I have recently begun experimenting with Toyota’s simulknit. It’s basically a double bed jacquard. Similar to how brother does birdseye backing I believe except the back is all one colour. The top swatch pictured is the best I could do.

I keep getting stitches dropping and I can’t figure out why. What are the things I should check for or try? I’m suspicious it’s the bed alignment (it’s slightly off and i’m not sure how to fix it) or my tension mast (which is for another machine and might not be feeding the yarn correctly. this is usually not an issue, but with something this complex it might be).

I’m thinking:
- Tension
- Sufficient weights
- Ribber and main bed alignment
- Yarn mast being wrong or set up wrong
- Individual needles being bent or stiff
- Waxing the yarn

Is there anything else that I could try to fix this?

Thank you to anyone who responds with ideas!

I want to replicate this image I found in a manual and although I have the image and a pattern graph, I can’t quite figure out how to do the slip in front method or something they call slip with float. I’m working on a domestic machine, which I think should be able to do this, but I’m missing something.

Also, this the cross tuck stitch isn’t quite coming out with the embossed look I’m going for. I knitted up at tension dial four and the knitting looks fairly even on the right side as opposed to the photo in the book, but I’m following the exact four course repeat.

I could really use some help here after days of fiddling with settings. Why are some rows longer/looser than other? Any suggestions are more than welcome :)

I finally took my machine (lk150) out of storage and while my first few panels were a success, I fear I keep running into this problem with this specific red yarn.
For context, it’s the loops and threads soft classic acrylic (I used the same for my other panels) and I love the color for what I’m currently working on but I can’t seem to figure out where I’m going wrong

I just bought a silver sk321 and was cleaning it it when I noticed there’s a missing tooth here? The other side doesn’t have any missing teeth and they both seem to move with ease. Please excuse me as I don’t really know the names for parts yet, but just wondering if this is normal or if I need to figure out where I can get a replacement? Appreciate any help!! (FYI already ordered a new sponge bar and rubber end bits)

Recently acquired a passap automatic as a complete newbie, and tried my best to restore it. Yet the lock requires a lot of strength to move across when working a piece and I only managed to do a strap with 5 needles out. (Like it either is fully stuck or I need to hold it with one hand and move the lock with the other!)

Here is what I tried:

- Detailing underneath the chariot with cotton buds and ethanol, then oiling with sewing machine oil

- tried to clean the bed but didn't manage to remove the needles from the bed with my tools. Used needles that seemed to run rather smoothly, tho not freely if I lean the machine for example

- tried putting some needles in work position without yarn on and running the lock across. It was smooth-ish

- tried different yarn and settings. Lost my stitches when setting the loop size too high

- checked that the tension and yarn path were correct according to the pictures from the manual

- Read the instructions from the manual like 1000 times

I'm at a loss of how to diagnose the issue and fix it and would love some cues from more experienced knitter! I have spent a few hours on this already and I am getting a bit frustrated...

(Sorry if I don't describe things correctly, english is not my first language and I'm not familiar with the knitting vocabulary!)

Hi! I have 2 machines and am looking for a third, I would prefer to buy in person but the only people I’ve found so far in oregon who fix up and sell machines are super trump right wing men with gross ai slop all over their fb profiles which feels insane! I was so close to purchasing one and the guy seemed nice but I accidentally clicked his profile and immediately blocked. I’m gay as hell and knitting is political and I’m not going to give 2k to a man who thinks I shouldn’t even exist. That being said does anyone know of any local shops in the nw to buy in person? I don’t trust eBay and I’m willing to drive for awhile.

currently 12:16am for me and tomorrow is the day that I will go to the hardware store to get some tools so that I can completely take apart my machine to fix it and I'm terrified.

I have a needle slot that won't work due to a broken tine on the needle retention comb spring. (Issue originally diagnosed by this very community.) I have been living with this limitation for at least three years. The needle is at around L60, so I can often work around it, but I decided I wanted to see my machine as a fully functioning member of my household.

There are no known videos of someone taking a machine apart to that level (if wrong please correct me, and I pray you do). The answer lady (always a spooky displeasure) has illuminated some things, but mostly how hard it will be to get around the punch card reading mechanisms.

Has anyone out there ever endeavored to do something this dumb? Any words of encouragement or discouragement?

