Emily and I went out and hit Betsy's garage sale (a knitting friend of a friend) a few weeks ago, and I came home with an Incredible Sweater Machine (as seen on TV) for $50. After spending a week figuring out how to use it, I've been crazed. I've been swatching all my yarn. I made a drop shoulder cardigan for Harold using Merino Style in a week. I still have some finishing to do, but- a week! Then yesterday, it was so hot, I was inspired to make a tank top out of Shine. I swatched, decided to make a boatneck, a-line tank that was 40-inches around the bottom decreased to 34 inches at the bust. I knit the two pieces yesterday, seamed it today and crocheted an edging around the armholes and the bottom border. Not bad for a day's work!
In hand-knitting news, I finished a green cardigan for me made out of Knitpicks Panache. I used the moorish lattice pattern from the Barbara Walker Treasury and the set in sleeve pattern from Ann Budd's book.
I am so excited to stash bust. I figured out recently that I have the makings for some 15-odd sweater/vest projects as well as a lace stash and a sock stash. eek.
god bless that knitting machine! you are a whiz on that thing...i love the craze in you.
Posted by: robyn | July 24, 2006 at 04:15 PM
Incredible, no doubt! I am both excited and fearful of getting my hands on that thing.
Posted by: nicole | July 25, 2006 at 02:58 PM
Do you know where I can get a copy of the instruction manual for the incedible sweater machine. I found the machine at the Salvation Army Store but the instruction manual's pages were stuck together and I am unable to separate them.
Posted by: Anasa Mpingo | September 09, 2008 at 01:43 PM
I have the Incrediable Sweater Machine which you know is old, I bought it, played with it for about a week, and put it up, I recently ran across it and am interest in knitting again....mine is the old USM...but still looks new from not using it, it came with 2 video cassettes, which I only have DVD player, can I get these in DVD's???
Posted by: Jo Ann Decuire | October 26, 2008 at 12:41 PM
how do you use it?
Posted by: pixiepanda | December 20, 2008 at 12:58 PM
I bought an incredible sweater machine over 20 years ago. I brought it out of our storage and the instructions are missing. I loaned it out at one time and didn't realize it was missing. Could you tell me how I can find another instruction book? I would appreciate it and then I can get back to my knitting machine again. Thanks for your above information. Bernice Kanzler.
Posted by: Bernice Kanzler | October 15, 2009 at 03:20 PM
If you're trying to replace your instruction manual, you might want to contact Bond America. Their web site is at http://www.bond-america.com and they have lots of free patterns developed especially for the ISM/USM.
If you're new to the Bond, there are lots of great places on the Internet to get help. Be sure to join the Bond Club at http://www.knittingtoday.com/BondClub/index.html !!! There's nothing about a Bond that you won't be able to learn about from one of the people on the list.
I learned to MK on a Bond and if I had to offer one piece of advice: don't give up! They can be finicky to the point where you want to throw the thing out the window, but there's a solution to every problem. For me, it was putting a piece of foam-backed shelf liner between the Bond and the table and lightly sanding the edges of the key plates with some fine emory paper. After that, it knit like butter.
Lastly, you'll find some old videos on my web site that show how to lots of cool things on the Bond. The quality isn't great and I think someone on the Bond list has converted them to DVD so you might want to check there first.
Brenda
http://knitfits.theotherbell.com
Posted by: Brenda Bell | November 15, 2009 at 10:24 AM
i hope this blog is still used, we got an ISM at a yard sale and we are missing parts. any idea where we can get the missing parts?
Posted by: Jess | May 17, 2011 at 05:58 PM
hi there i have an ultimate sweater machine and need to replace the weight bar thingy and the keyplates does anybody know where i am able to find any of these in new zealand please
Posted by: cherie | June 27, 2011 at 03:17 AM