In a workshop that’s a refuge from the world, Dorothea Campbell uses her hands. Her right hand turns a crank, or manipulates dozens of needles arranged in a circle. With her left, she holds tightly to ...

There are a pair of maps on the wall in the front office at Erlbacher Gear & Machine Works in Cape Girardeau. One is a map of the United States. The other a map of the world. Both are adorned with ...

LEWISBURG — Issac Lamb invented the first domestic knitting machine in 1863 to make mittens and gloves. A few years later he purchased rights from Mr. Tuttle for his idea of mechanically knitting in a ...

RACINE — Forty-five people from seven states gathered last week at First United Methodist Church to knit as part of the first Antique Circular Sock Machine Conference in Southeast Wisconsin. The crank ...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A blast from the past is on display in Springfield. You may have never heard of a circular sock machine. The contraption dates back to the 1860s, allowing for quick manufacturing.

Recently a friend asked me if I had ever heard of a sock knitting machine. I replied no and asked if it was something new. Actually these machines, which knit socks, are antique, but reconditioned ...

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been corrected to reflect David Erlbacher had the first patent for the Gearhart sock knitting machine in more than 85 years. A family-run machine shop in south Cape ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU — A family-run machine shop in south Cape Girardeau has been the unlikely center of a revival of the knitting machine industry. David "Pee Wee" Erlbacher has been a machinist for more ...

*Refers to the latest 2 years of stltoday.com stories. Cancel anytime. CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. • A family-run machine shop in south Cape Girardeau has been the unlikely center of a revival of the knitting ...