Welcome to the wonderfully intriguing and satisfying craft of knitting with circular sock knitting machines. This guide is dedicated to helping you get started on your own journey through CSM knitting and circular sock knitting machines.
Table of contents
Knitting CSM Socks with Handspun Yarn PDF
Spinning and swatching with different handspun yarns has led me to make observations and conclusions about using handspun in a CSM. I’ve compiled all of the details about how I spin and crank my socks into a downloadable ‘Knitting CSM Socks with Handspun‘ PDF guide, including notes about my handspun yarn, CSM cylinder comparison, links to supplies, tools and more.
Equipment & Tools for CSM Knitting
This is what I’m using, it might work for you, it might not. You might have different preferences and that’s totally ok.
I’ll break this down by good, better, best… in terms of just the basic things you need to get started, then what’s a nice to have, and finally, I’ll talk about a few aftermarket accessories and tools that I’ve experimented with.
1. Circular Sock Knitting Machine
To get started with the very basics of CSM knitting, you need one circular sock knitting machine and one cylinder.
New Circular Sock Knitting Machines
You can get new CSM machines from a variety of manufacturers. These machines might be replicas of antique machines or they might be modern innovations. Here is a list of CSM manufacturers to consider:
- Bear Valley Fibres (Canada)
Rachel Ewen makes a 3D-printed sock knitting machine priced at approximately $500 CAD. - Chambord CSM (Compton, Quebec, Canada)
New Accuknitter 400 machines may have a wait list at this time. - Dean and Bean’s Sock Machines (Cedar Falls, IA)
Dean and Bean makes a uniquely-designed 3D-printed CSM. At the time of writing, their production time is 8 to 10 weeks for a new sock machine. The sock machine on its own is priced at approximately $540 USD. - Erlbacher Knitting Machine Company (Cape Girardeau, Missouri)
Erlbacher makes a fully-metal replica of a vintage Gearhart CSM from the early 1900s called the Speedster and larger machine called the Bumblebee. The basic machine package starts at approximately $1,700 USD. I attended the Erlbacher Homecoming & Crank-In event in 2023 and it was such an amazing experience for a new cranker like myself. I encourage everyone to attend! - Lamb Knitting Machine Corporation (Chicopee, Massachusetts)
The Model LT150 circular sock knitting machine is a modern replica of the Tuttle circular sock knitting machine from the 1890s to 1920s. The LT150 will be available to order online in the future. - NZ Autoknitter, aka NZK (New Zealand)
A brand new NZAK CSM machine starts at approximately $1,650 USD - Tru-Knit (St. Louis, Missouri)
Jamie Mayfield designed a new machine that is made entirely of stainless steel and aluminum, making for a lighter machine. She has added a number of unique features including a gauge system that allows you to measure and replicate tension from sock to sock. The cost of a Tru-Knit machine package is $2,950 USD.
Refurbished Circular Sock Knitting Machines
There are a number of people who have the unique skill and ability to restore and repair antique knitting machines. The Circular Sock Knitting Machine Society maintains a list of people who restore or repair CSMs.
My Erlbacher Speedster CSM
In my case, I purchased a brand-new Speedster machine from Erlbacher Knitting Machines. The exact item that I ordered was a Speedster Super Deluxe Machine with two cylinders (72-slot and 60-slot cylinder) which came with cylinder needles, ribbing system, two ribber dials and ribber needles. It also came with a set of three stem weights, a set of three heel fork weights, a buckle, double-ended pick, crescent, counter, set-up bonnet, oil, and tools. As well, I ordered the stand/table for the machine rather than sourcing or building my own. Finally, I ordered my CSM with a custom powder coat colour in “Wild Mulberry” because that sparkly pink is my absolute favourite colour! I talked all about ordering this CSM on a YouTube video here. At the time, I placed my order at the end of January 2022 and received it in July 2022. The wait time for a new machine from Erlbacher may vary, depending on the queue.
Choosing between the 1:1 Ratio or Reduced Ratio crank from Erlbacher: I couldn’t decide between the two different cranks offered by Erlbacher, so I got both so that I could compare. Initially, I started using the machine with the 1:1 Ratio crank (meaning that one crank produces one rotation of the yarn carrier around the circumference of the cylinder). Then, I switched to the Reduced Ratio crank and used that for a few months. I found that while it took less strength to push the Reduced Ratio crank, it was a little awkward for me to get a feeling for knitting back and forth for heels. Switching back to the 1:1 Ratio crank, working heels back and forth was much easier and more efficient… so I’ve kept using the 1:1 Ratio crank for now.
2. Cylinders
Cylinders determine how many stitches you will have in your knitted tube. For example, a 60-slot cylinder will have 60 channels to allow you to insert 60 needles into the cylinder. This will produce a knitted tube with 60 stitches around.
The big question is “which cylinder should I get?” and the answers vary wildly. Some crankers say that they use one cylinder for all sock sizes, just dialing up or down the stitch size to get smaller or larger tubes. Other crankers aim for one consistent tension or stitch size in the knitted fabric and so they use smaller or larger count cylinders in order to generate different tube sizes. The one piece of advice that seems very helpful is to consider how many stitches you normally cast on when knitting socks by hand. Erlbacher reports that 60 and 64-slot cylinders appear to be most popular for ladies’ socks and 72-slot cylinders are often used for men’s socks, although your experience may be different.
