Fix, Maintain & Reclaim your Knitting Machine

Is there a neglected knitting machine collecting dust in your spare room or garage? Dust it off and join us for an engaging, hands-on session dedicated to revitalising your trusty machine.

Under Mark White’s expert guidance, you’ll learn essential techniques to repair and maintain your machine, transforming it from a forgotten tool into a creative powerhouse.

This workshop is perfect for anyone looking to breathe new life into their knitting machine and explore the endless possibilities it offers.

Suitable for ages 16 and up, come unlock your machine’s hidden potential and rediscover your passion for knitting!

Choose which day to come: Saturday 9 August or Sunday 10 August 2025.
Limited to only 6 places per session. Fees apply.
A photo and description of your machine will be required on booking.

Details of what to expect, what to bring & what will be provided

This hands-on session will guide participants through essential maintenance tasks for knitting machines, starting with a printed resource handout covering contacts and sources for parts and manuals. The group will check and, if needed, restore sponge bars, with a live demonstration on replacing foam and sourcing new ones. Participants will learn how to remove and clean needles, inspect gate pegs, and safely remove panels and end pieces for basic bed cleaning. The session includes inspection of the pattern mechanism, disassembly and lubrication of the carriage, and a comparison of different machine types (Brother, Empisal, Singer). We’ll also cover sinker plate cleaning and alignment before reassembly and testing, with time allowed for questions and deeper discussion where needed.

Bring:

1. Your machine: Singer, Brother and Empisal (please no Passap machines)
2. Cardboard egg carton (to keep screws etc in order)
3. 2-3 take away food containers
4. Some rags for cleaning
5. Nitrile disposable gloves, if you are sensitive to oil etc
6. Note pad and pen
7. #1 Phillips good quality screwdriver
8. #2 Phillips good quality screwdriver
9. Straight blade screwdriver
10. Large tweezers (to pick up small pieces)
11. Toothbrush or similar small, stiff bristle brush

Provided:

1. Solvent, oil and grease
2. Foam for sponge bars
3. Machine oil – Hair clipper oil or other light oil (eg Inox, Ballistol)
4. Long cleaning brush – aquarium tube or beer line cleaning brush – 10mm (3/8”) diameter brush x 1.2m – 1.5m (48”-60”) long
5. Special tools and a few common parts
6. Morning tea on arrival
7. Lunch

Mark White is a retired mechanical engineer with decades of hands-on experience in everything from vehicle maintenance to appliance repair. He began working on knitting machines over 30 years ago when his wife took up the hobby — initially to keep her machines running, then for her knitting club and the wider community. With official service agents now long gone, he has become one of only two people in WA (as far as he knows) still servicing a wide range of machines, especially Brother electronics, as well as Singer, Empisal, and some rare vintage models. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge to help others keep their machines running smoothly — and to help keep this rich craft tradition alive.

This workshop is presented in partnership with Maker & Smith.

Maker & Smith is an independent partnership of Carola Akindele-Obe and Mary Ellen Cliff based in Perth and Denmark, Western Australia. They promote and encourage the professional skills of craftspeople and designer-makers through a Makers’ Directory, workshops, masterclasses, talks and an international short film festival about makers, making & materials.