This pretty pink and white knitting machine is Toyota K 109. It is a standard gauge knitting machine with 200 needles, 4.5 mm apart from each other. This is the first “advanced” model manufactured by Toyota. All previous models (K104, K106, K107 and K108) have only manual needle manipulation capabilities.

The patterning mechanism (as well as needle selection) are performed by the two turn knobs on the machine’s dashboard. The numbers on each turn knob indicate which needles will be selected. For example, in the picture below, “1/3”

I could not find a manual for this machine. So, I am guessing that the second turn knob (on the right-hand side) has only one number on each dial mark. So, I suspect it is a “shifting” dial: it makes the selected needles shift by the number shown on this knob (similarly to . But it is also possible that this second dial simply adds another variable to the needle selection. If you also cannot find a manual, check out Silver/Studio/Singer turn knob machines that have similar needle selection mechanisms. Those machines have manuals available online.

Additionally, there are two knobs on each side of the turn-knobs. Again: not sure yet what they do.

There is a small cheat-sheet right in the middle of the needlebed panel so the knitters can see right away which needles will be brought to C position when the left-turn-knob is activated.

All Japanese writing on the machine and the carriage suggest that this model was released for the Japanese markets only. Typical for the knitting machine of that time, the carriage handle is screw-on and is stored in the toolbox when not in use. A very distinct feature of this carriage is the button on the upper side of the carriage: on other main stream knitting machines (Brother and Silver/Reed/Studio), the buttons or the selection dial are on the lower side of the carriage.

The carriage has two buttons but I am still deciphering that they do.

I see that the tool contains a ratchet tool. In Brother pushbutton machines, the ratchet tool is used to activate the needle selection and bring the needles forward. However, the pictures above and below do not indicate where the ratchet tool will go to. So, it is likely that the needle are moved forward by the carriage like in Silver/Studio/Singer turn-knob knitting machines.