I recently brought a Silver Reed SK280 and I have no clue how to use it. I have watched loads of videos/read the manual but I can’t seem to get it to work… help!!! lol
Welcome to the forum!
We’re mostly hand knitters here but we do have some very helpful machine knitters. Is it setting up the machine or getting it going that is the problem?
@Beth_leatherman
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Can you post a video of you trying to knit on your machine? What weight yarn are you trying to use? Standard gauge machines love sock weight yarn. Light weight baby afghan yarn is a great option as well.
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Hi, I am not sure how to upload a video, I have just tried but the site wont allow it for some reason. I am trying to use a 4ply yarn, but I have also tried a smaller one. I have got as far as putting the yarn on by hand to the needles (doing the e-shape as I saw on a hobby craft video for the machine). I then place it into the feeder (Not sure I am even doing this right as it doesnt seem to stay in place) and when I try to move the knitting thing over (not sure what the proper term for it is) to knit the first row, it just takes all of the yarn straight off. I will have another go at uploading the video somehow to make it easier to explain what is going on! Thank you both so much for responding!! I am so lost!
EDIT - So I made a youtube account so I am able to send a link to show you where I am at… I was not born for this 
the link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WyOHcQXMqk&feature=youtu.be
Great. You have the tension mast threaded correctly as best as I can tell. Are you making sure that the yarn is in front of the protruding little piece of the dial on the tension mast? It looks like you are. A good place to start is to have that dial in the middle or 5. Some tension masts have numbers and some have little marks with an indication of which way is tighter and which way is looser. For 4ply or sock yarn, you generally want the tension dial of the carriage at 7. The Russell levers on the sides of the carriage should be towards the back. It looks like you are doing that as well. The other lever on the carriage should be at either N(for normal knitting) or S( stockinette). My Silver Reed machine is much older than yours and it has Stockinette in the very middle of the front. I believe that your problem, now that I have told you all the other stuff, is that when you are running the yarn from the needles to the carriage that the yarn is under the metal part of the carriage brushes. That is the removable part that holds the yarn. The yarn should be in the middle and when properly installed in the carriage, it should be parallel to the bed of the machine. Your yarn is at an angle. There is a bit of a learning curve to learn how to machine knit. There is lots of help available including several Facebook groups related to machine knitting. Look at Diana Sullivan from Austin Texas and the Answer Lady on You Tube. Feel free to reach out if you still need help.
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I think you’d need someone in person if it’s not working. I’m not that experienced myself. Try to find a local machine knitters club. Also, there are Facebook groups with experts.
Beth
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Thank you all so much! I really appreciate the help. I will have another go tomorrow with the reccomendations from @MK_er. So lovely to have such great support 
You could download a manual as a pdf then print the page or pages naming the parts and threading, hang them in front of you until you are familiar with them. When I got my used machine it was missing it’s sponge bar (a thin narrow strip that should be threaded under the needles). I used a silicone spray after I cleaned the bed, spray it over the needles and over the wheels on the underside of the carriage. Then with no yarn run the carriage back and forth a few times to spread the silicone. I find a swatch has to “settle” for a while before you can get an accurate measurement. I made a chart to record stitches, rows, tension, yarn. Persevere it will be rewarding, for large projects I often combine machine and hand knitting. Do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any help I have replaced my Bond Sweater Machine with a Brother KX 350.
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Thank you so much!! 
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