The above machine is from 1893, created by a company called Creelman Bros which was based here in Canada, in Georgetown Ontario. The design is quite simple, you crank a handle, needles move, yarn moves, and it stitches for you. There’s an attachment that fits in the top so you can do ribbing, too. They’re solid machines, weighing about 28lbs – and I recently purchased one off of EBay.
Why?
Because these textile machines absolutely fascinate me – and they’re no longer in production except for one company that creates reproductions for upwards of $1200 USD. It honestly blows my mind that something I am so incredibly passionate about hasn’t actually evolved or changed over time, it is that niche.
It hasn’t arrived yet, but I’m excited to try it out and see how well it knits. The test samples shown seemed to work well, but sometimes you just don’t know when it comes to EBay. I certainly didn’t pay as much as the reproductions go for, but it wasn’t a light sum, either. Hopefully I’ll have an update on the purchase in a week or two.