# Newbie from Western Australia



## bluegumalpacas

Hello! I live in the SW of West. Australia. Came across this website while looking for something else! 

My hobbies are spinning, knitting, weaving and knitting on my new circular sock machine which has taken up most of my time lately.

I'm attaching a picture of a pair of alpaca socks I made.


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## sybil

Hi, Im from Gnowangerup. Which part of the SW are you from. I don't spin but do most other crafts. My husband is one on the police officers here and Im a nurse and work at the local hospital. I'm on night shift at the moment and will be for at least 3 rosters so hope to get a lot of knitting done for my grandys. We move about every 2 yrs so my love of craft is how I find new friends in each town we go to. Not sure where we are going next. It just depends on what vacancies are up when its time for my husband to be transfered. Must go its time to start getting ready for work. Happy Knitting. Cheers Sybil


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## SailorRae

Welcome....from Rae in NC...USA. Great socks!!!!!


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## janny

Hello Ladies from Australia! This is a great site! The socks are beautiful..Did I read tht you made them on a sock machine? I have never heard of that. I would be happy to learn how to make them on circular needles!
Sorry to hear about the terrible flooding your country has had. Hoping you were spared from the horrible flooding!
Jan


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## Jaevick

Welcome! I've also never heard of a sock machine. Please tell us more!


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## RookieRetiree

I love the socks....they're next on my "to learn" list and would love to hear about the maching you are using. Thanks.


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## carolian

they look fantastic good for you iv'e never knit socks other than on needles lol


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## SEA

Welcome Mate.

Your socks look wonderful. We had an exchange student from She learned to surf while on exchange.

SEA


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## granger

I was a docent at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago for about 20 years. At some point the Illinois State Museum gave the LPZ Farm in the Zoo a box full of pieces parts from antique sock knitting machines. We spent about a year cobbling one together, cleaning the needles, adjusting weights etc and finally got one to work. ONLY TO FIND OUT that there are several sites on the net that will help you fix them AND you can buy new ones rather easily. OH well, the visitors to the Farm were rather amused and we all had a good time.


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## alpacagirl

Love your socks and glad to see they are made of alpaca! I raise them here in PA and love working with the alpaca. I also spin it and just got a new Roberta electric spinner my husband just got for me and I just love it.....Which is from Australia. I do have an Ashford Joy spinning wheel also which is easy to pick up and take places to demonstrate spinning. Did you spin your yarn for these socks? Hopefully you aren't where all the flooding has taken place this year. Welcome to the site.
Joan


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## Sherilee

VERY NICE...

JUST LEARNING TO KNIT - GOT A LOT TO LEARN...

MAYBE ONE DAY, I WILL BE ABLE TO KNIT A PAIR OF SOCKS....


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## nittergma

Hi new ones form Australia! So glad to hear from you! Boy I could use a sock machine I'm a slow sock knitter!! I will enjoy your posts and seeing all the things you make, and hearing about life in Australia!


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## zonacolleen

The sox are so clever. I am sure someone will be the happy recipient of them.

Such nice work. But I also will be anxious to hear more about machine knitting.


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## klwolfe

You did a great job! Welcome!


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## yona

So nice and welcome aboard.... sock machine? wow, always something new to learn. Where did u find a sock machine?


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## sybil

Hi everyone. I to have never heard of a sock knitting machine. I do it the slow way. Four double ended needles. I have used a alpaca/ wool mix to make boot socks for my man. I live in the south west of western australia so the rain and flooding wasn't near us. My daughter and son inlaw are on a farm 20ks down the road and they realy need rain. 28 of thier 50 dams are dry, so they are constantly having to move sheep from one padock to another and will have to start hand feeding soon if the rain doesn't come. We also had very bad bush fires around Perth and unfortunately my second daughter and her husband lost every thing. All they were able to salvage from their house was a few photos, every thing else was destroyed. They had insurence and have been able to replace most things. I am in the process of getting copys of all of my photos of their baby as most of theirs were beyond saving. I think I will try finding a sock machine on the net. Hopefully it want be to hard.


