Colorado Cranker's Sock Machine Blog

The last 7 months since my last post have been full of new and amazing experiences.

Hank had his much needed knee replacement almost 4 months ago now. He is doing much better in just the last few weeks. And I thank all my kind Cranker Friends who have been so supportive and understanding. We put our restoration efforts on hold and Hank is just now slowly getting back to working on renewing an old cast iron cranker.

The New Erlbacher Gearhart made its day beau with the support of over 80 joyful crankers last April at the first annual Erlbacher Open House in the beautiful Missouri city of Cape Girardeau. The Erlbacher family have had a very hot summer of crankins and road trips mixed with hard work getting machines shipped. Our CSM community have been very blessed by all their hard work and faithfulness in re-manufacturing the best; true-to-the original Gearhart CSM possible.

Between caring for Hank, keeping busy with summer family events and yard work, I am putting in about 20 hours each week making videos and working on what we all hope will be the best CSM manual in many years.

Here is a link to one of the new EG Essentials YouTub videos on making hems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6EcH23v98g

This time last year I would not have believed that this is what I would be doing yet it seems the natural next step in promoting our beloved sock machines, be they beloved Antiques or this new all American remake of the Gearhart.

I was sent one of the first new EG machines for testing in mid March. With a lot of nice restored sock machines to choose from, I have had my doubts that this small cranked, clicking cricket would ever win my respect. But my EG #9 has been cranking out what ever I ask of it and I have asked a lot. It cranks right through yarns none of my other machines will do. That small crank goes like butter through hand spun and 4 ply on the 60 or the 48 cylinders I have. But it even makes routine sock making easier. My other machines can be real hard crankers getting around those first short row increases and almost come to a screeching halt when I crank the first rows of eyelets or mock rib when each needle has 2 stitches. But not the little EG. It has earned my respect as a very reliable CSM. The neat little springs on the cams give it that chirping sound and help you hear when to change direction on short rows and they stop cam-jams before they start. It is a true no fuss machine. It is so reliable that I do not hesitate to use it for demos or give it over to a new cranker to use just as it is, with out fussing over settings.

When Ann Merrow, the editor of SockUpied came to our Spring crank-in I moved the little EG over to demo a sock after our cranking friends had all had their turn to crank on it. Without a single hitch or dropped stitch the little EG did Peewee Erlbacher proud indeed. Interweave Press published the Fall 2011 edition of SockUpied and my little EG and I have an e-magazine video de beau in it. Check it out at:

Sockupied, Fall 2011 eMag for bMAC/b - Interweave

A CSM blog is not complete without at least one sock picture. These socks below were completed last week. The yarn is by Fabel, color # 162. With some peach contrast yarn added for fun. This turquoise and peach has is like eye candy. That beautiful doily in the middle was the perfect back drop. You might be surprised to learn that the doily was made by our very own cranking buddy Barry Travis who supplied the yarn for my socks. Mom says Barry did a very fine job on this beautiful Star patten. Barry says it one of his favorites and it comes out of a 1926 Star Doily Book printed by the American Thread Co booklet # 137

The larger challenge of all this years experiences has been writing the manual for the New EG. Many years ago one of our engineer friends had said that the hardest job he ever did was writing a manual. His word of advice was to ignore anyone that asks you to write one and if they keep at you get a sudden case of flatulence and run to the toilet. Eventually they will take the hint. Well it hasn't been that bad; at least not so far. Thanks to Jamie taking on the job of editing and layout my job is just finding words. But finding words to describe a 3 dimensional machine process is daunting. I thought I understood all those sock machine manuals I have been reading over the years. Now I see those 1880s and 1920s manuals in a whole new light. Their word choice and sentence structure continues to be a struggle to wade into but I have a new appreciation for all that effort the writer put into it.

One of the more helpful pages in the 1927 Gearhart manual shows how to use a CSM needle to repair a dropped stitch. In honor of the author, who ever he or she may be, I present it here. I admire the rational way the hand drawn etching and text worked so well together that 80 some years later, it can still help us all crank with a little more joy!