The Circular A Newsletter for the Genesee Valley Sock Machine Club Volume 1, Issue 5 September-October, 2006 Carol Bonczek demonstrated her Creelman Knitter last year at the 2005 Hemlock Fiber Festival. She has become very productive with her knitting and has made as many as 7 pairs in one day. http://interprizez.org/GVSMC p2 From the Editor There was an opportunity for the GVSMC to meet at the Medina Stone Farm in October, but that was cancelled because of a severe ice storm. Lea and I went to Medina a week earlier to investigate the location of the Stone Farm and hoped to go to the barn dance after the festival event. We were able to stay that evening and attended a presentation of old time music by Ron and Nancy OneSong. Hopefully, this one-day event can be scheduled again for 2007. The Farm has some interesting history and we found Ron and Nancy to be an entertaining, talented couple. In this issue starting on page 5 is information on row counters. Then on page 4, two tools frequently used with a sock machine are illustrated. These are tools that I have developed and can be made from readily available items. By Fred Hauck The Circular Editor Frederic D. Hauck 2428 English Road Rochester, NY 14616 [email protected] Cover photo by Fred Hauck Upcoming Events; 2006 OCTOBER 14, SATURDAY 9:00 am- 5:00 pm SOCK MAKING MEETING CAROL BONCZEK Call 359-3213 p3 SIGN UP SHEET FOR SOCK MAKING MEETING DATE: OCTOBER 14TH SATURDAY 9:00 am- 5:00 pm LOCATION: CAROL BONCZEK'S 24 BARNFIELD RD PITTSFORD, N.Y. 14534 HOME: 585-3598-3213 CELL: 585-739-4018 E-MAIL: [email protected] AGENDA: Meeting other sock makers Help with sock making Open meeting What to bring: your sock machine and accessories Sock yarn, fingering or sport weight yarn Stool your machine can be mounted on. Please bring brunch or lunch food to pass. Any special recipes are welcome. Two dollar donation to cover hostess expenses. R.S.P.V. by e- mail if you have e- mail otherwise phone message SEP'I'EMBER NEWSLETI'ER By Carol Bonczek Our September meeting consisted of demonstrating the knitting machines as well as discussing the history of the production and use of these machines in the early 1900's. A number of us participated in the Antique Sock Knitting Demonstration at Fiber Festival on September 16th and 17th in Hemlock, New York. On Saturday and Sunday Fred and Lea brought their Gearhart Sock Machine and Lamb Flat Bed machine and demonstrated how to use them. Carol demonstrated sock making with her Old Creelman and Harmony Auto Knitter. Linda also helped with the demonstration as well as demonstrated spinning. Leslie Darling brought "Louie" LeGare on Saturday afternoon and Doreen and David demonstrated on Sunday with their Gearhart. Many visitors participating in other Festival Activities and demon- Our talented spinner and sock maker, Linda Sue Williamson brought her spinning wheel and sock machine to the 2005 Hemlock Festival. She had an issue of Antique Knitters Circular published by Fred Hauck on her lap. Her sister sitting to her right stopped by for a visit. strations stopped to say hello. It was a wonderful fall weekend which brought in many fiber shoppers, spinners and knitters who were curious about this "strange sock machine." To say the least, people were fascinated watching the machine in use and the produc tion of a sock in a very short time. They enjoyed hearing a brief history as to how these machines came into production for home use. October's meeting will be on the 14th Saturday from 9-5. You should have received an e- mail on the particulars. We need all to respond as to who is coming for the October meeting so we will have enough room for everyone. Depending on the response we may move the meeting to a hall so we will have enough room. Please let Carol Bonczek know ASAP if you plan on attending. p4 Hauck Buckle A non-slip buckle for use with a circular or flat bed knitting machine can be made from wire and plastic coat hangers. The wire is bent as in figure 1. Cut two straight pieces from a plastic hanger to a length of 4 inches. Drill hole s a quarter inch from the ends of the plastic pieces, making the holes in one bar a tight fit on the wire, and on the other bar about twice the diameter of the wire. After shaping the wire as in figure 1, slip the plastic bar with larger holes onto the wire. Then press the second bar onto the ends of the wire. The first bar placed on the wire will slide easily on the wire to make space for attaching the buckle to the knitted web. Combination Crescent / Screw Driver A combination Crescent and Screw Driver can be made from a table knife. Fig. 2. Scribe a curved mark on the knife edge with a radius of 2 7/16 inches. This is the radius of curvature of a sock machine cylinder. Grind away the knife edge to form the concave shape. Sand and smooth the ground curved edge. Grind the end of the blade in the shape of a common screw driver tip and square the tip to fit slotted screws. Advantages of this Buckle: •Easy Set-up •Non-slip •Low Cost •Simple Construction Alternative materials and dimensions may be applied to this design to accommodate long bed knitting machines or narrow webs. Stainless steel tubing and wire may be substituted for corrosion resistance or strength. Bars longer than 4 inches ma y rub against the crank wheel on circular sock. machines. Fig. 2. p5 INSTRUCTIONS New Zealand Auto Knitter FOR USING THE NEW Readers of this newsletter are invited to visit the Web site of Jacquie Grant of New Zealand. She is manufacturing a new Auto Knitter modeled after the original machine that is so popular today. The machine is called the AKNZ. Visit the site at: http://www.autoknitter.com/JGVSKMM/ The machine is cast from aluminum, which makes it much lighter than the original cast iron machines. Some individual parts can be purchased. One can e-mail Jacquie to inquire about price and availability. Jacquie Grant plans to attend the 2007 CSMSA Conference in Frederick, MD to promote