# Brother KH 890



## jendavemaliaj (Nov 23, 2013)

Just got a Brother 890, punchcard! Anywho it is beautifully impeccably used clean find. BUT I cant seem to get the lil darling to knit more then 2 rows. It has a new sponge bar, without the thread guide it just glides, all the needles sing, I attach the guide it continues to glide. I thread I can cast on, next row 1/2 if all stitches catch. Next row utter disaster. ? What am I doing wrong :?:


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## KarlaHW (Jan 6, 2012)

Did you hang a cast on comb after the first row and weights?


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## GrammaAnn (Dec 16, 2011)

Are you using too large of yarn for your machine?


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## MKDesigner (Jan 27, 2014)

Try casting on with every other needle, hang weights and see if it knits. If it does, then more than likely the yarn is too thick.
Marge


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## jendavemaliaj (Nov 23, 2013)

Yes, sorry did hang comb. With weights then more weights &#128542;
Didn't work


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## jendavemaliaj (Nov 23, 2013)

I'm using super skinny yarn!! May try crochet Cotten next. I'm at a lost &#128546;


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## KarlaHW (Jan 6, 2012)

jendavemaliaj said:


> Just got a Brother 890, punchcard! Anywho it is beautifully impeccably used clean find. BUT I cant seem to get the lil darling to knit more then 2 rows. It has a new sponge bar, without the thread guide it just glides, all the needles sing, I attach the guide it continues to glide. I thread I can cast on, next row 1/2 if all stitches catch. Next row utter disaster. ? What am I doing wrong :?:


when you talk about the thread guide I suppose you mean the sinker plate.
Can you post pictures? Put about 30 to 40 needles in working position and go over with carriage without sinker plate. Take a picture when you are in the middle.
Then do the same with sinker plate, no yarn yet. You said that worked smoothly.
Now use yarn, something thin, tension 5 maybe. How do you cast on? Just knit the first row (open cast on), then hang the cast on comb. Or e wrap, hang cast on comb, knit the first row.
Could the yarn be catching under the sinker plate? Are the weaving brushes up?
Take a picture of the bottom of the sinker plate, are there yarn pieces hung up?


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## MostlyKnittingMachines (Jan 30, 2014)

jendavemaliaj said:


> I'm using super skinny yarn!! May try crochet Cotten next. I'm at a lost 😢


It might be helpful for you to have a Service Manual for a Brother punchcard knitting machine.

The Brother punchcard machines are all very similar, so you could download the Brother Service Manual, free of charge, from my website by clicking on the following link and downloading the file called Brother KH864,868,894, KR830,838,850, KL116 Service Manual.pdf, which is at the top of the list :

http://mostlyknittingmachines.weebly.com/free-brother-knitting-machine-accessory-manuals-...

All of the files on this webpage are safe to download.

The KH864 knitting machine works like the KH890.

You can also find the User Manual for the Brother KH890/KH891 Knitting Machine, near to the bottom on the page, if you don't have a user manual, and a file showing the Punchcard Set M, if you need to punch out any of the original punchcards.

There are also lots of other free downloads to help knitters with Brother knitting machines on this webpage.


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## Rita in Raleigh (Aug 20, 2011)

Super skinny yarn, such as sock yarn, should work fine. Crochet cotton might give you more problems because cotton does not stretch as wool or acrylic does.
Are you using yarn from a cone or from a ball. The skein or ball that yarn comes in needs to be rewound into a cone or a cake so that it feeds smoothly into the knitting machine.



jendavemaliaj said:


> I'm using super skinny yarn!! May try crochet Cotten next. I'm at a lost 😢


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## BoBeau (Feb 18, 2011)

MostlyKnittingMachines -- your link is incomplete.

here's the correct one. And THANKS for posting.

http://mostlyknittingmachines.weebly.com/free-brother-knitting-machine-accessory-manuals-and-punchcard-sets.html

They look the same here, but there is something missing in the first link.


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## silversurfer (Nov 25, 2013)

If it's superfine yarn have you inserted the fine knit bar. That is a strip of plastic the same length as the needle bed. A lot of people think it's packing.


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## effiemae (Feb 14, 2013)

CHECK your SETTINGS for cast-on,it is in your MANUAL. DO NOT use cotton, use wool or acryllic yarn-4ply,Tension 7 on stitch dial is best to start. Make sure it is threaded properly,through mast tensions and sinker plate-yarn feeder. Correct dial tension for your yarn.
Cast-on and attach cast on comb as soon as possible,hang it on the yarn on needles. 
Move carrige slow and evenly across the Knit bed,about 2" past the last stitch before you turn,OR you will drop stitches from that end as they will not form stitches. 
If you get loops on ends, your mast tension needs tightening, if stitches pull on ends mast tension is too tight. I hope this helps you with your problem.


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## Rita in Raleigh (Aug 20, 2011)

The fine knit bar comes with the ribber and is used on the main bed when you use the ribber and very fine yarn such as 2/24.



silversurfer said:


> If it's superfine yarn have you inserted the fine knit bar. That is a strip of plastic the same length as the needle bed. A lot of people think it's packing.


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## MostlyKnittingMachines (Jan 30, 2014)

BoBeau said:


> MostlyKnittingMachines -- your link is incomplete.
> 
> here's the correct one. And THANKS for posting.
> 
> ...


Thank you for correcting the link for other readers. I'm not quite sure what happened, but I will have to remember to check that my links work correctly in future.


