great. I knitted hold-stitch pattern (butterfly pattern), tuck-stitch pattern and stockinet. The lace carriage was not tested but all the buttons move freely. It is not a complex carriage and it is very unlikely it will not work. The fabric I knitted during these tests was converted to these two cowls/neck warmers:

A general recommendation: tuck-stitch requires somewhat higher tension than stockinet on the same machine with the same yarn. However, for slightly thicker yarns (even sport weight) it might be a problem because on higher tensions the machine might choke up). This is why I tested the tuck-stitch with 1×1 needle selection using two different yarns: a thicker one (green) and a thinner one (power pink color). I was able to knit a nicer tuck-stitch using the thinner yarn.

However, with the cast-on on every other needle (also shown in my video), even yarns slightly thicker than sport weight can be used.

A couple minor flaws and hiccups that came up during tests are:

  • The wrench tool has a cracked plastic handle. I could still use it without problems.

  • When using a pattern that requires switching between A and B positions, I strongly recommend putting the L/R indicator onto the 2 or above position (but not at 8). When L/R indicator was on one, the switching needle position when A/B knob was used sometimes did not work as expected. I suspect that the gear is not engaging properly at the very starting position but it engages very well when the L/R is on two. I opened up the machine and checked and there are no visual wear/tear signs on the plastic gear. When I used the settings I just described to knit tuck-stitch (where every other needle was brought to C position and those needles were alternating on every row), I absolutely did not have any problems. My video confirms that.

  • I discovered that the ratchet tool (the wrench) needs to be used with confidence and medium-strength force, especially when a significant amount of needles needs to be moved to C positions (like, in my video, where I had to move 100 needles to C position). Force lighter than medium might result in not all needles being moved forward. Just be on the lookout for that while adjusting to this machine and to which force to use to move the needles forward.

Despite these two potential hiccups, which just need a bit of adjustment and a bit more paying attention, everything else was great on this machine. I hope you will enjoy using it.

Brother KH836 tested in July 2023

Brother KH836 knitting machine is one of the many models of knitting machines with punch-card capabilities manufactured by Brother. The machine is standard gauge (which means the distance between the needles is 4.5 mm). There are 200 needles. It accepts punch cards with 24-holes (which makes it capable of knitting patterns with 24-stitch repetitions).

Unlike its younger counterparts (Like Brother KH892 and KH894), it does not have built-in intarsia. But KH836 works with KA8210 intarsia carriage.

After working on both punch-card Singer/Studio Brother machines, I can see clear differences and personal pros and cons. But both machines are still great and offer a variety of possibilities. The thing I like about Brother punch card machines compared to Singer/Studio ones is that the lace carriage comes as a standard accessory. I like that rails are included as well to put the second or lace carriage to the side while using the main carriage on a full bed. I very much like the presence of the cast-on combs since using them is my favorite (and quickest in my opinion) method to start knitting.

However, unlike Brother lace carriages, Singer/Studio lace carriage (even though it is sold separately and is quite pricey) needs only one pass when knitting lace since it transfers the stitches and knits them at the same time. To me, Singer/Studio’s patterning with drums seems a bit more straightforward and easy to follow, unlike a needle selection mechanism on Brother hidden inside the bed. But again, those are minor differences. I also don’t understand why a rod is needed on Brother to hold the punch card together: it always disappears/loses itself and honestly, I always forget to insert it and the machine knits ok with it anyways. There might be other differences but these are the ones that seem the most substantial to me. Yet, they still do not affect the usage of those machines at all and both companies made very solid hard working machines.

Now about this particular knitting machine, Brother KH836, that I serviced in July 2023.

It comes with all major and almost all minor assesories.

All accessories can be stored in a convenient built-in compartment.

The minor assesories missing are:

  • Cast-on thread: any smooth strong yarn will do (not too thick though)
  • Wax – the one that came with the machine was too old and just crumbled
  • Oil – the one that came with the machine was too old and yellow so I discarded it. A good oil for knitting machines is gun oil available on Amazon.
  • A hard copy of the manual will not be provided but an electronic copy can be found here.

