Troubleshooting Knitting Machine Problems

Troubleshooting Your Knitting Machine

 Dropped Stitches

• First check your needle retainer bar (sponge bar to most of us) to make sure it is not compressed or damaged.  Replace if foam is not at least 1/2 inch above metal backing.
• Every row - same spot. 
  • Bent needle at knee,
  • Bent, sticky or broken latches,
  • card punched wrong
  • bent gate pegs.
• Random Locations.
• Feeder plate adjustment,
• Antenna (tension spring) setting incorrect
• Seedle latches
• Yarn Threaded wrong
• Now and Then
  • Yarn threaded wrong
  • Yarn hang up from cone
  • tension pulling too tight
  • 2nd antenna wire (tension spring) not hooked up
  • worn needle presser bar
  •  too few weights or possibly hung in wrong spot
  • trying to make lace on end needle
  • knitting with too tight garment tension

Faulty Pattern Selection

• Same place every row
  •  bent needle
  • bent latch
  • card punched wrong
  • card not feeding properly
• Random
  • failure to select pattern properly
  • internal machine problem
  • tension too tight
  • bent latches
  • worn needle presser bar (sponge bar)
  • excessive knitting speed. SLOW DOWN!

Looping

• One side only
  • worn or frayed brush
  •  fabric presser (carriage) out of adjustment
  • yarn wrapped around a brush
  • carriage travel excessive
  • weaving brush left on.
  • worn needle presser bar (sponge bar)
• Both sides
  • worn or frayed brush
  • weaving brushes left on
  • yarn or lint under brushes
  • fabric presser (carriage) out of adjustment
  • carriage travel too excessive
  • inadequate yarn tension
  • yarn hang up in yarn path
  • yarn not threaded properly
  • antennae (tension spring) not pulling up slack in yarn (yarn too heavy?)
  • short antennae (tension spring) not hooked in 2nd color
  • worn needle presser bar (sponge bar)

Carriage hanging up or hard to push

• Lack of lubrication
• loose fabric presser assembly (carriage not seated properly)
• worn or damaged needle guides in carriage
• Worn or damaged needle slots in machine bed (needle tracks) 
• damaged or broken tripper lever
• broken tripper lever springs 
• yarn under carriage brushes (or caught in carriage mechanism) 
• worn needle presser bar (sponge bar)
• metal derbis stuck to magnets
• If your machine has roller balls, they need lubrication

Drops work off in lap while knitting

• color button on - no 2nd yarn in feeder,
• yarn not threaded properly in feeder
•  no yarn in yarn feeder
• yarn broken while knitting the row.

Machine Damage - common problems

• Main Bed - look for the following
  • needle track damage (infrequent cleaning and/or lubrication)
  • sinker post bent (dropped machine - Improper handling of machine)
  • internal machine problem (infrequent cleaning and/or lubrication)
  • broken needle in bed (needle presser bar (sponge bar) worn or torn
  • dropped stitches (needle presser bar worn or torn (sponge bar)
• Main Carriage
  • needle guides or mechanism bent or not working properly (dropped carriage)
  • broken cams, wheels or guides (infrequent cleaning and/or lubrication), possibly dropped carriage.
  • buttons do not work independently of each other (especially some Brother models) - (infrequent or improper cleaning and/or lubrication)
  • broken springs (older machine - possibly metal fatigue)
  • sticky cams - (infrequent cleaning and/or wrong lube or no lube) Do not use WD-40 - using WD-40, sewing machine or similar lube other than knitting machine oil will RUIN your machine and making it unrepairable.
  • lack of symmetry in levers  (possible dropped carriage damage or infrequent cleaning and/or lubrication)
• Lace Carriage 
  •  presser wheels bent (damaged - possibly dropped carriage)
  • presser wheels pushed in too far (older machine - possible rubber or metal fatigue)
  • worn or damaged wheels or guides (older machine - possibly rubber or metal fatigue)

What you can do

• Clean and Lubricate regularly and be sure to use only Knitting Machine Oil - do not use sewing machine oil or WD-40)
• examine magnets for attached debris
• examine brushes for yarn or strings caught - remove yarn 
• examine for loose or broken parts
• examine for loose screws
• replace needle presser bar (sponge bar) every couple of years - clean bar track also using long cattail/rattail brush - especially if using home spun yarns!
• replace worn brushes as needed - remove brushes and remove lint and/or yarn from under brush journal shaft
• replace worn, bent or broken needles - check needle presser bar (sponge bar) for wear every 3 months.

What you should not do

• do not dig into needle bed track
• do not set carriage down on metal opbject
• do not try to force jammed carriage
• do not change carriage settings in mid row.
• do not attempt to disassemble carriage
• do not attempt to disassemble punch card or mylar reader mechanisms