Circular Knitic · Varvara Guljajeva & Mar CanetSource ↗

Image credits and source versions

Circular Knitic tutorial: assembling the outer ring ↗ · Varvara Guljajeva and Mar Canet · MIT
Circular Knitic tutorial: motor and drive-gear assembly ↗ · Varvara Guljajeva and Mar Canet · MIT

CAIBI ASSESSMENT

Circular Knitic

CAIBI VERDICTBUILD FOR THE EXPERIENCE

An open hardware circular knitting machine built with 3D printed parts, laser-cut acrylic, Arduino control and conventional knitting needles.

See what the build involves Original source ↗

Build or buy?

Compare the documented build with the purchase reference.

Build it yourself

Historical cost£287 / £568Current total not establishedHistorical materials / with source manufacturing allowance

Time: One-day workshop route published
Difficulty: 4/5
Physical processes: 3D printer · Laser cutting · Arduino · Textile tools

See build requirements →

Purchase reference

Buy price referencePrice not checkedNo priced alternative recorded

Check the source for the exact model, availability and what is included.

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Purchase comparison not yet priced

What the prices cover

The source BOM totals €334 of materials and separately lists €327 of manufacturing assumptions. Those historical source figures are converted here for planning, not presented as fresh retailer quotes.

Includes: Published materials BOM; Source manufacturing allowance where shown.

Not included: Price inflation since the source BOM; Shipping; Workshop tools and labour.

Build evidence recorded 4 Sep 2026. Currency conversions are approximate.

Circular Knitic is an open fabrication machine whose source cost includes historical manufacturing assumptions. Consumer circular knitters and industrial machines sit in different capability classes.

BUILD AT A GLANCE

Source view and main parts

Check the source ↗

**Circular Knitic tutorial: assembling the outer ring**Varvara Guljajeva and Mar Canet · MITSource and version ↗

Circular Knitic · Varvara Guljajeva & Mar Canet ↗

PHYSICAL BUILD6 key parts or groups

No.	Source specification
01	High-quality 3D printed knitting mechanism parts from the published STL set
02	Laser-cut acrylic plates
03	Arduino and published control electronics
04	Stepper motor and drive hardware from the published BOM
05	MakerBeam structural parts and fasteners from the published BOM
06	Knitting needles

Full source specifications

High-quality 3D printed knitting mechanism parts from the published STL set
Laser-cut acrylic plates, primarily 5 mm with 6 mm acrylic specified for the upper gear
Arduino and published control electronics
Stepper motor and drive hardware from the published BOM
MakerBeam structural parts and fasteners from the published BOM
Knitting needles, yarn guides and textile-specific mechanical hardware

TOOLS / PROCESSES4 involved

3D printer
Laser cutting
Arduino
Textile tools

The real-world work

YOU STILL HAVE TOThe real-world work

Source knitting hardware
Print precisely
Laser cut acrylic
Assemble mechanics
Thread and tune the machine

THE BUILD SEQUENCE

How it comes together

1Preparation

Read the complete legacy source before buying
Use the repository BOM, documentation PDF and workshop files together. This project predates much current maker hardware, so treat old supplier references as specifications to verify rather than automatic purchase links.
AI + YOU
Print the precision mechanism
Print the published STL parts at high quality. The creators explicitly say printing precision is crucial and supplied altered parts for less precise RepRap-class machines.
YOU

2Build and assembly

Laser cut the frame and gears
Cut the published 600 x 400 mm acrylic plates. The source specifies 5 mm acrylic for most plates and 6 mm for the upper gear, so material thickness is part of the mechanism geometry.
YOU
Assemble the knitting mechanics
Build the frame, gear train, needle ring and yarn path from the documented parts. Smooth movement and repeatable needle action matter before electronics are added.
YOU

3Configure and test

Add Arduino motion control
Wire the motor/control hardware and start from the published Arduino code. AI can help modernise libraries, pins or motion logic, but the first objective is reproducing the documented movement.
AI + YOU
Thread, tune and prove a continuous knit
Load yarn, adjust tension and manually observe several rotations before leaving the machine to run. The original installation used multiple machines over eight months, but a new build still needs its own mechanical tuning.
YOU

Benchmark this project

Use the Circular Knitic prompt. Compare what different models deliver, then add what happened when you tried it.

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View the project prompt

CAIBI adaptation · Prompt 1.0 · Project source

Prompt for Circular Knitic

CAIBI project benchmark: Circular Knitic
Prompt version 1.0

Help me build Circular Knitic using the existing creator project at https://github.com/var-mar/circular_knitic. This is a CAIBI benchmark adaptation of the project build brief, not a claim about how the creator used AI.