The absence of these assesories absolutely does not affect the functioning and use of the machine.

The work done on this machine:

  • Inspected and cleaned all needles;
  • Cleaned the main bed and under the lid;
  • Serviced the patterning mechanism;
  • Replaced sponge in the retaining bar
  • Serviced carriage – oiled and got all buttons unstuck

The machine was tested on a full bed (to make sure all needles and needle latches are in excellent shape) using stockinet, tuck-, -sli- and fair isle stitch-patterning. All looked perfect. See the cowls/hoods below I made from the fabric knitted during tests.

The beige/greenish yarn was somewhat borderline thick for this machine to knit on all needles (not every-other needle). The slip- and tuck-stitch patterning were still perfect on a full bed (see my video of all tests). So, the fair isle with beige/green yarns was giving me some minor mispatterning. When I switch to thinner yarn (brown/camel natural colors), I did not have any troubles with fair isle.

Case is in pretty decent shape with only some minor dents and scratches. Overall the machine is in great shape and no visible rust on the main bed.

I cleaned the lace carriage and checked all the knobs and levers but I did not test any lace-patterned knitting.

This machine and other Brother punch-card machines are easy to maintain. Spare needles are still available for purchase new and on a used market. Sponge-bar needs to be replaced 1-2 times a year depending on usage. With regular cleaning (suck out by vacuum all lint and dust from the machine) and oiling will prolong the life span of this machine to almost forever. This machine is perfect for people who want to knit something quickly with predetermined patterns, who like creating their own patterns by punching holes in the cards and for those who are looking a bit more functionality than simple manual machines. There is a myriad of additional assesories available for Brother machines, which makes this machine a very desirable tool for volume knitters and for those who just like to experiment and create garments for family and friends. Now about imperfections. Some minor rust on the carriage – it is typical whiteish rust. A potential problem might be additional static, which can be handled with wax. I did not experience any static with this carriage/machine and did not need to wax my yarn (I used acrylic yarn). These rust spots are actually very minor (compared to some carriages I’ve seen and those still worked). So, besides mentioned above, I do not anticipate any problems and I did not experience any during my tests.

Hope these imperfections will not stop you from adopting this hard-working machine capable of creating a lot of beautiful garments and things.

Second brother Profile KH500

 

Brother Profile KH500 Knitting machine is a lightweight machine with manual-only needle manipulation capability. It looks very similar to 4-push button machine, like Profile KH 551. But since it has a more advanced row counter, I assumed that it was manufactured after it – maybe in the very early 1970-ies. A could not find any specific information anywhere on the web or in printed brochures. Other indications that this machine was a later but simplified version of push-button machines is KH500 still has slots for the extension rail (but does not come with the lace carriage) and slots to attach a ribber. The original cardboard box still shows the older version of the row counter….

The standard setup comes with cast-on combs but without a case lid and without a lace carriage. To the best of my knowledge, this model does not have a compatible ribber but, based on my experience with similar machines and compatible ribbers, ribber KR551 and KR560-580 might be compatible with this machine.

The absence of the lid and needle selection mechanism makes this machine very light-weight, which is excellent for people with smaller complexion or with weaker upper bodies. It also makes this machine easy to transport. I kind of even like that this machine does not have a lid – it often takes a while to close the lid (after all major parts are tucked inside it), especially, if case or a lid were bent during the long life of this machine.

Despite only manual needle manipulation capabilities, this machine can still produce patterns: you just need to push needles to the desired positions by hand. With the several needle pushers with various gauges, it is easy – just need to keep track of which needles to select next! Some might say that it is a limitation, but some will argue that needle manipulation by hand is more satisfying and is closer to hand-knitting…

About this specific machine:

I inserted a brand-new retaining bar and sponge (not remade, but purchased from a supplier). I cleaned and inspected all needles: one by one. Cleaned under the main bed. I did not see any rusty on the machine or on the carriage. Overall the machine is in great shape and works great! A video of it being fully tested is here. In that video, I showed a couple of examples of how to create patterns on this machine (by manually selecting needles) and also stockinet on a full bed. The fabric knitted on a full bed was then converted to a bag/pouch to hold a pickleball paddle. My friend needed a new pouch with pockets and I needed to test a machine and practice how to create pockets!!! My favorite thing – combining education with producing something useful and something that makes people happy!!

