Silver Reed SK155 Chunky Punch Card Knitting Machine

The Silver Reed SK155 is the chunky metal-bed machine for knitters who want to work with the sort of yarns that feel much closer to hand knitting. It has a 9 mm needle pitch, 110 needles and a 12-stitch punch-card system, so you can work with thicker yarns and still build patterned fabric quickly.

It is a very different machine from the 4.5 mm SK280 and SK840. This is the one to consider for DK, Aran and chunkier hand-knitting yarns, as well as many characterful and textured yarns such as mohair, boucle and slub yarns, provided the yarn feeds smoothly through the machine.

Key details

• 9 mm chunky gauge (2.8 gauge)
• 110 needles
• 12-stitch punch-card patterning
• Suitable for thicker hand-knitting yarns, from DK upward depending on yarn and tension
• Patterning includes stocking stitch, Fair Isle, tuck, slip, punch lace, weaving, plating and motifs

Why choose a chunky machine?

If you love the look and feel of hand-knitting yarns but want the speed and evenness of machine knitting, the SK155 is a lovely route in. It also gives you far more scope for textured and unusual yarns than a standard-gauge machine.

If you have a particular handspun or characterful yarn in mind, please ask me before ordering. I am very happy to help you think through whether it is likely to feed happily on the machine and whether the SK155 is the right gauge for the work you want to make.