Silver Reed SK155 Knitting Machine Guide
The Silver Reed SK155 is a 9mm bulky-gauge knitting machine designed for knitting heavier yarns such as worsted and bulky weight. Its 110-needle metal bed makes it a good choice for worsted and bulky yarns, including hand knitting yarn.
This is a simple machine to use. And since the stitches are larger, it is easier to see what is going on and understand what the machine is doing. It is also easier to see and pick up a dropped stitch. If you are wavering between a bulky and standard gauge machine, I find the bulky gauge a little easier when teaching someone new to machine knitting for just this reason. What you learn on the SK155 will carry forward when you move to the finer stitches of a standard gauge machine.
But don't buy the bulky if all you have are lace and fingering weight yarns, as the bulky will not be able to knit them as tight as you probably want.
Unlike electronic knitting machines, the SK155 uses a mechanical 12-stitch repeat punch card system for patterning. It can produce stockinette as well as tuck, slip, Fair Isle and other patterned fabrics, depending on the yarn and setup.
What Is the Silver Reed SK155?
- 9mm needle spacing
- 110 needles
- Metal-bed knitting machine
- Bulky gauge
- Mechanical punch card patterning
What Yarn Can You Use on an SK155?
The 9mm spacing allows the SK155 to handle much heavier yarn than the SK280/SK840 standard-gauge machines.
→ See our complete Yarn Guide for the Silver Reed SK155 (Coming Soon!)
What Can You Knit on an SK155?
This machine really shines for warm jackets, layered vests and thick sweaters. On my design board is a fairisle I designed which is planned for a warm layered vest! Because it is an overall fairisle design, it will be thick and warm!
Hats are worked flat and seamed up but is still faster than hand knitting by hand. Use bright bold hand-knit yarns for a look you can't find in any store! Scarves and shawls will need a trim of some sort as the flat fabric will curl. Stockinet curls on all models, and even when hand knit. Knit the scarf double wide and seam up the long edge for a super bulky, but WARM, accessory. So many ideas!
What you can't do on this machine successfully is knit garments out of lace, fingering, sport or sometimes even DK weight yarns. Due to the size of the hooks and the spacing, you may not get the stitches tight enough for your project.
SK155 Punchcard Patterning
Punchcard machines are mechanical. The machines read the pattern on the card and the carriage manipulates the needles for automatic patterning. It is simple and easy to follow in the manual. This machine can do fairisle, tuck (and multicolor tuck), slip (and multicolor slip), punch lace (sometimes called thread lace) and weaving. And with a bit of knowledge, tuck lace is beautiful on this machine. My favorite over regular lace. There is no lace carriage for this machine. Lace can be hand manipulated, and while it slows your knitting down, it is incredibly beautiful.
You can create your own designs as well using the special blank cards and card punch. It is a delightful challenge to create your own, unique, one-of-a-kind design. We do it often.
SK155 Accessories
At this time, the SK155 does not offer any accessories. For ribbing we use the technique for 1x1 ribber in the manual. It is fast, and flawless! We use this same technique on any machine that does not have a ribber. But thank goodness the SK280 & SK840, which uses finer yarns, have a ribber available!
SK155 vs. Other Silver Reed Knitting Machines
| Machine | Gauge | Needle spacing | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|---|
| LK150 | Mid-gauge | 6.5mm | Sport through lighter worsted |
| SK280 | Standard | 4.5mm | Fine yarns, fingering, lace |
| SK840 | Standard | 4.5mm | Fine yarns + electronic patterning |
| SK155 | Bulky | 9mm | Worsted and heavier yarns |
Not sure which machine is right for you? → How to Choose a Knitting Machine
Who Is the SK155 Best For?
The SK155 is a good choice if you want a metal-bed machine and like working with heavier yarns. Hand knitters who already have a stash of worsted and heavier yarns may find the SK155 especially useful because many of those yarns can also be used on this machine.
But if you are more interested in lace, fingering, sport or even DK weight yarns, the SK155 might not produce the hand you are looking for. Because of its larger needle hooks and the spacing between the needles, the SK155 will not knit DK or finer yarns into a tight fabric. The LK150 or one of the standard gauge machines might be a better fit. See the chart just above.
Silver Reed SK155 Resources
→ Yarn for the SK155 (Coming Soon!)
→ SK155 Tension & Gauge (Coming Soon!)
→ SK155 Needles & Parts (Coming Soon!)
→ SK155 Troubleshooting (Coming Soon!)