Machines

Manufacturers

Domestic & Hobbyist

• Brother (Includes KnitKing, Jones, and Defendi rebrands)

• Singer/Silver Reed (Includes Knitmaster, Studio, Empisal, and Seiko)

• Passap (Also sold as Pfaff in some markets)

• Toyota (Also sold as Elna or Elena)

• Bond (Mostly plastic-bed mid-gauge machines; known as the "Incredible Sweater Machine")

• Knittax (Early German-engineered manual and punchcard machines)

• Superba (French-made machines often branded as Singer, White, or Phildar)

• Corona (Japanese manufacturer of both standard and bulky machines)

• Juki (Japanese manufacturer known for unique early manual models)

• Artisan / Taitexma / Creative (Modern Chinese manufacturers producing clones of vintage Brother and Silver Reed models)

Hand-Crank & Circular Sock Machines (CSM)

• Lamb (Famous for the Lamb LT 150 and early Lamb Tuttle models)

• Erlbacher (Modern manufacturer of Gearhart-style circular sock machines)

• Addi / Sentro (Modern plastic circular machines for hobbyists)

Professional & Industrial

• Dubied (Swiss V-bed machines; models include the Dubied NH, Dubied MR, and Dubied MM)

• Shima Seiki (The Japanese leader in modern computerized "WholeGarment" knitting)

• Stoll (German industrial flat-bed leader, now part of the Karl Mayer Group)

• Kniterate (Digital "desktop" industrial knitting machine for small studios)

• Monarch / Fukuhara (Leaders in large-diameter circular knitting machines)

• Mayer & Cie. (German circular knitting manufacturer)

• Santoni (Italian leader in seamless "circular" garment technology)

Brands

Brother Related Brands

• Knit King (The primary brand for Brother machines in the US market)

• Jones (The brand used for Brother machines in the UK)

• Knitmaster (Early Brother machines were occasionally sold under this name in Europe)

Silver Reed Related Brands

• Studio (The primary brand for Silver Reed in the US and Canada)

• Singer (In many markets, including Australia and parts of Europe, Silver Reed machines were sold as Singers)

• Empisal (The brand used for Silver Reed in South Africa and parts of the UK)

• Knitmaster (The primary brand for Silver Reed machines in the UK)

• Viscount (A brand name used for Silver Reed models in various regions)

Superba Related Brands

• White (The brand name for Superba machines in the US)

• Singer (Note: Singer also sold French-made Superba machines, which are dual-bed units)

• Phildar (A French brand for Superba machines)

Toyota Related Brands

• Elna (Many Toyota machines were sold under the Elna name, particularly in Europe)

• Elena (A variant branding for Toyota models)

Passap Related Brands

• Pfaff (Passap machines were rebranded as Pfaff after the companies merged/collaborated in later years)

Miscellaneous & Department Store Brands

• Sears (Sold various rebadged machines, often Kenmore or Brother-based)

• Montgomery Ward (Often sold Brother rebadges)

• Penney's (JCPenney sold various Japanese-made machines under their house brand)

Machine Table

Below is a sortable list of all knitting machines currently in the database:

Manufacturer	ModelName	Gauge	Type	Needles	ReleaseYear	Aliases
Brother	KH 210	Bulky	Domestic	110	1,970	Brother Chunky Manual
Brother	KH 230	Bulky	Domestic	110	1,982	Brother Bulky 9
Brother	KH 341	Standard	Domestic	200	1,980	Brother Foldaway
Brother	KH 400	Standard	Domestic	200	1,988	Brother Convertible
Brother	KH 552	Standard	Domestic	200	1,968	Jones KH 552
Brother	KH-800	Standard	Domestic	200	1,971	Jones KH-800
Brother	KH-801	Standard	Domestic	200	1,973	Jones KH-801
Brother	KH-810	Standard	Domestic	200	1,975	Jones KH-810
Brother	KH-881	Standard	Domestic	200	1,983	KnitKing SS-881 • Jones KH-881
Brother	KX 350	Mid	Domestic	132	1,985	Brother Home Knitter
Dubied	JET 2	Variable (5-cut to 12-cut)	Electronic Flat Machine		1,978	Dubied JET
Dubied	MM	Variable (5-cut to 14-cut)	V-Bed Industrial		1,930	Dubied Master
Dubied	MR	Variable (5-cut to 14-cut)	V-Bed Industrial		1,940	Dubied Moderne
Dubied	NH	Variable (5-cut to 14-cut)	V-Bed Industrial		1,920	Dubied Normal
Lamb	Class 1	Variable (typically 5 to 9)	V-Bed Flat		1,867	Original Lamb • Lamb V-Bed
Lamb	LT 150	Variable (Cylinder dependent)	Circular Sock Machine		2,017	Modern Tuttle
Silver Reed	SK 210	Standard (4.5mm)	Metal Bed Manual	200		Singer 210 • Studio 210

Aftermarket Modifications

Beyond original factory accessories, the maker community has developed several hardware and software modifications to modernize vintage machines or add new functionality.

Electronic Patterning & Interfaces

These modifications replace or bypass original proprietary electronics to allow for modern computer-aided design (CAD) integration.

• AYAB (All Yarns Are Beautiful): An open-source hardware/software interface that replaces the "brains" of Brother KH-9xx electronic machines, allowing them to be controlled via USB.

• Img2Track: A software solution for Brother machines that allows users to upload photographic images and complex patterns without needing a hardware hack.

• DAK (DesignaKnit) Integration: Third-party cables (e.g., Silver Link) that connect electronic machines to professional patterning software.

Motorization & Automation

• DIY Motor Drives: Custom-built motor systems using Arduinos, stepper motors, and timing belts to automate the carriage movement.

• External Power Supplies: Replacing aging internal capacitors and power boards with modern, stable switching power supplies.

• Paper Tape Emulators: Hardware that mimics the input of vintage paper-tape readers for industrial machines like the Dubied JET 2.

Hardware Ergonomics & Utility

• LED Needle Bed Lighting: Custom LED strips mounted to the underside of the yarn mast or machine lid to improve visibility of the needles and stitches.

• 3D Printed Parts: Custom-designed needle bed extenders, row counter triggers, and replacement gears (often for machines with "planned obsolescence" parts like the Brother punchcard drums).

• Tension Mast Modifications: Adding secondary tension springs or ceramic eyelets to handle "difficult" technical yarns like wire, conductive thread, or high-twist linen.

Software & Compilers

• Knitout: An open-source intermediate representation for knitting patterns, designed to work across different types of industrial and modified domestic machines.