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## randiejg (Oct 29, 2011)

Is the sponge bar in the correct way? It needs to have the foam side down, facing the needles. When in, the needles should lie down flat against the machine bed.

Also, check the tension on the yarn mast, where the yarn is fed between the tension discs. If the tension is too tight, the yarn will not feed freely and that can cause the carriage to jam.

Also, what method are you using to cast on? Once the first row of stitches is on and the cast on comb hung, you should only need two of the claw weights to keep tension on the knitting and to keep the cast on comb level. Compare your yarn thickness to the picture in the manual that shows what tension to use for different types of yarn. Once the cast on row is done, set the tension to what is recommended for your yarn weight.

Also, try a different yarn. You may find that a yarn with a loose twist knits easier. If you are using an e-wrap cast on, make sure that it is not too tight, or the carriage will most likely jam.

Also, check that your sinker plate is correctly set against the carriage before tightening the screw nuts that hold it in place, and also check that your carriage is set correctly on the needle bed, so that the front edge catches under the front lip of the needle bed.


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## shirleycurly (Oct 31, 2011)

Here is some information on yarn sizes to use on different gauge machines. yours is a 4.5 standard gauge
http://www.yarn-store.com/different-yarns-for-different-knitting-machines.html.


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## shirleycurly (Oct 31, 2011)

MANUAL FREE download from here- http://machineknittingetc.com/brother-kh860-thru-kh891-user-guide.html


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## jendavemaliaj (Nov 23, 2013)

Photos of my issues..


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## KarlaHW (Jan 6, 2012)

jendavemaliaj said:


> Photos of my issues..


the left rubber wheel is pushed out, at least it looks like it is and you might want to take the outside brush wheels totally off. Look in the instructions , there are 2 positions for the rubber wheel, in and out. For normal knitting it should be in, meaning to the back.


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## Rita in Raleigh (Aug 20, 2011)

I see that you have one tuck stitch wheel (rubber wheel) in work position and one not in work position. You probably do not need them in work position unless you are doing a tuck stitch. Having the rubber/tuck wheel in work makes the carriage a bit harder to move over the needles. 

Many of us totally remove the brushes with the bristles, as they tend to catch on the yarn and get yarn wound around their bases. These also sometimes cause problems.


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## silversurfer (Nov 25, 2013)

I have just thought of something else. The brushes collect a lot of fluff underneath. Unscrew them and you could find a washer of fluff that stops the brushes from whizzing round as they should.


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## MostlyKnittingMachines (Jan 30, 2014)

jendavemaliaj said:


> Photos of my issues..


I have just watched your 2 videos and it looks to me like your needles are too high.

You said that the machine has a new sponge bar, but if it is new it should hold the needles firmly down onto the needlebed number strip.

As randiejg has said, the sponge bar should be put into the machine on the top of the needles, with the sponge side down, pressing onto the needles. You need to hold the needles down with the flat side of your needle pusher as you push the sponge bar through the channel, so that it goes in over the top of the needles.

If the needles are not pressed down firmly onto the needlebed they will cause problems when the carriage with the sinker plate assembly is pushed across the machine. I have even known the needles to get stuck and/or bent if the sponge bar is very bad.

If you check and find the sponge bar is in the wrong way, you can just put that right easily. However if it is in correctly, it would suggest to me that the sponge bar is not new, or perhaps the sponge has been replaced with a sponge strip that is too soft for the job.

The only other thing that comes to mind is that the sinker plate assembly can sometimes get bent a little bit, so that one side is too high. Compare the two ends of the sinker plate when it is on the knitting machine, to see if the edge is about the same distance from the sinker pins and at about the same distance from the top of the sinker pins, to try to work out if this might be your problem.


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## jendavemaliaj (Nov 23, 2013)

Still having issues . 

She's not singing anymore...


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## jendavemaliaj (Nov 23, 2013)

Still trying


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## jendavemaliaj (Nov 23, 2013)

SINGING AGAIN. PLEASE WATCH VIDEO. TURN YOUR SPEAKERS ON!


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## KarlaHW (Jan 6, 2012)

jendavemaliaj said:


> SINGING AGAIN. PLEASE WATCH VIDEO. TURN YOUR SPEAKERS ON!


congratulations!


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## KateWood (Apr 30, 2011)

Congratulations, you have a very nice machine.


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## MostlyKnittingMachines (Jan 30, 2014)

jendavemaliaj said:


> SINGING AGAIN. PLEASE WATCH VIDEO. TURN YOUR SPEAKERS ON!


Good news. Just curious, what was the problem in the end?


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## jendavemaliaj (Nov 23, 2013)

you were my savior!! telling me push those needles down - I knew it had to be something simple, yet i couldn't see it!


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## jendavemaliaj (Nov 23, 2013)

It was the position of the sponge bar, needles, wheels. thanks to all of you! I so want to get good at this. I have 3 machines and 4 grandbabies. i cant wait to make things for them.


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## MostlyKnittingMachines (Jan 30, 2014)

jendavemaliaj said:


> you were my savior!! telling me push those needles down - I knew it had to be something simple, yet i couldn't see it!


Very glad to hear it is sorted now.

Happy knitting!


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## christinegrey (Apr 17, 2014)

I would keep pulling over a nylon cord holding it tight and pulling down to get some weight
do this for several rows. re hanging every 2 rows until there is enough knitting to put on plenty of weights


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