Knitting Machine - Casting-On Stitches are Too Tight

#1

Hi all,

I’ve recently inherited my mother’s old Singer Sb100. When I try and cast on (e-wrap), I can’t even start on the first row because it’s too tight for the hooks to pull through (adjusting the tension dial makes no difference) If I wrap them loosely, they pop in front of the latches and don’t knit.

I’ve so far tried:
Adding weights (no change)
Changing the tension dial (no change)
Laying the yarn reaaaally loosely (catches on the carriage)
Doing the weird cast-on in the manual (Some stitches don’t pick up, then they all throw themselves off the hooks when trying to switch to my main yarn) Frankly I’d rather use an e-wrap cast on so I can just start knitting.

I’m honestly ready to tear my hair out!

Because it’s a ‘compact’ machine I can’t seem to find much in the way of guides online, so I was hoping someone here could help me out! I’ve attached a picture of the machine, the underside of the carriage, and a link to the manual (are links allowed? Sorry if not!)

Thanks in advance!

http://machineknittingetc.com/singer-sb100-instruction-manual.html

20181222_131041 20181222_131018

#2

Welcome to KH!
We are mostly hand knitters but there are a few machine knitters too. Maybe @Beth_Leatherman or @MK_er can help you.

#3

This looks like a great knitting machine, what’s called a “hobby machine “ because of the plastic bed. I typically do a crochet cast on and find that works much better. Diana Sullivan of Austin Texas has a wealth of great beginners knitting machine videos on YouTube. I have three different brands of plastic bed machines as well as some metal bed ones. I also hand knit and crochet. Feel free to PM me with any questions.

3 Likes
#4

Crumbs, I’ve been crocheting for 15 years and wouldn’t have thought of that - it worked!

You’re a star, thank you!

#5

Feel free to contact me anytime with machine knitting help. I’m by no means an expert but I do have about 20 years experience under my belt, starting with a Bond then finding a Brother KX350 when my youngest was about to start 1st grade and he graduates college in the spring! I love to combine my crochet, hand and machine knitting all in one project. Do you know the gauge of your machine? I just took a quick scan of your manual and didn’t see it mentioned. The Bond is an 8mm machine, then the KX 350 is 7mm, the LK 100 & LK 150 are 6.5 while the HK 100 is a bulky at 9mm. In case you don’t know, this measurement comes from the distance between the needles. I don’t think there’s a plastic bed machine in what is called a standard gauge machine which is 4.5mm. There’s a few more machines out there that are variations of this but those are the ones most often seen. It looks like your machine has 100 needles, which can limit the width of fabric that you can create but there are lots of techniques around that too for making larger pieces. I don’t mind helping you if I can. Dottie

1 Like
#6

Hi i have just been silly and brought this machine i have now got very angry trying to use it i cant get it to even cast on let alone knit on it please can anyone help me

#7

Hi Sheena and welcome!
Very frustrating I’m sure. Perhaps @MK_er can help.

#8

It helps to know which machine that you have so that we can know how to help you. There is a bit of a learning curve to machine knitting but there’s lots of ways to get help unlike when I was learning to use mine. Once we know which machine that you have, I can help you source the information you need to make it knit! Feel free to PM me.

#9

How do i contact please

#10

Its a singer sb100 compact

#11

http://machineknittingetc.com/downloadable/download/sample/sample_id/763/
This is the manual for your machine in case you don’t have one. This looks like a forerunner of the current LK 150. Studio and Singer were the same machines put out under different names except your machine has 100 needles and the LK has 150. Look on You Tube. Diana Sullivan from Austin Texas has numerous beginner videos to get you started. There are several others as well but she is supper great for a beginner.

#12

Thanks, MK_er.

Sheena, to PM a forum member click on the avatar or initial in the circle before their name. That’ll bring up a Message button.