The machine came with minimum assesories so I had to put together a set. To you, this machine will come with all major assesories with a couple of exceptions. So, this leads us to discuss minor flaws of the machine and the whole setup.

The minor assesories not included are:

  • Cast on thread: any thin, strong thread/yarn will work instead
  • Oil bottle – none came with the machine. A good oil for knitting machines is gun oil available on Amazon for purchase.
  • The toolbox and its lid are not included.
  • The carriage lock was missing but I fastened the carriage with a 3D-printed carriage lock.
  • Paraffin will not come with this machine.

The left-hand side screw on the carriage that holds the knob to hold the sinker plate was bent really badly so I replaced it with a different, shorter, one. It is a bit wobbly while ONLY the clamp screw/knob is on top but is secure and not wobbly when is tightened on the carriage with the sinker plate attached. See a video – it shows what I mean.

The left-hand side claim on the tension mast is a bit cracked. To fold the tension mast and the yarn tension wires, loosen a screw (by just a notch) and fold it. When unfolding, secure the position by tightening the screw on the left-hand side end cap.

The fasting plate on one of the clamps comes off. In the past, I attempted to fix such a loose plate and honestly, it destroyed completely the thread making the whole clamp unusable. So, since these clamps just needed a bit of an adjustment (holding the plate while screwing the clamps to the table), I decided not to try to tighten or glue them to the threaded rod. These clamps are hard to find these days and since it worked with some adjustments, I decided not to mess with it.

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I hope you will find these minor flaws not being flaws but just small things that add character to this machine. I believe that this machine in the hands of a designer or a hand-knitter trying to accelerate their masterwork or to knit more even pieces will create wonderful knitted gifts and garments!

Brother Profile KH500

Brother Profile KH500 knitting machine is a simple metal flat-bed machine without any automatic needle selection capabilities.

I cannot find information in which year this machine was introduced to the market. It looks very similar to earlier 4-push button machines but the row-counter is a bit more modern than the more vintage row counter which typically comes with the KH551 knitting machines I refurbished. So, it might be earlier 1970-ies when this machine was manufactured (but before the punch-card machines were introduced to the market). Other indicators that this machine was introduced to the market after the standard push button machines is that 1) the toolbox has a ratchet tool place (the ratchet tool is used in push button machines), and 2) there are slots for the extension rails (present in 8-push button machines equipped with a lace carriage). I suspect that it was a lightweight alternative to the push-button machines.

Like most standard knitting machines (with the gauge, or distance between needles, of 4.5 mm), it has 200 needles. With manual needle selection, this machine can knit sli-, tuck- and fair-isle type patterns. In my video, I showed some of these patterns on couple of swatches. After the corresponding needles are selected, pushing the buttons on the carriage (two left ones for tuck and two right ones for slip) allows knitting with texture/pattern.

This machine is simple but offers tremendous potential for those who want to continue to feel the satisfaction of knitting manually. This machine is excellent for those transitioning from hand-knitting to machine knitting, for those who are not quite ready to give up control over stitch manipulations to the machine, for those who like simple knits but can’t quite get the stitches even, and for fiber artists.

The standard setup comes with cast-on combs, a tool box to store all minor assesories, a tension mast, a row counter, a carriage, and a sinker plate.

The main bed has slots for the extension rails but the rails are not included with the standard setup. Lace carriage is NOT included.

The machine is lightweight, potentially because the bed is narrower than later knitting machines and also because the KH500 setup does not include the lid. In a way, no lid is another advantage – those lids are sometimes so hard to close, especially if they are a bit bend (these machines are old and who knows what happened to them during all those years of storage and transport from place to place) or if the parts inside the lid (often it is recommended in later models with lids to fit the sinker plate, cast-on combs and tension mast inside the lid) are shifted or mounted incorrectly. The bottom line: I struggle so often with the lid closing in other machines that I was kind of relieved that this model does not have a lid.