Project context:
- An open hardware circular knitting machine built with 3D printed parts, laser-cut acrylic, Arduino control and conventional knitting needles.
- Build context: High-quality 3D printed knitting mechanism parts from the published STL set; Laser-cut acrylic plates, primarily 5 mm with 6 mm acrylic specified for the upper gear; Arduino and published control electronics; Stepper motor and drive hardware from the published BOM; MakerBeam structural parts and fasteners from the published BOM; Knitting needles, yarn guides and textile-specific mechanical hardware.
- Where AI helps: Interpret legacy documentation, Arduino changes, Parametric part edits, Pattern and process planning.
- Physical work: Source knitting hardware, Print precisely, Laser cut acrylic, Assemble mechanics, Thread and tune the machine.
- Main limitation: The source is mature rather than current, and it explicitly depends on precise high-quality printing plus large 5mm and 6mm acrylic parts. Mechanical accuracy is the project.

Read the source first. Use its published design, files, dimensions and parts as the baseline; do not redesign it unless a missing detail requires a clearly labelled proposal. If you cannot access a source or verify a revision, say so.

Provide one practical build package:
1. Design and files: explain the source design, link the original editable files, and identify missing files or modifications.
2. Parts and fabrication: give quantities, exact variants and compatibility, plus a cutting or printing list where applicable. Preserve source dimensions; flag anything unconfirmed.
3. UK and US purchasing: direct product links, checked dates, stock, pack sizes, taxes, delivery and regional costs. Mark unverifiable details as unknown; do not invent links, prices or availability.
4. Assembly: an ordered guide covering fabrication, fitting, wiring or software as applicable, setup, checks and troubleshooting.
5. Cost and time: separate parts, fabrication, delivery, hands-on time and machine time, with assumptions and exclusions.
6. Function and ease: a test plan for the project's stated purpose, likely difficulties, required skills and any corrections or limitations.

Keep source facts, your proposals and items needing physical verification distinct. An estimate is not a measured build result. Do not claim to have built or tested hardware. Include failed attempts and omissions. If a section does not apply, say why.

Use the source as accessed during this run and record its revision or access date. The prompt is fixed; the linked source can change.

Open and copy prompt →

Benchmark results 0

No reviewed results yet for Circular Knitic. Add the first result →

AI IN THIS PROJECT

Get AI help on this build

CAIBI · AI CAN HELP

AI can help with

Interpret legacy documentation
Arduino changes
Parametric part edits
Pattern and process planning

CAIBI · AI CAN'T DO

You still need to

Source knitting hardware
Print precisely
Laser cut acrylic
Assemble mechanics
Thread and tune the machine

Original source AI use and prompts

SOURCEThe original project does not publish an AI prompt

The prompts below are CAIBI helpers for this build. They are not presented as instructions from the creator.

CAIBI STARTING PROMPTS

Copy a prompt for this build

Each prompt tells AI to keep the original project source as the reference and to flag anything you must verify on the real build.

Ways to take it further

AFTER THE FIRST BUILD

Ways to take it further

Parametric OpenSCAD partsAlternative contemporary controllerPattern-generation experimentsDifferent yarn and needle setupsEnclosure or guardingMachine-status sensing

More routes and resources

OTHER WAYS TO GET THERE

You do not have to follow one route.

ORIGINAL BUILDFollow the creator route

Use the published files and instructions as the baseline.

OUTSOURCE A PROCESSGet specialist fabrication done

You do not necessarily need to own every capability used here: 3D printer, Laser cutting, Arduino, Textile tools.

ALTERNATIVE PROJECTImageGenCam

A buildable Raspberry Pi camera designed around a Codex-assisted hardware and software workflow.

REVIEWED RESOURCES

Useful places beyond the main source

DOCSCircular Knitic full documentation

Creator documentation covering the physical machine beyond the short repository README.

FILESCircular Knitic bill of materials

Published source BOM used to identify the original electronics, structure and knitting hardware.

DOCSCircular Knitic workshop tutorial

Creator workshop images and assembly material useful for interpreting the older main documentation.

SOURCE · CAIBI · BUILDERS

What supports the verdict

SOURCEVarvara Guljajeva & Mar Canet

Original open-hardware repository includes BOM, Arduino code, STL files, laser-cut files, workshop material and a full documentation PDF. The design dates from 2014, so current sourcing should be rechecked.

Open source ↗

CAIBIBUILD FOR THE EXPERIENCE

This is exactly the kind of project that broadens AI-assisted making beyond electronics. The machine itself is physical textile fabrication, while AI can help adapt patterns, parametric parts, control logic and obsolete sourcing.

Evidence: Moderate

BUILDERSNo published reports yet

Actual time, cost, changes and outcomes appear here after submitted builds are reviewed.

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HAVE YOU MADE THIS?

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First-hand evidence improves the assessment

What we want to know

What happened when you actually tried to make it.

Did it work?
Actual time and cost
What did you change?
What was harder than the source suggested?
Would you build it again?