I was flipping through the pages of the book: Machine and Hand Knitting Pattern Design by Kathleen Kinder yesterday when i came across an ad for the Bond Knitting machine. I googled the name and to my surprise i found a website that had a series of utub videos explaining how to use the Bond knitting machine. the machines technique(s) are very similar to the matador knitting machine i happened to come across a few weekends ago. After watching the videos over and over again i decided to test out my machine. currently i am still trying to figure out how it works and have come to the realization that the machine i have needs some modifications or a kit of parts to work the way it may have been intended to, which i will be trying to research and develop in the next few days. this evening i will continue to play around with elastic thread and yarn in hopes that i will figure out some more characteristics of the machine, as vance mentioned continue to develop my relationship with the machine. I am really looking forward to the potentials that the machine has to offer . although i am not sure what the outcome(s) will be i am very excited to see what manifests.
over the past few days of my research i have been discussing my progress with my grandmother and father. i was given a few suggestions about calling knitting clubs and searching the web but i had little success. i was told more then once that the knitting machine was a lost form of art and it would be hard to figure out how to hack it. did not really pay attention too much to those comments but instead i feel i will be able to re-establish the art form and morph it into some new form. Anyways today I received a phone call with someone on the other end who had found information about the matador - my grandmas and fathers interest in the subject led me to a new sources of knowledge!!! next week i will be receiving a manual on the matador knitting machine all the way from Australia where the machine originates from. the machine is believed to have been crafted in the early 1950's. wow is that not amazing!!!! thank you guys!!!
click here for bond videos
1 comment:
I just came across your blog and was particularly interested in this post.
I agree that machine knitting is a lost art. I too am in the process of attempting to come to terms/build my relationship with my two machines. I have an Empisal and a Knitmaster. I have been at it now for two years, and only recently (last six months) I have gained the confidence to start experimenting with different patterns and stitches, as well as knowing how to overcome/solve problems.
However the reason for commenting is, I think out of all of the books available on knitting (and I have quite a few) I consider the Matador instruction manual to be the most helpful and clearly written set of instructions and patterns/designs I have come across.
I would dearly love to find a Matador myself. You would think (seeing it was an Aussie machine) I would be able to find one here, but as yet I haven't had any luck locating one. But I will continue my search.
I hope you have continued with your knitting and are on the road to some level of mastery.
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