About this particular machine:

A hard copy of the manual will not be provided. But an electronic copy can be accessed online for free.

The machine comes with all assesories. It will come with the original cardboard box (although it is somewhat beat up). The cast-on combs, brand-new looking from old stock, like never being used, will be included as well. The small claw weights are, for some reason, are not mentioned in the manual. They are pretty important – so I included them.

There are some minor rust spots on the sinker plate.

The name tag on the carriage fell off. (If I find it – I will ship it to whoever buys this machine. But I suspect the name tag was not included and simply got lost). The two left-hand side buttons are tuck, the middle button is reset/stockinet and the two right-hand side buttons are part/slip.

The yarn tension dial is a bit chipped off. The carriage worked well regardless. The chipped area does not have any cracks and the dial moves freely.

The two round pillars to screw the handle onto the carriage are a bit discolored. I decided not to polish it not to remove even more of a protective coating. The handle still crews on without problems.

All these flaws are very minor and did not affect the working of the machine. I hope you will consider purchasing it and if not, I hope you enjoyed reading this article about this wonderful machine.

Brother Profile 585 for Georgia

Brother Profile 585 is a 8 push button machine with a pattern center. Read more about this model in my previous post.

Here is a brief overview of the setup prepared for Georgia with its pros and cons.

The machine was cleaned, the pattern center was checked for all functions. All needles were inspected, cleaned and tested (when knitting on a full bed). The carriage functions were tested manually (I moved all knobs and levers) and in work while knitting hold, tuck-, slip- and stockinette stitches. Lace carriage and lace knitting were not tested. However, the lace carriage for KH585 is very simple and I do not anticipate any problems with it.

The machine comes with all major assesories. All of them are in excellent shape (especially the cast on combs). A typical setup for Brother Profile 585 usually has only one cast one comb but this machine came with two – a long and a short one. They are metal and heavy on their own – excellent for cast on without any additional weights.

The handle (that screw onto the main and lace carriages) are from another setup. So, the color mismatches a bit the main blue color of the machine and other assesories. Because I had to borrow a handle from another setup, the lace carriage will not have a separate handle. (read more on that below)

The minor assesories that are NOT included are:

  • Parafin wax
  • Assesories kit (it is simple a plastic cover for transfer tools and spare needles)
  • Oil bottle (it was yellow and old and I discarded it). A gun oil from Amazon is recommended to use
  • Cast-on thread: I typically use any silky thin yarn/thread.
  • Only a handle for the main carriage is included. The handles are interchangible with the main carriage and the lace carriage. I could only find one handle to supply with this machine. If I come across another one, I will ship it for free. However, lace carriages are used quite seldom by beginners… So, I hope by the time you decide to try lace carriage, I will find an additional handle. Regardless, the lace carriage can be moved by hand without a handle: there are less moving parts and it simply slides on the main bed while transferring the stitches. Also, lace carriage is used for 1-2 rows in a pattern and then the main carriage is used.
  • Plastic case for spare needles
  • The hard copy of the manual is also not includd but can be found online. I strongly recommend folloiwng the manual while setting up and testing and learinig how to use this machine. It is written very well. The manual has some simple patterns. For more complex and diverse patterns check out this brochure.

This machine worked great as you can see in my video. I had no major problems with it. Some minor potential problems are:

  • An auxiliary rail on the left-hand side is missing. These are needed to secure extension rails when knitting with lace carriage. So, you will simply need to keep your lace carriage on the right hand side. I am currently looking for sources where – to get the missing one. When I find it, I will ship it for free. It will only inconvenience the operator while knitting lace.


Some buttons need a bit firmer pressing than others (in the video it is sometimes button #5). But with firm pressing the button remain in their pushed-in position.

Some snags occurring during the video demo were because of some knots in the yarn – it was an old cone I inherited with one of the machine knitting machine lots.

The tension dial on the main carriage has a piece broken off. The dial still rotates well without any problems. The damage is simply cosmetic.

The lace carriage is missing the name tag: you can see the glue is still on it but there is no name.

The case has minor scratches, discoloration, and dents. None affect how the lid closes and/or stores the machine.

Overall, this machine is in great shape and should knit without problems.

