SKILL BUILDER: Pixel Knitting
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First, be aware that there’s a learning curve to
these machines, whether or not you already
know how to hand knit (which is helpful but not
required); this is a different skill. There’s lots of
new information to take in, and new manual skills
to learn as you figure out to how to use the hand
tools to pick up a dropped stitch or decrease a
stitch at the end of a row.
To use these hacks, you’re looking for a
Brother standard gauge electronic knitting
machine, models KH9xx. Look around on
Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or eBay, or join
an online or (better still) a local machine knitting
group and ask if anyone has a machine for sale.
Local purchase is preferable; knitting machines
often get damaged in the mail.
• For the floppy port hack, you’re looking
specifically for a 930, 940, 950i, 965i or 970.
• For the AYAB hack, get a 900, 910, 930, 940,
950, 950i, 965, or 965i, or CK35.
Some machines have a letter “e” such as a
KH940e, the “e” is of no consequence, it just
refers to the color. But the “i” designation in
the 950i and 965i is important, it signifies the
presence of the floppy connector. In the United
States these same Brother machines were
also sold branded as KnitKing, for example the
KnitKing Compuknit III is identical to the Brother
930. Prices in the US have risen a bit in recent
years, so expect to pay $250–$600 or more,
depending on model and condition. Try to buy a
machine that’s complete with most of the tools
and small parts that came with it originally,
though most parts are readily available, and some
can be 3D printed. If you buy from outside your
home country, pay attention to the voltage, you
may need a transformer.
If you want to buy a ribber too (which you’ll
need for a future project in Make:) look for a
KR850 or KR900. A KR830 is OK too, but lacks a
couple of features compared to the 850 or 900.
Most machines that come up for sale haven’t
been used in many years. While most of the
plastic has held up remarkably well, avoid
carrying the machine by its plastic handle as it
can break. The most important thing to know
about refurbishing is to not try to knit before you
check the sponge bar, aka needle retainer bar.
That’s a metal bar that slides out from the end
of the bed with a strip of foam attached — its
job is to sit on top of the needles and provide
springiness and just enough friction. The foam
deteriorates with time and should be replaced
every few years. You can buy whole sponge bars
new, or buy just the sponge and glue it onto the
cleaned-out metal strip (Figure
F
).
The mechanism under the carriage consists
of spring-loaded flippers which can seize up with
time; these usually recover with cleaning and
lubrication. You’ll need denatured alcohol for
cleaning and a light synthetic oil for lubrication.
Do not use WD-40.
The Machine Knitting group on Ravelry
has a permanent thread about cleaning and
refurbishing that’s a good place to ask questions.
Or try Machine Knitting groups on Facebook.
HOW TO BUY AND REFURBISH A KNITTING MACHINE
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