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Machines

From Machine Knitting Wiki

Manufacturers

Domestic & Hobbyist

  • Bond (Mostly plastic-bed mid-gauge machines; known as the "Incredible Sweater Machine")
  • Knittax (Early German-engineered manual and punchcard machines)
  • 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)

  • Erlbacher (Modern manufacturer of Gearhart-style circular sock machines)
  • Addi / Sentro (Modern plastic circular machines for hobbyists)

Professional & Industrial

  • 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)
  • 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)
  • 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.

AbstractKnitFactoryFactory: An open-source pattern generator and auto-grader specifically designed for modern machine knitting workflows.

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