Circular Sock Machine Knitting

Reader Contribution by Laura Damron
Published on September 30, 2014
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Thanks to a dear friend of mine, I have a new/old hobby to help keep me occupied through the winter: making socks on an antique circular sock machine. I’m still learning how to use it; the machine itself isn’t terribly complicated by design, but it definitely takes some finesse to get the process down. I’m also finding that it’s a rather ambidextrous operation, which is challenging for this extremely right hand-dominant gal. So, in addition to learning the ins and outs of the machine, I’m working on some fine motor skills that I’ve never had to try before.

One of the things I love about the machine is its history: During World War I, the Red Cross launched a civilian campaign to help with a sock shortage being experienced overseas. Poor footwear coupled with the cold, wet conditions in the trenches were causing the soldiers to have serious problems with their feet. A fungal infection called trenchfoot could rapidly turn to gangrene if left untreated in those conditions. Wearing extra socks helped a bit, but they were in short supply. Since socks weren’t being mass-produced like they are now, it fell to knitters to make up for the shortage. However, even a fast knitter can only make so many socks in a week.

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