Personally, I started with the 60- and 72-slot cylinders and then quickly added on the 48-slot and 64-slot cylinders. This is how I use them now:
- 48-slot cylinder: for knitting kids’ socks with fingering weight sock yarn or knitting thick adult socks with dk-weight yarn
- 60-slot cylinder: for knitting kids’ ribbed socks with fingering weight sock yarn or knitting adult (ladies size 7) stockinette socks with heavy sock weight yarn
- 64-slot cylinder: for knitting adult (ladies size 7) stockinette socks with lighter sock weight yarn (like our SweetGeorgia Yarns Mohair Silk Sock). I use this size almost exclusively for all the socks I’ve knit for friends and family.
- 72-slot cylinder: for knitting larger adult stockinette socks and also for knitting loose gauge tubes from laceweight yarn that are used for garments like the Two-Tone Cashmere Silk Cowl that I made on the CSM.
3. Ribber and Ribber Dial
The ribber is an add-on to my Erlbacher CSM which allows me to work purl stitches into my project and knit things like ribbed socks. Every needle that is inserted into the ribber dial produces a purl stitch. So, for example, to create a 1×1 ribbed tube, I remove every other needle from the main cylinder and then add the ribber and ribber dial and insert a ribber needle in all the slots that correspond to the empty slots in the cylinder.
There are “equal slot ribbers” which have the same number of slots as your main cylinder (eg. 64-slot cylinder and 64-slot ribber dial combo) making it easy to do one-for-one swaps of needles between the two. Antique CSMs generally have ribber dials with half as many slots as the cylinder (e.g. 36 slots on a ribber dial for a 72-slot cylinder). You can also create other cylinder-ribber combinations like using a 54-slot cylinder with a 72-slot ribber dial. For a better understanding of cylinder and ribber dial combinations, you can download a guide written by Steve Ashton about this.
In my case, I have an equal slot ribber for every cylinder (48, 60, 64, and 72). Learning to use the ribber is an adventure all on its own and I’m still working on my skills of seeing through metal. During the Erlbacher Crank-In, I took the ribbing class taught by Darryl and managed to crank a ribbed tube and a ribbed sock, but I continue to have trouble with occasionally dropping stitches off the ribber and not seeing that I dropped them until after I remove the sock from the machine. It’s a matter of practice and experience, I guess.
4. Accessories for your CSM
Cone Winder
One of the great things about machine knitting is that it’s fast! That means that machine also uses yarn really fast. When you try to machine knit from a centre-pull ball of yarn or the outside of a ball of yarn, there is a little bit of irregular tension that happens as the yarn unwinds from the ball. These little inconsistencies in tension can wreak havoc on your knitting and cause all sorts of issues like inconsistent stitch sizes and dropped stitches. So to prevent this issue, the most ideal option is to wind your yarn to a cone so that it can unwind from the cone is a really smooth, tension-free way.
Getting your yarn from skein to cone or ball to cone requires a cone winder and a swift (if you are converting from a hank or skein). These are the cone winders that I have used and can recommend:
- Sunfire Cone Winder: The Sunfire cone winder is a 3D-printed tool that is designed by Dave Huelster. This cone winder is a manual crank tool that winds sock-weight and lace weight yarn beautifully and perfectly onto cardboard cones. I purchased my Sunfire from CassandrasPlaceStore on Etsy as Cristina Saldana printed mine custom for me in my favourite colours. Dave Huelster has made improvements on the original Sunfire and now has the Sunfire III cone winder (manual winder, can be powered by electric screwdriver) and the Sunfire Volt cone winder (motor driven electric cone winder!) available for purchase through CSM Supplies.
- For cardboard cones, I purchased mine from Tuft the World in Canada but you can also get the same cones from the Woolery or CSM Supplies in the United States. I also purchased two little “Pony 2622 2 1/2 inch clamps” that I use to clamp the cone winder to the table.
- EEW Cone Winder: This is an electric cone winder designed and manufactured by Maurice Ribble at Dreaming Robots. Being an electric cone winder, this is amazingly hands-free. I can set it up to wind a cone and walk away while it’s winding. The winder comes with specially designed cones that grip the yarn well. I find that I need to line up the cone winder and centre it with the yarn source so that the yarn winds evenly across the length of the cone. This cone winder winds very efficiently and is great if you have lots of cones to wind!
- Cone Adapter for Bobbin Winder: Before the EEW Cone Winder kickstarter was ready and before the Sunfire existed, I used this simple cone adapter from WoodThatItWhir on Etsy. Basically, it’s two circular wooden discs with grooves cut out. The two discs are slipped over the edges of the cardboard cone and then the whole thing is popped into my Leclerc double-ended electric bobbin winder. It worked really well, but your hand has to guide the yarn back and forth along the length of the cone, like you would when winding a weaving bobbin.
Lycra Bar
The Lycra Bar from The Yarn Mafia is a helpful little add-on for your CSM. It basically allows you to thread a carry-along yarn (like lycra or kevlar or sewing thread) to your machine separate from your main yarn so that the two yarns don’t get tangled. I use this quite often for lycra and also our Silk Mist silk/mohair laceweight yarn when I carry it along with the main yarn for strength or fuzziness.
Other Tools and Innovations
The magic of 3D printing is that it can bring to life whatever is in your imagination. Joyce Parsons and her husband are creating new tools and reimagining antique tools for the CSM knitting world, including mast-mounted mirrors, heel hold down tools, cylinder covers, and little tiny clips to help quiet your Erlbacher CSM. See their website at Joyce Knits and Sews for all the new accessories and tools they are creating .
