Nothing at all to do with lacemaking, this is a set-up basket for a vintage circular sock knitting machine. I have suggested they change the description as sometimes these sell for £100ish, usually going to the US.
It is used to cast on. Opened out, it sits inside the cylinder of the machine and the yarn is passed as a zig-zag alternately around a needle and a prong of the set up. The weights are hung onto the loop at the bottom of the handle, and when the crank handle is turned the knitting starts. So long as nothing goes wrong, the set-up isn't needed very often. At the finish of a sock the knitting is changed to scrap yarn, and after a few rows the next sock can be started. The yarn in the top selvedge just pulls out, and the stitches across the top of the foot at the toe are grafted together for a smooth finish. So socks are knitted as a continuous sausage. Jacquie in Lincolnshire, where I have spent the last couple of weeks dyeing wool and cranking socks ready for the Unravel Show, at Farnham next weekend. If you are in the area, come and see me and one of my machines in action. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
