through discussion with my crit and colleagues i have decided to try and hack the Matador Knitting machine, which i found a few weekends ago in Morris, MB. upon purchase of the machine i was given the good old smile and the encouragement on trying to figure out how it works. this weekend has primarily been spent researching the "matador" knitting machine....i think. after spending half a day at the library and looking through books that dated back as far as 1857....no lie i am still a little puzzled as to what i picked up in Morris. i know however that is has something to do with knitting.
so i decided to go to trusty old kmart and pick up a $4.99 ball of yarn and some needles. it was amazing as to how fast i picked up my once upon a time obsession with knitting - lasting for 3 years of my childhood. i finished my first row of knitting with my $4.99 ball of warn in about 15 min first crack at it....but then i could not remember how to start the second row. i once knew how to do it, so i kept trying attempt after attempt until i got it. i currently have about 25 rows done that approximately took me 5hrs....and the once again obsession is back.
i decided at that point to keep sifting through the books i came across in the library. i could not and currently can not keep my eyes off of the pages. the pages are compiled with new worlds of exploration. It is as if the knowledge has been waiting there for me to become obsessed with.
in addition to library books, past down knowledge of knitting, and internet i have also started to develop a series of drawings in order to increase my understanding of the matador. my first stage of the drawing consists of a layout of the matadors main parts. tomorrow i will continue trying to figure out how the movable parts fit together to create the function of the machine....which is still unkown.
few definite things so far:
- the Matador machine is a straight bar frame
- it is a lot more manual then i first believed.
- click here
2 comments:
super cool project.
what is most interesting to me is the relationship with the matador that seems to be in the subtext. as you learn about the matador through other sources, the discovery of the machine itself will be unveiled and a bond created?
very true i am very excited to see how this will unfold Vance!!!! my dad and grandma tracked down a lady who is part of a knitting club. the lady has tracked me down a manual for a machine that is pretty close to the model i have. the machine dates back all the way to 1950's. and originates in Australia. pretty neat stuff. i will hopefully have manual in hand next week before i head off to Halifax with studio. tonight i am going to have fun and play with the machine.....going to see if i can figure out how to knit. fingers cross. i will post my finding. thanks for the comment. keep em coming.
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