her machine. The latest information received from Jacquie came in this recent e-mail message: "Thank you for the positive note. I have actually made a few changes to my cylinders and they now have thicker walls inside and I can drill appropriate holes so they can be used with LeGare 400 as well as Auto Knitters and I am now making the following sizes both cylinders and corresponding ribbers, 24/48, 27/54, 30/60, 36/72, 40/80, and 42/84. Early next year they will be available in Alloy or Brass". GEARHART COUNTER Occasionally, the need arises to install a row counter on a sock machine. Joseph Gearhart sold a counter specifically for his Gearhart Family Knitting Machine. The instructions on the following pages are for the benefit of those who want to install a mechanical counter on their own machine. Most knitters have a yarn carrier and guide post similar to the Gearhart machines. The article provides enough information to suggest how to make parts to mount a counter purchased “over-the-counter” (nice pun!). The counter is mounted on the post so it will swing away from the cam when counting is not required. The cam is fixed to the carrier and will trip the counter in both forward or reverse operation. The Gearhart Counter There are three main parts to the Counter Outfit—COUNTER, BRACE AND COUNTER CAM. Attaching the Counter Outfit to any Gearhart Model Machine is very simple. Screw COUNTER to COUNTER BRACE as illustrated, securely fastening with the two screws furnished. Unloosen and remove the two BRACE screws. Place the BRACE with the COUNTER attached to it, as illustrated, against the GUIDE STANDARD, with the bottom of the BRACE resting on top of the MACHINE FRAME. Replace the BRACE screws and tighten up into the little BRACE PLAT E which is laid against the opposite side of the GUIDE STANDARD and this acts as a clamp to hold securely in place on the STANDARD. The BRACE, with the COUNTER attached, should always rest down on top of the MACHINE FRAME and with the LEVER in the position as shown in illustration. The two COUNTER CAM screws will be loosened and removed. The little COUNTER CAM PLATE, which was released, will be placed back of the CARRIER BAR and the two screws replaced and tightened into this PLATE, which will act as a clamp to hold securely in position on CARRIER BAR. The COUNTER CAM must be slid down on the CARRIER BAR as far as possible that it will rest on TOP OF CROWN RING, as illustrated. Turn the COUNTER and its BRACE slightly one way or the other so that the ROLLER on the LEVER will operate on top of COUNTER CAM as illustrated. If, in operating the Machine, the LEVER does not register or count as the LEVER ROLLER slides up over the COUNTER CAM, the LEVER must be adjusted so that it will. The LEVER can be forced or pushed up a little or down a little as necessary, to make it register the count. If the LEVER becomes loose after continual use and does not register a count, readjust the position of the LEVER and tighten the LEVER SCREW securely. This screw is found on the underside of the LEVER where LEVER is fastened to the COUNTER. It should be screwed up very tight when the COUNTER is once adjusted properly to the Machine. IMPORTANT Every time the ROLLER slides up over the COUNTER CAM a new round is registered on the COUNTER. In making the heel and toe the COUNTER and BRACE are swung around on the GUIDE STANDARD, out of use, so that rounds of knitting will not register. In knitting heel or toe, or when COUNTER is not to be used, always swing the COUNTER and BRACE around the YARN GUIDE, back out of use. EXAMPLE OF HOW TO USE THE COUNTER FOR A HALF HOSE Set the COUNTER at zero by tripping the LEVER up and down with your finger until no figures are shown on the C OUNTER FACE. Knit the required number of rounds for selvedge (this may be 3) 3 Will show on the COUNTER. Knit the ribbed top and if the number of rounds is 60, the numbers on the COUNTER FACE will then be 63. Knit the leg and if the number of rounds is 95, the number on the COUNTER FACE Will then be 58. Swing the COUNTER back out of use so the LEVER will not trip on the COUNTER CAM while the heel is being turned. As the foot is being started, swing the COUNTER back into use and if 80 rounds are knit for the foot, 38 will show on the COUNTER. (You will note that the COUNTER registers 99 then starts all over again, beginning with 1). The COUNTER is swung back out of use and the toe is made and hose completed. Mark down on a card the correct set of COUNTER figures for each different size hose or garment you can knit. Keep this card in front of you while knitting and always use this same set of COUNTER figures and a fixed machine tension for the same size of garment made. Your figures for the half hose above, showing on the COUNTER, will be 3, 63, 58 and 38 consecutively. Trip the COUNTER back to zero when starting each new garment. Do not use oil on this COUNTER except after long and continual use. Top of COUNTER CAM can be oiled frequently so the ROLLER will slide over easily. Gearhart Knitting Machine Co., CLEARFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA Officers President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Donna Mellander Carol Bonczek Lesley Darling The Genesee Valley Sock Machine Club, (GVSMC) was founded in January 2006. The purposes of this club shall be: SECTION 1 To provide an organization for owners and operators of antique knitting machines or sock machines. SECTION 2 To encourage the preservation, restoration, and use of antique knitting machines. SECTION 3 To aid in the education of members and the public about the history of antique knitting machines through shared teaching experiences and demonstrations at various fiber arts shows and festivals or at regular meetings planned by the members. SECTION 4 The club shall be non-commercial, non-sectarian, and non-partisan. The Circular Fred Hauck 2428 English Road Rochester, NY 14616 Address Correction Requested GVSMC Logo