08/23/2025
Hi there followers! Just wanted to let everyone know that you'll be able to find me out in the wild today at the Alaska State Fair! Come on out and see the quilts, hand crafts, and fiber arts demonstrations!
In the interest of saving my voice a little- haha- I know I'll be talking all day anyway- I thought I'd list a few of the FAQ that I typically get at these events.
1. "What is THIS?!" It is a CSM or a Circular Sock Machine or a knitting machine that works in the round. Yes- it makes knitting faster. No- it doesn't do everything for me. Yes- it's kind of magic- but magic that took some serious time to learn how to do... also known as skill.
2. "What does it do?" It produces socks, scarves, mittens, hats, etc. much faster than I can do it by hand. A pair of socks takes me about 2 to 2.5 hours depending on complexity of pattern.
3. "Where can I get one of these?!" These machines have been around since the 1860's and are still being made today. My 2 that I use the most are both from Missouri, USA. I have an Erlbacher ERL and a Tru-Knit from Jamie Mayfield. They are expensive to purchase- about the same price that you'd pay for an industrial sewing machine- but you have to remember these are made up of hand machined parts. I've seen the workshop. It was really, really impressive.
4. "Do you take custom orders?" Yup! In the voice of the chef from The Little Mermaid: "It's what I do! It's what I LIVE for!" Yes. The whole reason I went through months of trial and error with these machines was to be able to make socks that fit my feet. Commercial socks are too tight or left marks in my skin. I've learned all the tricks and can make socks from toddler sizes all the way up to the really hard to find men's sizes. If you've got a project, let's talk!
5. "I have this really old machine and I don't know if it works! Can you look at it for me?" Of course! I love helping people get a machine mystery solved. I can help you find sources for parts and accessories too.
6. "Where can I find more information?" I learned a lot of what I know from following pages on Facebook. Circular Sock Machine Knitters 2.0 and 3.0 are great places to start. There is also the CSKMS- The Circular Sock Knitting Machine Society. AngoraValley.com has manuals and needles.
7. "Do you teach?" Yes! Reach out to set up a 1 on 1 session. If you are looking to maybe buy one of these machines, this is an excellent way to try it out. Plan to spend most of a day and bring a notebook because your brain will be full!
That's it for now.... happy crafting my friends!
Angora Valley Fibers sells restored sock knitting machines, knitting machines, hand made personalized Christmas Stockings,yarns, sock yarns, boiled wool and more natural fiber related items.
