What is a Ribber

A ribber is what will create a purl stitch on your sock machine.  The purl stitch is normally used around the tops of socks to produce a ribbing.  This ribbing helps to keep your socks up.

Depending on the brand or your machine you may have one ribber dial or a couple.  The ribber dials will correspond to the cylinder you have installed on your machine.

Do you Need a Ribber

No,  very nice socks can and are made on sock machines without a ribber.   There is a book written with patterns for making Lace Socks that does not use a ribber.

Is the Ribber Hard to Use

The ribber does take some time to get used to using it.  It is recommended that you first master knitting socks with plain knitting before putting your ribber on.