I plan to document as much as possible, both for our edification and to help me put it back together.

hello everyone i’m fairly interested in machine knitting, thing is i live in dubai and i checked on our second hand websites no one sells the knitting machines that i see everyone using singer brother ect non at all i could only find a couple listings of generic brand ones and i was wondering if it’s okay to get those if anyone tried it ? (i cant really order from ebay since the machine is huge and shipping from the us would cost a fortune) please help i would love to try this new hobby! i don’t know how to add the pic so here’s the link

https://www.noon.com/en-ae/ZE5A213B72B041B4A8686Z/p/?o=d534231d72673f4d&shareId=cad9c087-1aa6-4a54-a490-b069a9c5ba25&utm_source=C1000094L&utm_medium=referral

I have a sweater I planned on hand knitting. Due to an arm injury, hatred for intarsia knitting (as in I don't do intarsia ha), and forcing myself to actually use the several knitting machines I own but too scared to use, I've decided to just dive in and use an LK150 I have using DK yarn. I have the intarsia carriage on order, and it's on its way.

I want to knit up a sweater with a sports team name across the front. I originally charted the letters on stitch fiddle for hand knitting, so the chart is 110 stitches wide, with the stitch numbers from 1-110 going right to left as per a traditional knitting chart.

My question is, what's the best way to easily identify which needles to be selected for the second colour

1) Find a way to number the knitting bed to match the chart for easy needle selection. If so, any ideas? Erasable marker?

OR

2) Adapt the chart to match the LK150 bed, so I find the middle point and number half the chart going 0-60 from right to left, and the other half going left to right? And if this is the solution, is there an online chart maker that can do that? Or should I just manually make it on excel?

OR

3) Any other suggestion!I know my question sounds basic, I have a head cold and maybe I'm missing something super obvious. I am quite familiar with knitting machines, and relatively tech savvy so any suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks :)

Motif was created with eyelets and knitting extra rows with a thicker linen yarn to make a bolder outline. Sweater was knit side to side, from one cuff to the other, to achieve dolman shape. Waist rib was linked on afterwards.

This is the first sweater I knit after using how to use the machine. Part of it was done on a Brother but I’m unsure which model.

When the extension bed doesn't fit onto your longest table. I think that I improvised quite well. All this for an extra 5 stitches.

My bunny usually runs away at the sound of my machines but this really vintage one (Toyota NT-10) is really quiet!! So he doesn't mind it. Nothing better than a knitting session with Leo 🥹

Hi! I have been a bit interested in knitting machine for a while, and on a whim grabbed this free Passap automatic M201, without knowing in what state it was or how to use it. It seems the kit is complete and the lock slides across pretty smoothly, but I need some help to get started! I probably didn't chose the easiest way to pick up a new hobby, but I am super excited and eager to learn!

1. Is it a "good" model? I believe a swiss made item for the 50s/60s to be pretty solid, but that all I know!

2. What do I need to check to make sure it is in good condition?

3. I guess it first needs a clean and some oil. Any recommendations on that end? What oil do you use? (I live in Europe)

4. I have a damaged but readable manual, but it's a bit overwhelming. Any recommendations on resources to get started?

5. Any other tip? Any help is welcome!

Thank you!

All are freehanded designs by myself 💖 a mix of punchcard work and also duplicate stitch

Found this machine on fb, does anyone have experience with this model? Im looking to do colorwork and ribbing.

Ciao a tutti, ho questa macchina da qualche tempo, ho finito un maglione da un paio di settimane e volevo iniziare a fare altro ma mi sono resa conto che nel lavorare la tensione a destra è differente da quella a sinistra. ho controllato il maglione e questo problema non c'è. come posso risolvere?

Hello fellow machine knitters, please gather and help a desperate beginner:

About two weeks ago,bought this flat bed knitting machine from an old lady, that didn’t use it anymore. Wiped it, cleaned the needles, removed old sponge bar and ordered new.

The sponge arrived today. I glued it onto the bar and returned the bar into the machine ( i think correctly- sponge faced down).

I assembled the machine and tried to knit with a few different yarns… Not a single successful swatch was knit today.

1. Casted on with the “e-wrap” left the needles in position “e” and threaded the yarn into the carriage (I think I finally threaded the yarn correctly only the last time i tried knitting- other times the yarn was catching into the broom cog-wheels???in the carriage)

2. Every time I knitted first row, the last stitches weren’t able to knit fully- as pictured on the second photo( I needed to thread them manually, the needles weren’t fully in B position but somewhere between C-B?). I also don’t know if I should maybe press more onto the carriage while I knit?( I think I was tugging onto the yarn end- may that be the reason? Was I tugging too much or not at all?)

