Make Lively - Knitting Machine Repair & Service in San Diego

Your Knitting Machine Workshop in Southern California

Sales, Lessons, Service

Specialized in Brother | Also Servicing Vintage Studio/Singer/Silver Reed & Toyota

Woman owned and operated | Quality repairs with careful attention | Community focused

🔧 Request Service 🛒 Shop Parts & Machines

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Repair & Service

Specialized in Brother machines with 6+ years experience. Also servicing Vintage Studio/Singer/Silver Reed & Toyota.

Machine repair & maintenance
Carriage repair
Electronic troubleshooting
Ribber setup
Sponge bar replacement

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Resources

Helpful resources to understand and maintain your machine.

YouTube video guides
Zoom consultations
Community connections
Helpful tips & advice

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Parts & Machines

Refurbished machines and hard-to-find parts for your projects.

Refurbished machines
Scavenged parts
3D printed tools
Sponge bars & supplies
Small parts shipping

Coming Soon

A Place to Try Before You Buy

I'm opening a small retail space here in Escondido — a showroom where you can sit down at a machine, knit on it, and find out how it actually feels before you take it home. Lessons will happen here too.

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Try and Buy

Test drive a machine before you commit. Cast on, knit a few rows, and see whether it's the right one for you — no guesswork from photos.

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Lessons

In-person instruction on a real machine, whether you're starting from scratch or getting reacquainted with one you inherited.

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Machines & Parts

Refurbished machines, parts, and supplies on the shelf — have a look in person instead of waiting on shipping.

📸 Follow along as it comes together

About Make Lively

Make Lively is a woman owned and operated Knitting Machine Repair Shop in San Diego, CA. I specialize in vintage and electronic machines from Brother, Silver Reed, Toyota, and others — the 30-50 year old workhorses that are still going strong if someone knows how to take care of them.

I offer cleaning, repair, and restoration services at my shop by appointment. I also sell refurbished machines and parts, and offer Zoom troubleshooting sessions for knitters who want to learn to fix things themselves.

Transparent pricing. Honest assessments. No upselling. Just good work on good machines.

6+ Years Experience Computer Science Degree MKGSD Member San Diego Based Careful, Quality Work

💰 Pricing

Straightforward and fair — no surprises.

Service & Repair

$45/hour · $120 minimum for full cleaning

Parts charged at cost

Zoom Troubleshooting

$25 for up to 20 minutes · $45 for up to 40 minutes

Great for diagnosing issues before deciding on repair

Estimates

I'll let you know what I find and what it'll cost before doing any work beyond the initial cleaning.

Payment: Zelle, Card, Cash, Check

Ready to Get Your Machine Running?

Drop off in Escondido, San Diego, CA. Small items shipping only, no house calls, but I do Zoom consultations!

Worth the wait

Submit Service Request Browse Parts Shop 📚 Resources About Susan

Questions? I'd love to hear from you.

📱 619-880-0281 (call or text)

📧 susan@makelively.com

I typically respond within 1-2 business days.

Ready for service? Start here →

San Diego drop-off by appointment.