In this whole manual search, I ran across a wonderful site, http://www.aboutknittingmachines.com/, one that ought to be in your favorites list. I've been a fan of her site, but hadn't looked at it in quite a while.
She has a tremendous number of OOP (out of print) and public domain manuals for machines, plus instruction books and magazines. Let's help her get the rest of the manuals that she has listed as missing. If you've got an old machine manual that isn't up there, why not scan it to a .pdf and send it to her? You could indirectly bless someone who has acquired a nice classic machine and wants to learn to machine knit.
She as a non-commercial, completely free site that, as far as I can tell, exists just to help us all out! For instance, I read her "preferred vendors" list an found several of the vendors I think are absolutely the most helpful and trustworthy. She included me, which is an honor, and I can attest that is not a paid ad - it's just her sharing resources for knitters.
She has some very high-quality essays and reviews, as well. Her site is very well-designed (oh, I wish my web skills were up to that standard), and she's very practical in her advice and approach to MK.
Gradually, my site morphed from a "free help" site to include a small mail order business, because I now sell books and DVDs. I work extremely hard on my products, making them as good as I possibly can, and I also spend a lot of money on printing, supplies, equipment, and so forth, and that's why I started selling. However, at the same time, I constantly work on making the blog a great "free help" site at the very same time.
I very much want anyone who has a "free help" site to know that I appreciate you very much. The same goes for anyone who is running a knitting club, whether or not they have a dealer to help. When you help other knitters get going, you are also helping every one of us who sells patterns and equipment and you're helping the knit clubs keep going.
I am actively seeking ways to popularize machine knitting. I keep coming up with ideas, and a few of them float. If you have ideas about how I can help popularize MK, let me know.
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I can't seem to download anything. I'm not able to open a .pdf but am asked if I want to download public_file_binary_php?page and a bunch of other strange code. :o(
ReplyDeleteShe's done a great compiling job!
I tested it before I posted, downloading a really cute magazine, and it worked for me. However, my email to her with some more manuals bounced.
ReplyDeleteWhen I get a chance I will try and contact her. The website could just be temporarily down. Her site looks so very professional, so I imagine she'll fix it if we can contact her.
Great site I think although I did not try to download anything but lots of info to yarn shopping shhhhhhhh :)
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the problem is with the downloading site, not hers. You are correct, her site is very professionally made.
ReplyDeleteWonderful Resource - Thank You for posting :-) Shine ON* Katie
ReplyDeleteI think you have done a great job at promoting Machine Knitting. Hundreds of people come to your videos to get started. I have been machine knitting for several years, and I have learned lots from your videos.
ReplyDeleteAt this point we just have to keep at it, I think, everyday I see more and more new knitters joining in. As people realize the huge stashes they have and no time to hand knit it all, more and more will join.
One thing, there are a lot of people that think that you NEED coned yarn, maybe a series on Machine Knitting with hand knitting yarns? show how to prepare the cakes, where to place them, how to translate a hand knitting pattern to machine knitting?
I have also noticed that used machines are not as readily available now....people are buying them by the load. I just hope those machines don't end up under the beds or in the closets, yet again. Keep at it! and Thank you!