3. I couldn’t put the comb onto the knitting right- when i tried to thread it thru the cast on row, the carriage wasn’t able to get thru- that was the case even after the first row was knit. I think the absence of the comb caused that the stitches on other rows weren’t knit. Also, I don’t own any weights yet, only 2 combs… Should I order them ASAP? 😅

4. It was hard to push the carriage a few times… then the plastic cog wheels on one side fell off ( first time I returned them back, second time is captured in photo). I noticed they are quite used- should I replace them? Also I didn’t oil the carriage yet and when I spin them, they stop almost immediately- so that’s my next step I think. (should I also oil the needles? somehow?)

Hi everyone,
I've been hand knitting for several years and I'd now like to focus on machine knitting. I have the chance to buy a second-hand Empisal Knitmaster 321 for €350 (Belgium), with all accessories included. It has been used, but it's been in storage for a while.
Before I go and look at it, I'd love your advice:
Is this a fair price for this model?
What should I check or test on a machine that's been stored for a long time (needles, carriage, sponge bar, etc.)?
Is the 321 a good machine for a beginner who wants to make sweaters and other garments?
Are parts and manuals still easy to find if something needs replacing?
Any tips or experiences with this machine are very welcome. Thanks in advance!

pictures from the owner in the comments!

Hi all! 🧶
Just got my Brother KH-970 and I’m completely new to machine knitting. This machine is so fun, but it’s got a bit of a learning curve. This is my first ever fair isle test piece!

I’d love to hear any tips and experience you all have to share. Super excited to make new friends here! I’m hoping we can build a little group to chat, troubleshoot and learn machine knitting together.

Can’t wait for your advice!

I got a lot of sock yarn on sale and slowly working through it. A pair takes me about 2hrs to make

Hi there! Can anyone help me? My machine has this weird quirk where a couple of needles become unbearably stiff (as in the video). It is a chunky SK890 and the problem persists when I remove the sponge bar. Weirdly when I remove the needle and replace with an identical needle the stiffness goes away before returning after some knitting. I have also tried oiling the needles. Is this something I need professional maintenance help on?! I really hope I can solve this without spending a lot of money but it does seem like a tricky issue. Really appreciate your help!

So I picked up a Brother KH890 with a garter stitch carriage and a ribber at a recent fiber festival. Any recommendations for resources would be great. She needs a good cleaning, the seller gave me a new sponge bar but it’s technically too long for the machine. I won’t have room to set her up until I sell my looms but I’m hoping that won’t take long.

Hi everyone!

Please delete if not allowed. And sorry for any errors. I’m writing on my phone. I’ll try to keep organized.

Some fact:

- I have two knitting machines:
•Brother KH 881 (4.5 mm & punch card/knit leader)
•Brother KH 230 (9mm basic)

I have really just started using the KH 230 over the last two weeks because it’s less overwhelming than KH881.

My goals are to design and make clothes. (Mainly grunge/fairycore inspired) I have consumed a lot of YouTube videos and such but I’m still having trouble with basic design. (I don’t have a background in clothes and really have just done crochet tapestry and some basic crochet hats— just getting back into hand knitting but I am not used to how slow it is 😂)

I tried to make a tube top. I even made a swatch which I followed and it did match the final design (but it was way too big since I designed to my bust measurement which is much larger than my under/over bust.)

Are there any suggestions/sources/artists that you have that can help with this?

A lot of patrons I follow are too advanced and I’m really just looking for simple techniques.

Thank you so much for anyone who takes their time to read and reply! You are greatly appreciated 🤍

So I think I have enough confidence to make my first project. I do have a knit leader but I feel like I am not ready to learn it yet. Also no space. So I am making patterns. All the calculations and charts. Am I doing too much thinking and too much calculations? I see people on youtube just straight up starting and knitting and I spent two days making this pattern. (Yesterday I did some stupid errors and I am redoing them today) I feel like maths professor by this point. 🤣🤣🤣 should I simplify this?

For context this pattern from a easy fit tunic T sewing pattern I made and use regularly. I just rederw it for my stitch guage.

Is this how you do it? Or is there easy methods you follow?