Brother KR580 ribbing attachment, cleaned and tested in May 2023

Brother KR580 ribber was first introduced to the market in 1966 to knit with 8-push button machines (KH552 and above all the way to KH560-KH588). According to some charts by creationgroup.com, KR580 ribber can even fit KH800 knitting machine. Genie 710 machine (sometimes called Brother KH710) is also an 8-push button machine but I could not information anywhere whether KR580 ribber will fit it. KH710 had some innovative design features (like all-plastic end-caps) that none of the earlier 8-push button machines have (KH562, KH581, Profile 585, KH588) but the width of the bed is the same and the needles are all interchangible among all 8-push button machines.

Because it is an older model, capable to create purl stitches when coupled with older models, the main carriage knits first and then the ribbing carriage moves the needles to working position.

The ribber needles simply latch on the yarn hanging between the needles on the main bed creating purl stitches. See a full demo in my video.

I feel that this gives a knitter a better idea which carriages causes troubles (if any) and see that needles are knitting and what not. Later ribber setups (equipped with a connecting arm, that attaches main carriage and a ribber carriages) work the same way but they ensure that only one movement is needed because the main and ribber carriage move at the same time.

About this particular ribber:

It was tested on Brother Profile 585 machine.

It has a pretty white color This is the first ribber for 8-oush button machines I’ve seen in real life and worked on. So, maybe all of them come in this pretty white color but I like it. It has such a classic 60ies look, like those corvettes you see on the road that cost nothing for the car insurance companies but are so pretty and so valuable on the used market.

The retaining bar is plastic – big PLUS: no need to replace it and worry about decomposing sponge in retaining bar corroding needles.

The machine comes with ALL assesories. Hard copy of the manual will not be included but it can be found online for free.

Tested a swatch on 1×1 ribbing

and 1×1 ribbing on the full bed but when every-other-needle was selected.

Hard copy of the manual will not be included but it can be found online for free.

Photos below show how the ribber fits onto the machine. The manual describes step-by-step instructions how to attach the ribber to the main bed.


The large screw goes into a place where a rail guard normally attaches.

KH585 profile refurbished in April 2023

Brother Profile 585 (sometimes called KH585) is an 8-push button knitting machine manufactured by Brother Company in the early 1970-ies or late 1960-ies. It is one of the last machines (besides Profile 588) to have metal end caps, which makes this machine very durable, and easy to ship and handle. Its bed is narrower than later models (with numbers above 710).

In addition to eight push buttons that control which needles will be selected, Brother Profile 585 has a pattern center. It includes the push buttons, reset button, A/B and L/R knobs. Reset button (blue on the left-hand side) unpushes all buttons currently pushed in. A/B knob determines which needles will be brought forward: those selected (the knob in position A) or Not selected (the knob in position B). L/R knob determines how much to shift the needle selection. This shift is shown on the small dial on the left-hand side. It might sound confusing but once you start working according to got the instructions in the manual, it will be more clear.

Specifically about this machine:

The machine was cleaned. A new sponge bar is inserted. All needles are inspected and cleaned manually one by one. The machine was tested on all needles to knit stockinet, tuck-stitch, and part-knitting patterning. Details of this testing are shown in my video. All tests went great and all needles knit wonderfully. Push buttons are very easy to operate. Just in some cases, they need to be pressed very firmly but it happened just once. Typically, when it happens, I just reset all the pattern center knobs.

The machine came to me without any assesories so I made a set from my own supplies. So, all major assesories will be included and some extra.

Comes with all major assesories. The assesories did not come with this machine but I made a set of all major tools. The selection rulers are not identical to those mentioned in the manual but is a good start.

Minor assesories not included are:

  • Unravel cord (any smooth thread will work)
  • Wax (the one that came with the machine was crumbled but when I tested the machine with acrylic yarn I did not feel the need for waxing)
  • The box for assesories (including its lid) is not included as it was missing from the original setup
  • The needle selection rules are somewhat different than in the manual but I included couple of extra ones
  • A hard copy of the manual is not included but can be found online (it is a generic one for 8-push button machines).
  • Oil bottle (I threw it away – was too old) but a gun oil can be purchased on Amazon

The mast that came with the original machine was causing me problems. I replaced it with the working one from my stash. So, it fits a bit funky into the lid but is still manageable.

