Golden Fleece Sock Machine

This is an old well-used machine however it does work and has 2 cylinders with accompanying ribber

plates - a 60 and an 80 needle. I have the original well-worn instruction manual. Thanks to the Youtube’s videos on the subject, sock knitting machines have come into vogue again and the prices have increased but on the bright side, needles are now being manufactured for the more common machine and thank goodness mine is in there though the needles are not cheap at around 50 dollars for 100 however and the ribber ones even more expensive. Good needles are crucial to the operation of this machine but they are easily damaged by the wool carrier that catches the latches. The machine knits fine socks and of course circular rib is possible and that where they differ from the flat bed machine, which can do circular stocking stitch and its derivatives but not circular rib. I am the first to confess I find the whole process a bit fiddly but perseverance does pay - to my mind the main type of sock this machine excels in is the ribbed sock and you start off with say 40 rows of one by one rib - moving on the say around 100 rows (for long socks) of 3 by one rib, then changing the front set of needles for stockingnet in preparation for the turning of the heel, you then do around 20 rows and then turn the heel - I wont go into this as there are plenty of good videos outlining the method. After turning the heel you then do around between say 40 - 60 rows for the foot and this leads you the final stage and that is turning the toe.

This takes me a couple of hours, for each sock and believes me when I say I have a bucket full of socks that have never reached the toe stage and it’s frustrating. I truly believe the new machines will rattle these socks off but older machines are not so finely honed with the result, lots of hassle. Now the finishing touch is the grafting of the toes and for this you need the Kitchener stitch and again this takes me a while.