Tag: Knitting Machine Reviews

Silver Reed Knitting Machine Review

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Silver Reed Knitting Machine

The Silver Reed Knitting Machine is the only series of home knitting machines still in active production. While not all of their older models are available as new products, this does give them something of an edge over their competitors. The Silver Reed Knitting Machines are Japanese made and have been distributed under the names of Singer knitting machines, Studio, Empisal and KnitMaster.

Apart from the fact that they are the only home knitting machines still in production, the Silver Reed Knitting Machines do have some other points in their favor. They are relatively easy to set up and use which puts them way ahead of much of their competition especially among people who are new to the world of knitting and more specifically, machine knitting.

Used Silver Reed Knitting Machines are also readily available although parts for some of the older machines can be a bit difficult to obtain. Some of the older machines may be sold online as “Vintage” but they still seem to be well built and capable of coming out of retirement to function fine. Used parts may not be plentiful but they are available online even if you do have to do a little bit of digging to find them.

Places like E Bay do seem to get them on a pretty regular basis and some of the shops regularly purchase old machines specifically for parts both to use and to sell. Another great advantage with the Silver Reed Knitting Machines is the ability to interchange a limited number of parts. While this is not true with all of their machines, lists are readily available online which will show you exactly what parts can be interchanged among their different machines.

Silver Reed Knitting Machine

Additional benefits of the Silver Reed machines in regards to this aspect is the fact that you can still go directly to the factory with your inquiries. Even if they do not sell the older machines any more, there are still people there who have more information than the average person will. They may also have just what you need on hand stashed in a corner somewhere and while it may require a little bit of time on the telephone, this can be a great bonus for people who are not overly familiar with the complexities among even the simple knitting machines.

The Silver Reed machines also come in a variety of sizes to allow you to work with nearly any type or weight of yarn. Some of the newer Silver Reed Knitting Machines are also easily used with many of the more difficult yarns and even wire should you wish to incorporate some of that into your knitting work. Patterns for the Silver Reed Knitting Machines are numerous and easy to find. While they are not as easily manipulated as with some of the other knitting machines, custom work and incorporating different aspects of different patterns is possible with a little bit of practice.

The price and the overall value make the vast majority of the Silver Reed machines a great bargain for the price. Their ease of use and low learning curve also make them a great solution for many people who are new to the world of machine knitting. If you are just looking for a knitting machine to help you along in some of those more difficult moments, the Silver Reed Knitting Machines are and will likely remain a great place to start.

 

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Singer Knitting Machine Reviews

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Singer Knitting Machine

The Singer Knitting Machines come in a wide range of sizes, shapes and varieties designed for almost any type or weight knitting yarn. While they may not be as popular as some of the other brands of knitting machines, the Singer Knitting Machines do have certain offerings that are extremely valuable to the serious knitter in your home or family.

At first glance, there are only two prohibitive factors when you are considering the purchase of a Singer Knitting Machine. They are no longer produced by Singer and the prices are rather steep for anyone relatively new to the world of knitting. However, these are also offset as well. The parts and service for Singer Knitting Machines are readily available in many locations around the globe and the relative ease of use regarding even the more advanced knitting machines by Singer make it a popular selection for some.

The Singer line of knitting machines starts out on the low end with many “Toy” knitting machines that are in fact very functional. Whether they are deemed to be “toy” knitting machines because of their plastic construction or ease of use is unknown but they are still fully functional knitting machines that can be used by adults for adornments and embellishments as easily as they can be to introduce your children (or grandchildren) to the wonderful world of knitting, arts and crafts.

Singer line of knitting machines

There are numerous attachments and other parts readily available for the Singer Knitting Machines as well. Singer Stores are also very common in nearly any large city so finding a certified Singer Technician who actually has experience with the Singer Knitting Machines should not be a major problem.

The Singer Knitting Machines are no more sensitive than any of the other machines and are much better built than some but as with any such sensitive equipment, minor problems can cause major difficulties when you are actually attempting to use the machine. Finding a reputable Singer technician or Service Center should allow you to find a technician who is intimately familiar with your Singer Knitting Machine and can keep it running in nearly perfect order.

When you get up into the larger Singer Knitting Machines, they are very nearly commercial in their nature and ability to produce the finished products. The Singer Knitting Machines at this level are truly amazing machines and have an incredible capacity for knitting at speed. The learning curve may be a bit higher than some of the other knitting machines but if you have the patience to get it up and running and keep all of the finer parts in good condition, these machines really are difficult to beat.

Singer Knitting Machines and attachments are readily available for nearly any yarn weight and style so even working with those difficult yarns like the ribbon yarns, the lace yarns and even the chunky yarns that sometimes create problems on knitting machines can be easily worked with. Again, there may be a slight learning curve and the prices may be a little steep for those new to knitting, if you are a seasoned professional, have the time and patience to learn your machine and are serious about production, the Singer Knitting Machines are difficult to beat.

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Brother Knitting Machine Reviews

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Brother Knitting Machine

The Brother Knitting Machines are the most popular brands of knitting machines in the United States of America and remain popular there and in many other places around the world. The Brother Knitting Machines are some of the most diverse and flexible and are well built and relatively easy to use.

Brother has been building Home and Industrial Appliances as well as business equipment since their inception in 1954 and they have maintained an excellent reputation throughout the years. That reputation was hard-earned and when Brother puts its name behind a product, you can rest assured that you will be getting excellent quality machines and an excellent value for your investments. The knitting machines built by brother are certainly no exception there.

Brother Knitting Machines come in a variety of shapes and sizes for all different manners of knitting. The Primary Knitting Machines are all of the KH series but you may occasionally see KR and KX in reference to these same machines. Do not let that throw you. The Brother KR Series is actually a set of Ribbing Attachments for certain individual knitting machines as well as two additional instructional and owners manuals for the Ribbing Attachments. There is also a KRC 830 which is a Color Changer. The KX 350 is the only machine in the KX series.

The KH series of Brother Knitting machines is a very extensive and comprehensive selection of equipment. While there will always be things that a human can do which a machine cannot, the people at Brother have done a pretty good job of making a selection and variety of knitting machines that will fit most of your needs.

No matter whether you are trying to automate part of your knitting production, just want to experiment a little or actually need the machines for mass production, the brother knitting machines are going to have something that does exactly what you want and need it to do. Many of the Brother machines come replete with a selection of patterns, punchcards and instructions to help you get started immediately. However, do not expect to master any knitting machine in the very first day.

The very first thing you need to do before you ever consider purchasing a knitting machine whether it is a Brother or any other brand, is to clearly define your needs and expectations when it comes to an “automated” knitting machine. There is not going to be any single machine that can do everything.

There are flat machines for knitting flat sections of cloth. These are generally very popular among artists and others who may want a unique background for a photograph, wall hanging or other work of art. The “Nine Millimeter” knitting machines are made specifically for heavier yarns and generally have a looser weave than the machines that are built for the baby yarn or thread-like yard often used in socks and even some clothing items. The machines built for the smaller yarns will never be useful for large sweaters, ascots, scarves and other items typically made with larger yarn.

Still, if you are looking for a reliable and dependable knitting machine that does have a number of options, the Brother Knitting Machines are never a bad idea. Given the ease of use, the readily available patterns, owner’s manuals and even instruction booklets straight from the factory itself make the Brother Knitting Machines a great option and a great overall value for the price.

 

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