Hello everyone! I hope that you are well. Recently I have decided to use up my scraps of wool that I have accumulated over the years from different crafting projects. I had started crocheting a blanket (WIP) but I get really bad cramps in my hand. I discovered the addi machine on Youtube but then discovered that Lincraft had their own version. I the US it is called the loops and threads machine. There are different types of hand crank machines on the market but I went into Lincraft and bought one.
Looking down, this is what you see. It has 40 needles and essentially knits tubes and can also knit panels. Once I started, it was easy to create the tube...I haven't made a flat panel yet.
This machine is certainly making it easy to create knitted projects...but as I am discovering you need the right wool and also to play around with the tension guide.
These are my most successful beanies so far. The wool is 8ply and is silky to touch. The machine didn't have any issues knitting it and the stitches are consistently knitted.
My first scarf on the lincraft machine. Each section was 30 rows, nine sections in total. It liked the plain wool but not the patterned wool which was a bit thinner...both were 8ply acrylic. Machine handle made a clunking sound...need to play with the tension I think.
Football scarf....some issued with the black wool...clunking sound..perhaps the tension needed adjusting. Will make a matching beanie soon. Will try with different wool to see if it makes a difference.
Experimenting with styles of beanies. Tried rib stitch and a reversible beanie. They look better on...might try to do a crochet border for the ribbing next time.
My verdict....I think from my first attempts that the wool type is definitely a major factor in the success rate. I have just ordered a Sentro machine which has more needles and will make the beanies bigger. Will be interesting to compare how it takes the wool. However, for my purpose of making charity items and for using up my wool....a great buy!
