Knitting Machines for Hats

 

Remember those red socks I made my Dad a year ago? They fit so well, he had a hard time getting them on and off his feet. So he asked me to make him a hat instead.   That I can do ...

I thought this would be a perfect job for the circular knitting machine I bought a while back ... so I watched a few You Tube videos, and figured out how to do it ...

How to Knit a Hat Using a Knitting Machine

Shenandoah Hat Addi Knitting Machine Tutorial

Making a Hat on the Addi Express King Knitting Machine

Making a Hat in Less than 30 Minutes on the Addi Express Knitting Machine 

 

Here's the knitted tube before it is transformed into a hat!

 

The ball of yarn. I love this blue -- But I don't remember what yarn this is anymore.

... and in about 35 minutes, I was able to churn out a cute little knit hat--after work, waiting for supper  last night.   I used an app on my iPhone for the counter (I use it when running warp strings).  It was fun, and it looks great! Trouble is: It's sized for a kid.  The knitting mill I have only has 40 needles / hooks.  So if I want to make hats sized for adults, I'd need a larger knitting machine.

So what to do?  There are some cheaper Sentro (toy) versions out there and then there's the Addi King which is a bit expensive, but built to last.

So I made a list -- Ben Franklin-style to help me decide what to do:

 

Sentro Knitting Machine

• About $65
• Cheaply made - "toy"
• Likely to break with minimal use
• Don't count on the counter to work for long
  
• 48 needles / 18-inch ring
• Would make a roomy adult-size hat
• Will ship sooner (I'd have it in less than a week)
• Expected use:
• a few hats for family
• sock blanks for dying yarn
• Do I really need best quality for my minimal use case?
• It will be junked after it breaks or donated to a thrift store

  

Addi King Knitting Machine 

• $250 - 300
• Better construction (not quite industrial grade, but certainly better than a toy)
• Will last longer
• Will maintain value over time
• 46 needles / 16-inch ring
• Will make an adult-size hat
• Will take longer to get here as it ships from Europe and could take up to 3 months to arrive
• Could be a fake on Amazon
• Expected use:
• a few hats for family
• sock blanks for dying yarn
• I usually default to best/better quality, but just because I can afford it, will I use it enough to justify the expense?  Here's that ROI calculation ... Probably not.  Then again, if I buy the cheap one, and it breaks after 3 hats, I'll wish I'd purchased the Addi.
  
• Would be able to resell it later
• I have the smaller Addi Knitting Machine and recognize the quality of this brand

 

The Final Decision

In the end, I opted for the cheaper Sentro Knitting Machine. It should be here in 5 days.  It gets decent ratings for the lesser quality.  I am not planning to make hundreds of hats -- just a few.  Enough to keep me entertained, and use up some yarn.   It will hopefully meet my needs--for now.  We shall see if I made the right choice.