I (may probably almost certainly) have suffered a small lapse in judgement at the thrift shop. Please know that I am aware of this and that I have extremely low expectations. No really, lower than that. Lower still.

I fully assume the most likely outcome of this purchase is ‘this sits in my garage until the next purge fit comes upon me, at which point it is re-donated to the thrift shop.’ The next most likely outcome is ‘I watch a bunch of youtube videos, try setting it up, and quit in a fit of rage after an hour or two.’ The best realistic scenario is ‘after much tedious faffing about, I produce a small quantity of low quality fabric, all while bemoaning the difficulty of the process and the caliber of the outcome.’ The best conceivable outcome (‘I produce usable fabric in sufficient quantity to do anything of note, decide I like knitting machines, and get a nice one somewhere down the line’) is so vanishingly unlikely as to not need extensive consideration at the moment.

But, while I’m doing that (at least those middle two options), I shall also be creating that most necessary of resources: content for the vast gaping maw of the internet. Because oh, oh it’s a surprisingly big part of my job to have Stuff To Talk To Y’all About On A Regular Basis. And I figure there might be one or two of you who would want to follow along on my adventures as I battle with what I suspect will be a piece of cheap plastic that breaks my spirit and teaches me several new swear words.

Because really…at the very least it’s got to be an amusing little mechanical puzzle to try and sort out, right? That’s got to be better than doomscrolling the weekend away.

So you tell me (video and place you can leave comments over here, if you’re so inclined), would it have followed you home (it was originally $40, but it was half off day, so I got it and the extension bed and the row counter for $20…and hell it’s a business expense for me)? Have you played with it (or another knitting machine) in the past? It’s ok if your answer is ‘yup, had that one, it suuuuuucked’ because again, low expectations (plus I’m actually fairly mechanically inclined and relatively handy, like a lot of makers). Because again, as long as it sucks amusingly and dramatically enough to get one or two more posts out of it (and I’m pretty sure it will), it’s worth it on my end. And who knows, maybe it’ll be awesome!