Golden Nuggets
There are some right clever folk out there that are doing great stuff to try and keep machine knitting alive and kicking in the modern world. Here’s a few great resources that don’t fit in anywhere else….
AYAB (All Yarns Are Beautiful)
The Ultimate Brain Transplant for Vintage Machines!
Don’t let the technical name intimidate you—AYAB is nothing short of magic. Back in the 1980s, electronic Brother knitting machines (like the KH-910 or KH-930) relied on mylar sheets or ancient floppy disks to read patterns. When those old electronics die, the machine usually becomes a heavy paperweight.
AYAB is an open-source hardware “hack” that lets you completely bypass the broken vintage electronics. By swapping the machine’s old brain for an inexpensive Arduino-based “AYAB Shield,” you can plug your 40-year-old knitting machine directly into your modern laptop via USB! You can draw a picture in your computer, hit ‘Knit’, and the machine will instantly knit the image. It is the ultimate resurrection tool for vintage electronics.
Punchcard Generator
If you own a 24-stitch punchcard machine, you are not limited to the vintage cards that came in the box! Brenda Bell’s incredible, free, web-based Punchcard Generator is a digital canvas for machine knitters. You simply click the grid on your screen to draw your 24-stitch design (whether it’s Fair Isle, Tuck, or Lace). The tool instantly visualizes how the repeating pattern will look when knitted, and then—here is the best part—generates a perfectly scaled PDF. You can then use the file to cut your own punchard on a cricut (or similar). So cool!
This youtube video by Anna is super helpful with explaining how to cut your own punchcards.
KnitsThatFit App
Have you ever found the perfect cone of yarn, knitted a tension square, but had absolutely no idea how to turn that math into a sweater that actually fits? Enter the KnitsThatFit App. Available on iOS and Android, this tool acts as your personal pattern drafter. You simply type in your exact body measurements, the style of sweater you want (raglan, drop shoulder, v-neck, etc.), and the exact gauge of your tension square. Exciting bonus for us: The developer recently updated the app to include a dedicated Machine Knitting option. It will instantly generate row-by-row, stitch-by-stitch instructions tailored perfectly for your machine, meaning you never have to guess the math again.
Bit of a disclaimer though; some people have said that necklines come out a bit too wide/out of proportion but others swear by it.
Symbol Structure
Symbol Structure (Punchcard Design App)
Symbol Structure is a brilliant, completely free modern web app designed to bring punchcard creation into the 21st century. It allows you to digitally draw, edit, and preview punchcard patterns directly in your web browser.
The features are staggering for a free tool. You can digitally draw your 24-stitch repeat on a grid, import a black-and-white image and have the software convert it into a punchcard, or browse a built-in library of community-shared patterns. Crucially, when you are ready to knit, you can tell the app exactly which machine you own (Brother, Silver Reed, Passap, etc.). It will automatically add the correct row-number offsets and export a perfectly sized, printable template, or even an SVG file to use with digital cutting machines like a Cricut or Silhouette!