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## bluegumalpacas

Hello again. What a lot of replies! I had never heard of a sock machine till I went on holiday last Sept to NZ. In Hokitika there is a shop that sells them and incorporates a sock machine museum. Jaquie Grant runs it and makes the machines as well as doing up old machines. Unfortunately the foundry that makes them is in Christchurch where the recent earthquake was and it was badly damaged. She doesn't know whether she will be able to make more. Her website is www.autoknitter.com and her email is [email protected]

I live about 12kms out of Bunbury near Australind. We have no flooding here, only drought. No rain for a long time and hot temperatures.

Judy
Western Australia


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## SEA

Thanks for posting the picture. I was also very curious about this sock knitting machine.

Weather sure has been creating havoc all over the world.

thanks for sharing.

Nancy


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## maryanne

Welcome to the forum all you Australian girls. I love alpaca yarn. Even a little added to other wools is a great improvement. So sorry about all the weather problems. In the south we have to keep an eye on the woods and forests because the pines go up like tinder if it's even a little dry. Hope your weather improves soon.


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## Kichi

bluegumalpacas, Welcome and boy are those socks nice. Do you get and make your own yarn from your alpacas? I have a daughter in Tasmania who lived in Australia for many years, she loved it. I too hope to hear from you again and see your lovely projects. Enjoy every moment of your day!


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## patwollin

Thanks so much for posting a pic of the sock knitting machine, it looks really neat and useful!! 

Hope your weather gets better. We have had alot of snow here this year in Wisconsin. But spring is here and we are hoping that in another month we will be able to start planting crops if we don't get too much rain. 

Thanks again!! Great to hear from people from around the world!


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## Marie3641

Many years ago, my aunt had this knitting machine, I was about 18 or so, and used to be fascinated by her sox, and the machine that she used, many years after, one of the crochet needles broke, and she was getting on in years, so the machine was put in the basement somewhere, and forgotten, My Aunt passed about 35 years ago, and I never did find out what happened to that knitting machine, her son, my cousin got rid of it , don't think anyone wanted it... what I wouldn't give today to have it....oh well... still have the use of my hands, of which I am thank ful. Marie


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## patwollin

That's a man for ya! They never think to ask a family member if they would be interested in it!! Ha-Ha!! Just assume it is junk and nobody would be interested. :lol:


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## shellesbeles

Hi I'm Shelly from the States. Wow, those socks are funky cool! :thumbup: I've crocheted a pair of socks (one is slightly smaller than the other  ) but have yet to knit a pair. Sticking to the basics for now. 
Warm Carolina smiles from Em & me :-D


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## robyn

It`s a small world after all.lol good to see so many Aussies on this friendly site.Love the socks.Please let us know about the sock machine??? I need as much help as I can get with knitting.


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## robyn

Aha Judy just found your post with the sock machine.It sure is different to what I imagined,an interesting and lovely piece.Looks expensive.
The earthquake in NZ was horrific,I feel so much for everyone who suffered.
It is wonderful to see prince William taking such an interest in the devastation that has occured there and here too.He is in my home town today and will attend a music festival to aid flood victims.He is his mothers son.


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## martin keith

Welcome, and in about a million years I will be good enough, I hope, to knit a pair of socks.


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## zipknitter

Thanks for the picture. On several of the yahoo groups I belong to people keep talking about using their sock machines but I've never been able to get any of them to post a picture.
Have been trying to move to Australia for years, and my heart still yearns to be there, but don't think I'll ever get the chance to. Had a dear friend near Melbourne but lost contact with her after her pastor convinced her the internet was a bad and dangerous place for her to be.


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## robyn

Thats so sad zipknitter.I found a long lost friend via facebook which if used sensibly can be a big help with many things.I can only suggest looking on line in the yellow pages or the voting site for Melbourne.Did you originally come from Australia?


