Episode 32: A Select History of Early Knitting Machines

This episode is sponsored by our Patreon Patrons. Thank you! And a special thank you to Emily for supporting the show! We invite you to sign up to our Patreon at any level. Free members get a blog post with links and photos from each episode. Paid members get special discounts to crafty businesses as well as access to our Discord. You probably have heard of sewing machines...but did you know that there are also knitting machines? Knitting machines are used to make accessories and garments at home and in factories. They can be very simple--a cardboard tube and some popiscle sticks--or extremely complex. In this episode, we share the early history of knitting looms, including... A simple knitting machine you can make at home The earliest knitting machine, which peacefully coexisted with handknitters The true story of the Luddites (they actually used knitting machines!) The connection between knitting machines and the first computers, as well as Ada Lovelace, Charles Babbage, and Joseph-Marie Jacquard, early computer/knitting programmers The story of knitting machine inventor Masahiro Shima, who invented the first glove knitting machine after a week of no sleep! Grab your favorite handcraft and listen in for fun facts to text to your crafting bestie. Show notes and sources: https://tinyurl.com/y8hwefyp Have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? Email us at handmadehistoryhosts@gmail.com. Find links, images, and more on the free blog post for this episode; visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/handmadehistorypodcast. Or visit our website at handmadehistorypodcast.com for more information.