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Funny you should mention shoes - my wife was demoing making socks at our local mini Maker Faire last year. There is a small, but devoted community of people who use their machine shops to build modern versions of the antique hand-cranked knitting machines used to makes socks. She has a room full of them, and it is a great blend of modern tech, antique machines, and hand crafted goods that was perfect for a Maker Faire.

We're interested to see what fallout this has on such local gatherings, whether they will continue or not.



> There is a small, but devoted community of people who use their machine shops to build modern versions of the antique hand-cranked knitting machines used to makes socks.

Whoa, what? Okay, super interested in this. Especially after seeing so many local schools and universities auction off or scrap what probably amounts to tons of old-iron textile processing machinery.

Please let me know if you have any relevant links! Would appreciate muchly.


My wife is the expert on it, but I know this is the main company she works with for her new machines: http://stores.erlbachergearhart.com/

(She also has a collection of antiques she has picked up over the years.)

But really, you can find most of the links you would want if you search for: "circular sock knitting machine"


In the machines or the people making them? I'd love to see someone build a machine.

There are videos on Youtube of the old machines being used.

Vintage Sock Knitter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N7hsho4Sjg




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