Newsletter: Prez Sez

The addiction is real. Yep. I said it.

Not drugs. CSMS. I admire those of you who are able to purchase that one machine that you then put to work to produce a bazillion socks, for family, friends or to take to market. Never looking for or wanting another.

When I saw my very first CSM – unintentionally while looking for instructions for a specific heel on YouTube, I knew I needed one. I had been knitting socks by hand for many years and really enjoyed that. Projects that were manageable, done in a relatively short time, and portable. They were always welcome gifts too. The CSM though had me mesmerized. I advised my long suffering spouse that I had to have one of those.

I was fortunate to actually see one in action at a local fiber festival. In retrospect, that was on older Gearhart, complete with stand, but without a ribber. The lady who owned/cranked it, was cranking up socks from her homespun. I watched her for a long time and asked a lot of questions. I also bought a pair of her shorty socks and some of her handspun.

I went in search of a machine. After much research and deliberation, I decided that I would like a Legare 400. I found one on eBay, plunked my money down and waited. I remember the postal worker groaning when she unloaded and carried the box to my doorstep. It had come all the way from Canada. All was in good shape and I promptly set out to get it set up.

YouTube became my very best friend. I found the 3 part video on how to set up the machine, and finally figured out the need for something to cast on with. I struggled along for a while, the learning curve steep and my swear jar overflowing, but eventually got the hang of it and was knitting socks. I knew no one that had a machine, Facebook was not a thought yet.

I really enjoyed that machine. It was a stellar knitter. Then I found another one I really liked, so poor old Legare was off to a new home so I could fund the new acquisition. I did this for a while. Selling one to buy one, and was fortunate to get my hands on some awesome, old, interesting machines. But then, they started to stay and I had a little museum going on. I did share with others, demoing, telling the history and even giving lessons. Often that meant I would also part with one of my machines to give a new cranker a start. There has been a time or two I regretted rehoming a machine and I have a little list of “I need first right of refusal if you ever want to sell” going.

Most recently I decided that I would order a LT150 and in order to fund it and make some room, I decided it was time to downsize. I reached out to a few crankers and sold a machine. I had an offer for another but decided it would be way more fun to trade… so a Quicknit found a new / old home (long story) and a Swedish Favorit took its place. Thinking I am done, I received a message from my good friend the Colorado Cranker, that a machine she had told me about a long time agon when we first met was going to be for sale. It is a German machine, a lady hauled over from Germany and brought to Candy’s house to give it the once over. I learned the machine was never used by the person who had it and she was now looking for a new home for it. It is a “Drei Ring” looks much like an Imperia or other European closed cam machine, but appears to have some other interesting bits. I am anxious to see what exactly their purpose is or why the machine is named a “Drei Ring” – which means Three Rings. I am going to pick her up in a couple of weeks. So, I my intention to keep only my Tryon Tuttle and my German Ideal (gifted to me by my younger sister and shipped from Germany) and rehome everything else, I find myself with an LT150 on the way and the same number of old machines I had before deciding to downsize.

Well, I will just admit it. The addiction is real.

Happy cranking to you all, whether you have one or many CSMS!

Judy