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 ...

OLIVE TOWNSHIP -- The first time our paths crossed, Mike Bronkema was sporting an Olive Township Fire Rescue T-shirt and knitting a pink sock on a hand-crank antique circular sock knitting machine. We ...

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 ...

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 ...

As we enter the depths of winter, there’s no prospect more appealing than bundling up in a handmade, ultra-warm wool blanket. When the time comes for us to leave our cosy nests to brave howling winds ...

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.