Stevan and I both need socks.  And given that sock wool is something we're not short of, it is very silly that we're so short of socks.  But time to hand knit socks is rather lacking, so in an effort to make Stevan's socks respectable ones (and not the very holey ones he currently sports), I got out a secret weapon which I've had now for around 30 years and with which I have a love/hate relationship.  It is a knitting machine.  As a hand knitter I feel it is my little guilty secret.

First of all the wool needs winding into a ball



I'd chosen to use two colours for Stevan which have been tests in the dye shed and haven't been put up on the website.   But I loved the way the colours mixed on the winder.

Then it was upstairs to the machine, and after running through a test sock, as it has been nearly 18 months since I last used the machine, I knitted up a pair for myself using the bluefaced leicester / nylon 4ply, in a new colour which will be coming to the shop soon.  I've not thought of a name for it yet, but it uses a process of dyeing called glazing, and there are small amounts of pink showing through the red surface:



Then it was on to Stevan's socks.  My foot size is 6.  Stevan's is 11.  He has big feet.  However the first one I made him came out a little larger than he really needed, but he was happy with the "slouchy" look, so I replicated it to make a pair.  But the second pair I made were better fitting.  And so in the space of about 4 hours I had 3 new pairs of socks.



And while I struggle to love my knitting machine with its noise and strange bits and pieces such as strippers and carriages:



and alien pattern instructions:



there is no doubting that if you need to produce knitwear at speed this is the way to go.  And once you've got the machine set up correctly turning the heel is a job of a couple of minutes and results in a very neat job:



And the toe looks exceptionally professional:

Sadly the same can not be said of my kitchener stitch when sewing up the toe!

So, will I be putting my knitting needles behind me?  Never!  But my machine brings back so many memories which is unsurprising given how long I have had it.  At the time we bought it it was top of the range of knitting machines around at that time.  It was very expensive, but the knitting machine lessons that were thrown in with the price were invaluable.  It has lived in every home that Stevan and I have ever shared, including our flat in Newlands where I used to use the noise from the machine to drown out the constant crying from the baby in the flat above!  I put it to good use though, making a wardrobe full of cardigans and sweaters for said child.   It has made us countless pairs of socks, and a few sweaters.  And for production knitting you can't beat it.

But I find it hard to love, as it is so mechanical.  For me the pleasure of knitting is the feel of the yarn through your fingers, and feeling pride as your project grows.  But when you have the company of two dogs, a good view out the window, a bit of good music, then I can think of worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon



 

Especially when a few hours work are so rewarding: