Finding Your Knitting Machine Table

A knitting machine is usually a bed of fixed needles with a carriage that pulls the yarn back and forth to catch in the needles and lock into stitches. To get the steadiness needed for this process, you usually need to fasten the bed to a table of some kind. The machine cooperates by coming with hardware that easily fastens to a table top. The question becomes, what do you want from your knitting machine table?

Sturdy and Roomy

You will want something that is sturdy since the back and forth of the carriage can become rather forceful. The repetitious motion demands a comfortable position. The table top should be at a height for sitting. You'll want room to move your arms easily as well so the knitting machine table should not be against a wall that will block your movements.

If this is the table that will be used routinely, you'll want some space for storage. Drawers or shelves either in the knitting machine table, on the walls behind it or nearby are good for the pattern books, user manual, small gadgets and the like will make your work easier. Be sure to store sewing supplies and buttons if you like to make sweaters. An open stand leaves room for plastic bins for yarn cones.

You need more than a knitting machine table of course. Make sure that you have it in a well-lighted area. You may be reading from small pattern charts and resetting needles from one row to the next - all fine work. Don't skimp on the chair either. A comfortable chair with a supportive back and room for arm movement is the ideal. If the area is quiet so you can concentrate, more the better.

You might want to be close to another table for the planning of the project. As compact as a knitting machine is, it takes up a great deal of space on your knitting machine table. You might need to spread out a pattern to get a good idea of the entire thing before beginning.

You'll want to take a look at your yarn cones; especially if you have more than one color in you project and you are using cones left from an earlier project. You want to be sure there will be enough of each color and also be sure that the weight of the yarns match. The middle of a leaping buck on your intarsia sweater front is the wrong place to run out of your secondary color.