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## zipknitter

No, I've never been, but some relatives a couple of generations back moved there. The black sheep members it seemed as I watched a program that mentioned them being hanged as slavers in the late 1800s. 
But, it's been a yearning since I was a kid. Have had 3 job offers that all fell through just before I was supposed to go. Now my pension is too small to even think about it and it makes me cry to think about the missed opportunity. So, I live vicariously through down under friends on the net.


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## dahbunny

Waaaaahhhh! I want one of those!! Sooooo baaaad...


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## bluegumalpacas

zipknitter said:


> Thanks for the picture. On several of the yahoo groups I belong to people keep talking about using their sock machines but I've never been able to get any of them to post a picture.
> Have been trying to move to Australia for years, and my heart still yearns to be there, but don't think I'll ever get the chance to. Had a dear friend near Melbourne but lost contact with her after her pastor convinced her the internet was a bad and dangerous place for her to be.


Hello zipknitter. I belong to a group on yahoo that I find helpful and they have lots of photos posted. It is called "sockknittingmachinefriends".


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## bluegumalpacas

Kichi said:


> bluegumalpacas, Welcome and boy are those socks nice. Do you get and make your own yarn from your alpacas? I have a daughter in Tasmania who lived in Australia for many years, she loved it. I too hope to hear from you again and see your lovely projects. Enjoy every moment of your day!


Hello Kichi

Unfortunately we don't have our alpacas anymore but I still have conections with the industry so still have access to lots of alpaca fibre to spin!

We used to bred alpacas for about 10 years but have been retired from that for about 2 years. It was a big wrench to sell them all but now we have moved to an acre and still have not enough time to do everything I want to! Maybe if I spent less time on the computer ...!


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## G Louise

Hi to Newbie of WA
Your socks look very cosy indeed.
Louise NSW


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## plgavand

Hello. Love the sock mechine. I will have to add it to my wish list of new hobbies.


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## Kichi

bluegumalpacas, What a pretty lady and she sure enjoys her little friend. How sweet that baby is. I had no idea they were so loving. I see why you miss them, if only there were more hours in a day, huh? I used to raise Chihuahuas and Persian cats but have had to cut way back to 16 ( 5 puppies) and one cat and that feels like a big loss to me. Yes time steals alot of our lives as we kinda slow down. I wish you alot of happiness in all your days. Keep knitting and keep in touch with us here.


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## dahbunny

Oh! What a cute little alpaca! I wonder if the neighbors in my addition would mind?....


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## BRC

I'm new to this forum. Live in Tennessee in a small town with not much shopping. Quite an adjustment from having every major US chain an a dozen or more craft shops with in 3 miles of us. What is a sock machine----- I love to knit socks and do them a pair at a time on 2 circular needles----- usually from the toe up. Hope to get to your country before time runs out.


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## robyn

zipknitter,,I understand how you feel re the pension,Lucky to be able to buy food and pay bills on it...The history of family can be very interesting.Just thinking about what must have happened is exciting even though some came to an abrupt end.I love to learn about history of the world and its people.I can relate to what you said about being drawn to another country.I feel that way about England with all its history also my grandfather was born in London.So I have an affinity with old England.We can dream can`t we>>>


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## Charlotte 80

Welcome to all you Aussie girls from Northern California. 
I was at Joanne's the other day and saw a knitting board to knit socks on. Has anyone used it, and how did it work? I started my first pair of socks a while back but didn't finish them. I got too involved with a couple of other projects and put them aside. I got the heel turned and figured out how to go on and then put them aside. Too little time and too much to knit. LOL


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## Lo'L

Welcome and may I say, the sox are gorgeous! by machine, huh? Haven't tried that yet, still using dbl pts. Love soxs!

Have knit for ages and find it relaxing, fulfilling and sometimes down right frustrating! 

Hope you post often and keep in touch!


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## zipknitter

I have made socks on a loom and knitting board both. Have never tried using sock yarn or do fine stitches yet though. I make house socks, kind of like slippers on them or do tube socks. It goes fast but I've found out that you need to be careful what kind of yarn you use because the loose knit will make the socks wear out quickly/


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