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OPEN-SOURCE BOARD TURNS A USED 1980S KNITTING MACHINE INTO A COMPUTER-CONTROLLED ONE

Brother no longer makes these knitting machines, so the ones people knit on now are second-hand — and an open-source board replaces their pattern electronics.

by AYAB community (originally Christian Obersteiner and others)

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

AutomationOpen-hardware

Built withArduino

difficulty
●●●○○
time
a weekend to build the shield, an afternoon to install and test
license
GPL-3.0
repo
repo ACTIVE101 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
1
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COMPAREE VERDICT

AYAB (All Yarns Are Beautiful) gives old Brother electronic knitting machines a new brain: an Arduino Uno with the open AYAB Shield (or the EMSL-designed AYAB Interface board) replaces the machine's pattern electronics, and a desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux sends your image to the needles row by row. You still push the carriage by hand. The shield design, production files and assembly docs are in the ayab-hardware repository, the desktop app is actively maintained, and the community runs a Discord. The electronics are the easy part; the gamble is finding a working second-hand Brother machine.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —Three repositories: ayab-desktop (GPL-3.0) for the application, ayab-firmware (GPL-3.0) for the Arduino code, and ayab-hardware (CC BY-SA 4.0) for the shield design.
  • —Board design files, production files and assembly documentation are in the separate ayab-hardware repository.
  • —Desktop app runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux; the firmware runs on an Arduino Uno R3 with the AYAB Shield (or on the EMSL AYAB Interface board).
  • —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.
  • —Software and firmware are GPL-3.0, the hardware design is CC BY-SA 4.0; neither forbids commercial use.

Parts to buy

4 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • Second-hand Brother knitting machineFind
  • Arduino Uno R3Find
  • AYAB Shield PCBfrom the repo files
  • Componentsfrom the repo files

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Can I build this?

Printnothing required
Buysecond-hand Brother knitting machine (KH-910 / KH-930 / KH-940 / KH-950 / KH-965, or the bulky KH-270), Arduino Uno R3, AYAB Shield PCB (order from the hardware files or buy pre-assembled), components per BOM
Toolssoldering iron if building the shield yourself, desktop computer (Windows / macOS / Linux)
Skillsbasic soldering if self-building, familiarity with Arduino firmware flashing, patience hunting for a working second-hand knitting machine
Timea weekend to build and test the shield, an afternoon to install and calibrate on the machine, plus however long it takes to find a working Brother on eBay
Cost$$ — the second-hand Brother machine is the main cost; on top of that an Arduino Uno and a shield, either self-built from the open files or bought from a third-party seller.
Safetynone beyond ordinary electronics care — low voltage throughout, no mains modification

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

Getting started with AYAB 1.0

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Gallery

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Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Read the AYAB manual and the hardware repository (The manual at manual.ayab-knitting.com covers installation and supported machines; the shield files and assembly docs are in github.com/AllYarnsAreBeautiful/ayab-hardware.)
  2. 2.Source a working Brother machine(Check the model against AYAB's supported list (KH-900, 910, 930, 940, 950/950i, 965/965i, CK-35, and the KH-270 since AYAB 1.0). Condition is everything and you usually cannot test it before it arrives.)
  3. 3.Order the PCB or buy a pre-assembled shield(The production files for ordering the shield are in the ayab-hardware Releases; AYAB does not sell shields itself, but lists third-party sellers — check you get the current 1.4TH version.)
  4. 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 similar-looking models that are not compatible — check the model number against AYAB's supported list (KH-900, 910, 930, 940, 950/950i, 965/965i, CK-35, or the bulky KH-270) 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 electronic knitting machines that are no longer manufactured, so you must source one second-hand.

What if the machine I buy does not work?

That is the risk. These are decades-old machines and their condition varies widely, so buy from a seller who tests before shipping if you can.

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 supported Brother machines: KH-900, KH-910, KH-930, KH-940, KH-950/950i, KH-965/965i, CK-35, and the bulky KH-270 since AYAB 1.0. Other brands use different electronics and are not compatible.

Community builds

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

A working Brother knitting machine is the real gamble — it is decades old, it comes off eBay, and you cannot test it before it arrives. What would you check first when it lands on your table?

CompareeTEAM2mo agoedited

Practical notes from our verification: AYAB is split across three repositories under the same organization. ayab-desktop is the app you install (GPL-3.0), ayab-firmware is the Arduino code (GPL-3.0), and the shield design, production files and assembly docs live in ayab-hardware, which is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. The user manual is at manual.ayab-knitting.com and the project runs a Discord, so you are not on your own if you get stuck. Since AYAB 1.0 the firmware targets the Arduino Uno (or the EMSL AYAB Interface), not the Mega, and the bulky KH-270 is supported alongside the KH-9xx range. The single biggest variable is not the electronics — it is finding a working Brother machine, and that is down to eBay luck and estate sale timing. If you are comfortable flashing an Arduino and doing basic soldering, the electronics are the easy part. The hard part is the decades-old knitting machine. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.

AYAB community (originally Christian Obersteiner and others)

AYAB set out to provide an alternative way to control Brother's KH-9xx knitting machines from a computer. Development began around 2013 and the project has been maintained by a community of contributors since, with AYAB 1.0 released in 2025 and active work continuing in 2026.

GitHub

Star the project on GitHub

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.
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