The assesories setup comes with only a long cast-on comb. To knit swatches, I recommend purchasing a small cast-on comb like this one or this one.

The rail guards need to be a bit lose when inserting the rails. Tighten them after the rails are inserted. Also, if using a ribber, they need to be removed. Keep them in a safe place because the replacements are hard to find.

The only imperfections with this machine were on the case itself (see the pictures below).

One minor rust spot on the lid (on the end cap). The case has usual very minor pumps and discolorations.

Some minor bumps and scruffs on the case:

Other than that I don’t have any other complaints or imperfections for this machine.

Below is what I knitted on this machine while testing it: a reversible cowl/neck warmer/hood.

I hope you, a reader of this blog, will be soon a proud owner of this machine!!

Brother Profile KH552 refurbished in Mach 2023

 

Brother Profile 552 knitting machine is an 8-push button knitting machine. It is probably the first 8-push button machine and it appeared on the market around 1964. The pattern center includes eight needle selection buttons, a reverse lever, a slide dial, and a set lever. 

This is my fifth 8-pushbutton knitting machine refurbished and prepared for other knitters and I am completely falling in love with these machines!!

The role of the set lever is to bring the needles forward: you push the corresponding buttons and then rotate the set lever with a special wrench and the needles move forward.

The role of the reverse lever is that: for example, you want to select needles 2 through 8. So, you simply push button #1, turn the reverse lever to B and rotate the set lever: all but needles in position 1 will be brought forward.

The role of the slide dial is to shift the needle selection. For example, a pattern requires the selection of needles 1 and 5, then 2 and 6, then 3 and 8. Instead of pushing and unpushing the corresponding buttons, you simply push buttons 1 and 5 and then simply move the slide dial to the corresponding number of places. If you move the dial only once, needles 2 and 6 will be selected even though buttons 1 and 5 are still pushed in. If you move the slide dial two places, then (even though the buttons 1 and 5 are pushed in) needles in positions 3 and 7 will be moved forward.

The additional patterning is accomplished by moving and holding the cam lever in positions I, II, or III and by pressing pattern selector buttons.

Now about this specific machine. I refurbished, cleaned, and serviced it. A completely new sponge bar was inserted. All needles are cleaned and inspected individually. They were also checked by knitting on a full bed to make sure they form the stitches properly.

It will come with all major assesories:

  • The toolbox with a lid
  • Latch hook, crochet hook
  • Transfer tools
  • Needle selection rulers
  • Claw weights (greenish to match the color of the machine)
  • Brush to clean the carriage and the needle bed
  • Replacement needles
  • Ratchet for the set lever
  • Carriage lock
  • Handle for the mani carriage
  • Two cast-on combs – one long for the full bed and one shorter for swatches
  • Table clamps
  • I will even include
  • Yarn mast
  • Bottle with oil
  • Wax (two small wax cylinders will be included – the reason why is below).

The hard copy of the manual will not be included but it can be found here. Additionally,

All these assesories are shown in the picture below.

The assesories fit nicely into a special toolbox.

And the toolbox then sits on the bed. So, you have all you need for your knitting set up in one place.

I always like to knit on a full bed when I test my machines. First, it gives me a chance to see if I overlooked any defective needles. Even when inspecting each needle individually, it is easy to miss a latch that is not moving as freely, a slight bend in the tip of the needle, etc. So, when I knit on a full bed, I see immediately if there are needles that repeatedly mispattern or create strange stitches. If defects on the fabric occur randomly – it is very likely not a defective needle since these defects might be due to the carriage snags, some small knots, or imperfections in the yarn (yarn splits sometimes, which might also result in uneven stitches randomly appearing on the knitted fabric).

