Erka 25
Got my first knitting machine, right in time for Christmas.
Passion Tricot advises against picking this model due to the lack of spare parts available online. But for 90€, difficult to look away.
Out of the box
So, all in all:
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The Erka 25 base model.
- The flatbed with its regular carriage.
- A lace carriage.
- Yarn feeder and rod.
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A ribber with its carriage.
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An intarsia carriage (KA-8200), for Brother but most likely compatible?
All of it in near mint condition.
Manuals
Some copies of the manuals (in French) found on the internet, for posterity:
As soon as I get my hand on the originals, I plan to scan them again and make them available in a better quality.
First steps
I’m a machine knitting newbie so I’m planning to take things slow, and write notes as I go along.
For now, I’ve:
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dusted off everything.
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changed a handful of needles from the main bed, that were slightly bent. I think they can be straightened and put back in service, because the latch itself is intact, but that’s for future me.
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knitted a small rectangle with some spare available wool, just to try. Everything working as expected.
Maintenance
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Bought some spare needles on Amazon. It would appear as though Brother needles (for KH820, KH830, KH860…) are compatible with my Erka 25 machine. I’d rather stock up on some spare parts already.
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I also bought replacement sponge strips for the sponge bar. Too expensive for my taste. Long-term I’ll try to figure out what can be found in any good hardware store nearby.
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Only thing left is some oil to ease the movement of carriages. Apparently WD-40 is forbidden. I got some fine oil from FACOM.
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Bought an Erka Translator transfer carriage — whose purpose is to move stitches from one bed to the other. 15€ on LBC. Not quite sure why the similar (compatible) Brother carriages (KA-8300) are about ten times more expensive.
I wonder if it’s possible to use this carriage with needles on hold. If it’s only a matter of available space, maybe I could 3D-print a custom handle?