The Bickford Improved

Kinda nifty, huh. Printed around 1880, it's a great advertising circular for a knitting machine. Looks pretty complicated. I think these things go for big money on eBay and they're difficult to use. When we saw a demo of sock machines a couple of years ago at Maryland Sheep and Wool, the woman said they were really delicate and just taking them on a road trip was enough to get the mechanisms all goofed up. I mean, really -- look at all those little hooks!

(Click on it for a larger image.)

And what, exactly, does it make? Reminds me of a sausage extruder I once saw at the Italian Market.