The second reason to knit on a full bed, which is especially important for push-button machines, is to see if all needle pushers inside the machine are working as they are supposed to be. The patterning mechanism on push-button machines uses long strips. They look sort of like needle selection tools (some people call them combs or rulers). Each metal strip has “teeth”, shifted by one position on each strip. There are 4 strips for 4-button machines and 8 for 8-button machines. The position of the teeth is shited by one on every strip. There are, accordingly, 4 and 8 positions on the strips for 4- and 8-button machines. So, if these “teeth” are bent, or damaged, not all needles will be pushed forward. And this is what I am checking when I knit patterns on the full bed on push-button machines.

 

 

So, on this machine, I knitted slip-stitch and tuck-stitch on the full bed. The stockinet was very easy to knit. When I knitted the pattern, I noticed that the tension was getting tighter and tighter. It was due to the static accumulation. This was the first time I experienced such static accumulation (using the same yarns on other machines) but attaching a wax to the tension mast solved the problem.

Knitting a 1×1 tuck pattern on this machine uses all needles. In the first row of the pattern, all odd needles are selected and in the second row of the pattern, all even needles are selected. So, on a full bed when knitting this tuck-stitch we test the needle selection and how needles knit the tuck-sitch. All went well as shown in my video. After such a successful test, I then knitted a pouch for my husband’s paddle (the knitting process is shown in the video, and the end result is on the picture to your right).

This brings us to the imperfections of this particular Brother Profil 552 knitting machine:

Buttons need firm pushing. Sometimes I had to press the button twice or three times. The firmer you press, the fewer times you’ll need to repeat pressing. Also, all the levers need to be in their default positions when you start pressing the buttons. Once the buttons are pressed, they are firmly sitting in their positions and do not jump back. It took me some time to get used to firmly pressing the buttons. But once I got used to the right force needed to push the buttons and reset all levers before, all went smoothly. This is one of the reasons this machine needs a patient knitter. Watch my video to see how these buttons sometimes misbehave.

The second imperfection of this machine is slight discoloration of the metal surface as well as roughness. I only see this discoloration on the carriage. However, keeping in mind that this machine is over 55 years old, this should not be surprising. And I still think that this machine has a lot to offer for another 20-30 years, especially if serviced and maintained well. However, because of this, the static accumulation on this machine is a bit more than average. But this problem is solved by using wax and regular oiling. Thus, with this setup, I am including two wax cylinders. This is the second reason this machine needs a patient and caring knitter who will ensure all the setup steps are undertaken prior to the knitting and ensure this machine is well-kept and serviced timely. One tube of oil will be included. Another good oil to use is gun oil on Amazon.

The third imperfection is the levers on the carriage. The lever on the right-hand side slides not as smoothly as on the left-hand side. The metal bracket on the left-hand side was popped out when I got this machine. I fixed it and secured it (it will NOT pop out again) but the metal grooves are not as smooth). I am a petite woman with medium-strength hands and I still move the levers without too much force. At the end of my video, I show the movements of these two side levers.

Video of tests and demo of all imperfections is here.

A couple of cosmetic flaws are shown in the photos below.

Scratches inside the lid:

Minor dents on the outside of the lid.

Scuff mark on the right-hand side of the carriage.

The machine knits wonderfully despite imperfections. In fact, push-button machines handle some unusual yarns better than punch-card machines (not sure why but maybe due to the more fragile nature of the punch-card mechanism – if lint or dirt is stuck in it, it will not pattern properly…??). This is why I like these machines so much. They are working horses!! A combination of automatic stitches selection with hand manipulation of the needles will give a knitter a lot of possibilities!! Yes, punch cards and electronic machines are more versatile and people think they are easier. But think about it: to come up with a novel design for a punch-card machine, a knitter needs to carefully punch a card and then test it. But the design is limited to a 12-24 stitch-repeat pattern. Yes, on an electronic machine one can use repeat patterns with more stitches but then the software is needed, special cables and all those machines are still expensive to buy!!

The bottom line is: there are fewer things going wrong with the mechanically-patterning push button machines and this is why I love them and highly recommend them to a beginner machine knitter or to hand-knitters who still would like to maintain the satisfactory feeling of knitting by hand but with a bit of help from the machine in speed and forming more even stitches!!

I am currently testing KR580 ribber, which fits Brother Profile KH552 machine.