OPEN-SOURCE BOARD TURNS A USED 1980S KNITTING MACHINE INTO A COMPUTER-CONTROLLED ONE
Brother stopped making these machines around 1990, so the ones people knit on now come off eBay — and an open-source board replaces the pattern electronics.
by AYAB community (originally Christian Obersteiner and others)
AutomationOpen-hardware
- difficulty
- ●●●○○
- time
- a weekend to build the shield, an afternoon to install and test
- license
- GPL-3.0
- repo
- repo ACTIVE100 stars
●●●○○ · a weekend to build the shield, an afternoon to install and test · GPL-3.0 · 100 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 3D printer + filament — printable parts — files are in the repo
- Electronic parts — full list with part numbers in the repo BOM
- Dev board / microcontroller — runs the project firmware
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
AYAB is an open-source shield that replaces the pattern-punching electronics in Brother knitting machines from the 1980s. You load an image into the desktop app, the shield tells the machine which needles to select, and you push the carriage across by hand — the computer does the pattern, your arm does the passes. The hardware is a well-documented Arduino shield (Gerbers, BOM, assembly notes all in the repo), and the desktop app is actively maintained (last push 29 July 2026). The single biggest variable is the machine itself: Brother stopped making them around 1990, so you are buying second-hand from eBay, attics, or estate sales. Condition ranges from mint to corroded, and there is no way to test one properly until you have it in front of you. A working KH-910 or KH-930 runs 150-400 EUR depending on where you look; the shield is another 60-110 EUR assembled, or about 30 EUR if you order the PCB and solder it yourself. All in, call it 400 EUR for a machine that would otherwise be a doorstop. The repo is stable, the licence is clean, and the community is real — but the machine is a gamble, and that is the part you cannot repo-clone your way around.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —Two repositories: ayab-desktop (GPL-3.0, 100 stars) for the application and ayab-firmware (GPL-3.0, 36 stars) for the Arduino shield.
- —Gerbers, BOM, and assembly instructions are in the hardware folder of the firmware repo.
- —Desktop app runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux; firmware targets Arduino Mega or Uno.
- —Documentation covers supported Brother models (KH-910, KH-930, KH-940, KH-950, KH-965), installation, and basic pattern loading.
- —You must source a second-hand Brother machine yourself — none are being manufactured and condition varies widely.
- —GPL-3.0 on both sides; no commercial restrictions.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Partner · KickstarterHeyGears G1: 10M+ colors and transparent parts in one print, plus UV printing on flat objects. Figures, parts and labels — no painting.
Videos
Getting started with AYAB 1.0
Gallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the hardware documentation in the firmware repo (Start with the wiki and hardware folder — it lists compatible machines, shows the shield assembly, and walks through installation.)
- 2.Source a working Brother machine(KH-910, KH-930, KH-940, KH-950, or KH-965. Expect 150-400 EUR on eBay; condition is everything and you cannot test it until it arrives.)
- 3.Order the PCB or buy a pre-assembled shield(Gerbers are in the repo if you want to order from JLCPCB or similar; pre-assembled shields are sold by community members for 60-110 EUR.)
- 4.Flash the firmware and install the desktop app (Firmware goes on the Arduino, desktop app runs on your computer. Both repos have release binaries.)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- The machine is the gamble: you are buying a 35-year-old electromechanical device off eBay, and some arrive broken, corroded, or missing parts. There is no warranty and no return policy on most listings.
- Brother made several models that look similar but are not compatible — double-check the model number (KH-910 / 930 / 940 / 950 / 965 only) before buying.
- The shield does not automate the carriage — you still push it across by hand every row. If you were expecting a fully robotic knitting machine, this is not it.
- Calibration matters: the machine has to detect the carriage position correctly or patterns will shift. Budget an afternoon for first-time setup and testing.
- Yarn tension and machine condition affect results more than the electronics do. A clean, well-oiled machine with good tension will knit clean patterns; a rusty one will not, no matter how good your code is.
Can I build this without buying a second-hand Brother machine?
No. AYAB is a retrofit for specific Brother models from the 1980s, and those machines are no longer manufactured. You must source one second-hand.
What if the machine I buy does not work?
That is the risk. These machines are 35+ years old, and condition varies wildly. Buy from a seller who tests before shipping if you can, but expect some percentage to arrive broken.
Does the shield automate the whole knitting process?
No. The shield selects which needles to knit, but you still push the carriage across by hand for every row. It replaces the pattern electronics, not the mechanical work.
Can I use this with other knitting machines?
Only the five Brother models listed (KH-910, KH-930, KH-940, KH-950, KH-965). Other brands and models have different electronics and are not compatible.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
A working Brother KH-930 and shield come to about 400 EUR all in — but the machine is a 35-year-old gamble off eBay. What would you check first when it arrives?
AYAB community (originally Christian Obersteiner and others)
AYAB started as a way to resurrect Brother knitting machines that were being thrown out because their pattern electronics were obsolete. The project has been maintained by a community of contributors since the early 2010s, with active development continuing through 2026.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM20d ago
Practical notes from our verification: the main repo is the desktop app (100 stars, GPL-3.0), with the firmware in a separate repository under the same organization (36 stars, also GPL-3.0, last push 29 July 2026). Gerbers, BOM, and assembly instructions are in the hardware folder of the firmware repo, not the desktop one. The single biggest variable is not the electronics — it is finding a working Brother machine, and that is entirely down to eBay luck and estate sale timing. No official YouTube channel or assembly video; the walkthroughs that exist are community-made and scattered. If you are comfortable with Arduino firmware and basic soldering, the electronics are the easy part. The hard part is the 35-year-old knitting machine.