4th annual Crank-In draws a close-knit audience

Over the next two days, Cape Girardeau will be the warm little center of the sock-knitting universe.

Erlbacher Gearhart Knitting Machine Co. makes hand-crank sock knitting machines and is hosting its fourth annual Crank-In at Ray's Plaza Banquet Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday.

More than 180 enthusiasts from all over the country are registered to attend the expo showcasing the machines. As David "Pee Wee" Erlbacher put it, "all the brains in the sock-knitting industry are here."

Some arrived early, wearing hand-cranked socks and "yarnista" nametags, to gather in Erlbacher's machine shop Wednesday afternoon to get a head start on the festivities.

Sock knitting may be more obscure than other hobbies, but the knitters stay in touch online until they get wind of the next big Crank-In or folk festival. Then they drive, fly, do whatever it takes to get there. For aficionados, a good Crank-In is not to be missed.

As the early birds gathered in the bay of Erlbacher's shop, Southeast Missouri State University's Percussion Ensemble played Caribbean tunes and hobbyists took turns cranking out socks on Erlbacher's newest model and talking about the coming weekend.

An appreciation for the machines' engineering was what first caught Mike Yeomans' eye. Then he started cranking, starting with socks and moving on to hats before knitting a pair of mittens with a beer coozie built right into the palm. He came for the machines, but he stayed for the people.

"It's not about socks," he said, and explained that the reason he keeps coming back to Erlbacher's Crank-Ins is the opportunity to get together with great people who share a passion.

At a Crank-In, a Floridian named Anita can catch up with a New Yorker named Elma. They've only met once before, but greet each other like old friends.

"I met you in New Hampshire!" "Yes, I thought I recognized you!"

It's a who's who of sock knitting, and the hobbyists' appreciation for Erlbacher and his machines is clear.

Ohio native Pat Koharik is a die-hard Erlbacher fan. Her red and white sweaters aren't Buckeye colors, she explained, "They're Erlbacher colors."

She said uncommon quality and customer service are what set Erlbacher machines apart.

"I asked if it came with a guarantee," she said. "It came with a guarantee and customer service representative Julie Erlbacher's personal cellphone number."

This commitment to pleasing customers is part of why people have traveled hundreds of miles for the Crank-In.

Erlbacher clapped a tall, Mark Twain-looking man on the back and introduced him as "Pete Oswald: the No. 1 authority in the world on these machines."

Oswald just laughed. "That's what they tell me," he replied.

The tow truck operator from White Bear Lake, Minn., said his collection of 60 sock-knitting machines is "one of the largest in the nation." He plans to display a dozen of the spindly, hand-crank knitting machines from his collection at the Erlbacher Crank-In, which is growing each year.

He's not the only machine collector in the crowd. Retired Penn State professor Mary Lou Andrews said once one's interest is piqued, it becomes difficult to stop cranking. She explained that when people become enamored with their machines, they usually want more.

"They're addictive and they multiply," she said. "You get one, and then all of a sudden there's another one next to it and while you're not looking another one's sneaking up behind you."

Pertinent address:

425 Good Hope St., Cape Girardeau, MO 63703

3257 William St., Cape Girardeau, MO 63701