|
Zero to Three in sixty days ...
... or thereabouts. Why did I get into sock machines?
I was having a lot of fun hand knitting socks, toe-up,
top-down, on two circulars, playing with short row heels and toes, cast-ons, cast-offs, bind-offs on the toe. Then my folks visited. They picked out yarn, and I promised. Did my mother's pair first. I worked up to 120 stitches on the ankle, and for various reasons and her specs, needed to do 12 inches of K2P2 rib.
To hold off insanity, I would do an inch, put it down for a week or so, do another inch, and so on. Six months later, in the spring, it was done. Thank goodness! I had heard of CSMs from the spindler's list on Yahoo Groups and so promptly found who sold refurbished ones near me -- Pat Fly, in Chehalis. No way were my Dad's pair going to take 6 months!
Needless to say, I left that month's crank-in with Putterfly, a gorgeous Legare 400. Then I got a 27 slot ribber to do 1/1 rib with the 54 slot cylinder, but really wanted another ribber part to put it in, so as not to be trading out parts all over the place.
So, on to eBay it was. I ended up with a Legare 47 that did give me the ribber top, primarily because the only cylinder that fit in it was the 84 it came with (not the 72 and thus the 36 cylinder ribber wasn't that useful...). But, 84 stitches are good for baby hats, so I had my two ribber tops for "Putterfly" and "Twiggy" had a role too.
Back on to eBay, focusing on Legare 400's for certain this time. Lovely machine arrived. I finally cleaned it (slightly longer than 60 days after buying Putterfly) and put it together. It isn't yarn tested yet, but it looks marvelous and I'm expecting great things from it. Perhaps its name shall be 'Great Expectations'?
That's enough said for now. I won't mention the arms I'm twisting for more machines or the other parts I've picked up to play with as well. It's like potato chips. If I can avoid changing a cylinder, I will. Although, I must say, the CSMs have sparked my 'mechanical mind' and made me a fixture at the local auto parts store (I think they sold me the degreaser that wouldn't open just so I would come in again!)
And oh yes -- Dad's pair was #10 on Putterfly, and got a blue ribbon in the county fair. They will be sent to him next week, after the fair is over.
What I tell people is that yes, they (CSMs) take some care and visits to auto parts stores, but that unless your auto parts store sells nail polish, you'll be visiting the cosmetics counter in your drug store, too! Just some CSM humor...
Amelia Carlson
Happy cranking,
Amelia, from sunny Sequim, WA
http://sssocks.com/
|
|
