We had two alternative paths for Weave-a la Vida project. Both two alternatives are open-source projects on knitting that we could join and collaborate.

OpenKnit: It is an open-source project for a low cost digital knitting tool under development. The files necessary to build the machine (3D model, bill of materials, an assembly manual), and the software used are shared via GitHub. 

Knitic: It is an open hardware, which controls a knitting machine via Arduino developed by two artists Varvara Guljajeva and Mar Canet. The knitting machines hacked are Brother KH-930 or KH-940 electronic knitting machines which are no longer produced for over more than 20 years. In this hack, the existing electronic circuit of the knitting machines are replaced with Knitic which becomes "the new ‘brain’ of the knitting machine that allows real-time control over the needles". 

After finding a Brother KH-940 knitting machine in a very good state, we have decided to work on the Knitic project and reserve OpenKnit for future semesters.