If you're wondering what my knitting and sewing setups look like, here's a list with a little description from me. I have also linked some of my most frequently used gadgets if you're interested in purchasing them.

I have two pre-owned knitting machines in my possession which I purchased from an old lady through eBay. In general, I recommend looking for used knitting machines rather than buying a new one to first find out whether machine knitting is for you or not. It's a completely different experience than knitting by hand. 

Knitting by hand is relaxing, so it's ideal for listening to a podcast, watching a series or when you're on the go. Knitting a sweater can take months and every stitch tells a story. Some are perfect and others are less perfect because for example your cat was playing with the wool at that exact moment.

Machine knitting on the other hand is not that relaxing - in fact, it can be very frustrating at times. You might think that it's the easiest thing in the world since all you have to do is push the carriage back and forth, but as an experienced machine knitter, I have to tell you that it takes a lot of endurance and concentration. 

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This is my Empisal Knitmaster Mod 700 which has a built-in Knitmaster 7, row counter and 24 stitch punchcard system. It's a standard gauge machine with a metal bed and  needle spacing of 4,5mm, which is ideal for everyday knits. Since the machine dates from 1989, many accessories have been lost unfortunately. It's been discontinued long ago, but you can still find them pre-owned on online marketplaces and flea markets. I paid 35€ for it, so it's a great deal nonetheless.

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My Silver Reed LK150 is a simple knitting machine without a punchcard system, which means patterns have to be done manually by hand. It comes with many accessories such as a row counter, weights and a knitting mast. It's a mid-gauge knitting machine with a plastic bed and a needle spacing of 6,5mm which makes it very versatile and an all-purpose option. The needle bed can be extended through additional modules which would theoretically make it infinitely long. You can find them pre-owned and new here and here. Luckily I got mine used for 50€.

If your knitting machine comes with no accessories like one of mine, you can find replacements on eBay, Amazon and Aliexpress. I especially recommend Aliexpress, as spare parts there are significantly cheaper and - thanks to their Choice program - arrive quite quickly within 1 - 2 weeks.

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AG11 intarsia carriage for the Silver Reed LK150 for colorful patterns without floating yarns. Click here.

 

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Knit blockers are awesome for shaping your garments.

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A puzzle carpet is a great surface on which you can lay out your clothes and secure them with knit blockers.

Unlike knitting, I'm still fairly new to sewing. I bought my sewing machine 5 years ago and since then it has sat unused in the corner for years. The same applies to my overlock machine. It's only been six months since I've dared to get back into the world of sewing and I'm happy to share my experience and patterns with you.

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I use the Bernette Chicago 7. I am very pleased with the quality and the possibilities it offers me because it is a sewing and embroidery machine at the same time. Here you can find my sewing machine.

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I've got my overlock Veritas Elastica II pre-owned from eBay. It is quite complicated to thread all four yarns, so I would like to try and compare other brands in the future. Overall it is a reliable machine. You can find it here.

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Since I'm not a big fan of using full-size mannequins to construct a pattern, I prefer half-size mannequins which are more practical and require less material. You just need to multiply your pattern times two to reach real-life measurements. You can get a half-scale mannequin here.