Newsletter: Member Bio Section

Donna Barnitz

New Mexico

Started cranking: December 2021

How did you learn about CSMs? I saw a demo of a sock being knit on one at a folk art festival about 20 years ago and it stayed in my mind.  When a friend challenged me to learn something brand new, that sock machine came back to me.  I’m not a knitter, so there has been a pretty steep learning curve, but three months later I can crank a decent sock.

How did you learn to crank? YouTube!  SockTV!

Ribber preference: I don’t even understand this question, so I must have more to learn. 

What do you like most? Challenging, but rewarding!  And who doesn’t love self striping yarn??

Favorite item to make: So far I’ve enjoyed the taco fold headbands and socks.

Favorite yarn: I enjoy hand dyeing my own super wash wool. 

Cranking advice: Go ahead and buy all the useful accessories!

Can you knit with sticks? I plead the 5th.

Pet peeves: I haven’t found a New Mexico cranker yet.

Been to a crank-in? No

What else should we know about you?

I’m an elementary art teacher, so my days are breakneck busy, loud and crazy.  Cranking is the opposite.