Bring to class:
1) your BOND and its parts
2) a table to put it on
3) two claw weights
4) scissors
5) two contrasting light colors of worsted-weight yarn
6) gentleness with yourself. We all feel awkward when we first try something new. Keep practicing and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you and your BOND will be singing in sweet sweater harmony.
I started hand knitting to make sweaters but found I was very slow. So thought of a knitting machine.would be a good idea The bond machine is affordable for a beginner. But I was almost turned off buying cause of negative reviews until I found your site. What is your opinion on the bond sweater machine and why so many negative reviews?
The metal knitting machines are expensive and no less complicated. I wanted to try first and then upgrade to more expensive machine if liked it. So still getting the bond as a birthday present. I want try and see. I will use all of your information.
I hope to make it a ongoing hobby. Cheers 🙂
Hi Anthony,
The original blue BOND, which I bought in 1984, was stout and the tolerances were tight for a plastic machine. I wanted to use it primarily with worsted weight wool and it worked really well. You can see that in the video classes I made in 1988, working backwards no less. As time went on they changed the design and went to cheaper manufacturing/plastics. I can’t speak authoritatively because I only used a USM once. It had been given to a yarn shop owner when the original owner could not get it to work. I tried and declared it “a lemon,” but now I’m not sure. It seems almost all owners of the new machines have significant challenges that I never had, yet many have learned to love their machines.
Because I don’t own a USM and don’t want one, and I have no association with the manufacturer or distributor (I had only ancillary contracts with them in the past. I let them distribute some of my programs for a royalty, some of which is still unpaid well over 10 years later), I don’t have much more to say. I’m not willing to buy one to “test it,” and I don’t see them stepping up to address all the problems people are having. In fairness, Spinrite is a fairly new owner of BOND America which they acquired when they bought out Caron. It may be they that they have bought a “pig in a poke” and aren’t quite sure what they’re going to do about it.
On the other hand . . . many people have been able to get their new USMs to perform well and love them. I don’t know if the machine is still distributed outside of North America.
Sorry I can’t give you a more definitive answer, but at least I’ve finally weighed in on the issue.
Cheryl