# what causes the yarn to get caught on the gate peg?



## tpmcgoo2 (Mar 7, 2011)

my yarn keeps getting caught on the gate peg I think it is called....what causes that and how can I pervent it? thanks!


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## deemail (Jan 25, 2011)

usually a bit of slack in the line right at that point... i think it is sometimes caused by an 'unsmooth' movement of the carriage which gives you a bit of slack occasionally. to prevent... cast on, knit a row or two.... reach UNDER you fabric and weights and run your hand down the length of the bed, up close to the needles and gate pegs... if you have one, you will feel one immediately and so can fix it before it stretches your stitch beyond repair. if changing color, repairing a fix, anything that might cause you to stop in the middle of your work, just get used to running your fingers along the back of the work (front of stockinette, but back of fabric as it is on the machine) to feel for that nasty little irritant....

to fix, don't undo anything, just use your machine hook or a crochet hook and go down into the space between the needles surrounding the offending gate peg, hook yarn and bring up and off the peg, releasing it.... now smooth the stretched part and continue working.


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## tpmcgoo2 (Mar 7, 2011)

thanks for the info...so will that get to be less as I get more adjusted to knnitting?


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## KateWood (Apr 30, 2011)

tpmcgoo2 said:


> my yarn keeps getting caught on the gate peg I think it is called....what causes that and how can I pervent it? thanks!


I sometimes have that issue with the fine plied yarns. Dee's right just keep checking both sides as you're knitting, you'll get accustomed quickly to the signs of a hang-up.


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## deemail (Jan 25, 2011)

yes, you will create 'unrhythmed' slack less, but it still happens, just check the work when you get started and after any stop for slack problems (not all, if you got all across the carriage and then something happened...that wouldn't cause it... just when you have to stop in the middle for one reason or another)... knitting machines require complete attention when working... it goes very fast when going well, so you have to try to keep it going well by being vigilant about threading, gate pegs, weight adjustment, etc., once these little double checks become part of your routine, it will go very fast...


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## Laurelbee (May 5, 2011)

About a year and a half ago I bought a Singer 321 that had been cut short so there are just 100 sts, 50 each side of 'O'
I hadn't used it until today, and it is such fun. I have knitted a braided ball (it is waiting til I find out how to weave it together) and two dryer balls, and can hardly wait to find a couple of hours to use it again. It is easy to carry out on to the porch, or to sit anywhere, whereas the full machine is so cumbersome. I am thinking of all the fun things I will be able to knit that only take 100 sts or less. xxx


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## biltong (Jun 3, 2011)

I have a Passap Combo machine. It's about 25 years old, still works fine, but I am looking for patterns. I had a book where I had converted hand knit patterns to machine knits according to gauge, but all the yarns are different in USA. Is there a site to find machine knit patterns?


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## evesch (Apr 3, 2011)

biltong said:


> I have a Passap Combo machine. It's about 25 years old, still works fine, but I am looking for patterns. I had a book where I had converted hand knit patterns to machine knits according to gauge, but all the yarns are different in USA. Is there a site to find machine knit patterns?


lots of sites for machine knitting. Just google machine knitting patterns. You may want to specify free patterns. There are lots of them out there. Lots of instruction available also.


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## biltong (Jun 3, 2011)

Thanks. Until I joined KP I didn't know of anyone with a knitting machine nearby. I had seen the Bond Knitter and actually bought one on eBay, but it was missing parts. I only paid $15 so I should have known better. I brought mine with me from South Africa.


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## patganoe (May 21, 2011)

tpmcgoo2 said:


> my yarn keeps getting caught on the gate peg I think it is called....what causes that and how can I pervent it? thanks!


When are you having the problem? All the time or mainly just after cast on?


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## tpmcgoo2 (Mar 7, 2011)

all the time but I haven't done much yet...just practicing but it getshung up so I wondered if I could avoid that somehow.


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## patganoe (May 21, 2011)

Are you using a comb and weight? Also You need to hang a clothes pin on your yarn end when you cast on.

A trick for beginners is to knit the first 8 or 10 rows with the needles pulled out to hold position. 
Do you cast on, knit 1 row. Pull all needles out to hold, knit. Repeat till your knitting is long enough to weight properly. 

As to the gate pegs, after you knit a row you can see if the yarn is outside or inside the gate pegs. Knit a row and stop to take a good look. The yarn should go through a hook and out around the gate peg then back in to the next hook.
Pat G.


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## brenda m (Jun 2, 2011)

sometimes when the tension is off, check the antenna gauge


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## brenda m (Jun 2, 2011)

biltong, the 2/24 and 2/12 yarn on cones works well on the passap duo 80. the 2/12 is about the same size as sock yarn


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## deemail (Jan 25, 2011)

Laurelbee said:


> About a year and a half ago I bought a Singer 321 that had been cut short so there are just 100 sts, 50 each side of 'O'
> I hadn't used it until today, and it is such fun. I have knitted a braided ball (it is waiting til I find out how to weave it together) and two dryer balls, and can hardly wait to find a couple of hours to use it again. It is easy to carry out on to the porch, or to sit anywhere, whereas the full machine is so cumbersome. I am thinking of all the fun things I will be able to knit that only take 100 sts or less. xxx


i am a plus size...you know, size 10 plus fat.....lol..... so lots of patterns are not large enough for me on my knitting machines... so i do lots of 'piecing'... i knit 2/3 of a sweater front, from neck to hem or vice versa, and then i knit the other 1/3 but put a cable along the edge to be joined... that way, when i mattress st them tog, you cannot even tell it's a seam. this 'limitation' has driven me to find lots of ways to widen my patterns and have it look planned, so you could do some of this type of thing, too...

i am tall so skirts knit sideways are not long enough for me... i learned to make a yoke the regular direction after knitting everyone else's sideways skirt. i just hang the waist edge of the skirt on the needles and knit several inches of a yoke, both front and back...that not only gives me extra length, it smooths the tummy area which will be under my shirt/sweater...no extra bulk. the only thing to consider here, is that the 'waist' measurement of my sideways skirts is really going to be at my hipline. they are so fast and there are so many ways to vary with lace, stripes, color blocking, etc. have fun with your 'mini'.....


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## deemail (Jan 25, 2011)

biltong said:


> Thanks. Until I joined KP I didn't know of anyone with a knitting machine nearby. I had seen the Bond Knitter and actually bought one on eBay, but it was missing parts. I only paid $15 so I should have known better. I brought mine with me from South Africa.


look up bond america.... they are a great site for support of bond users and have many parts available...


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## deemail (Jan 25, 2011)

biltong said:


> I have a Passap Combo machine. It's about 25 years old, still works fine, but I am looking for patterns. I had a book where I had converted hand knit patterns to machine knits according to gauge, but all the yarns are different in USA. Is there a site to find machine knit patterns?


here is my current list...the top is my fave, but you will have to browse to find yours....

http://needlesofsteel.org.uk/
http://www.daisyknits.com/hintsntips.htm
http://www.cherylbrunette.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Sweater-101-Sampler-copy.pdf
http://www.heidisknittingroom.com/SeamOnceYoureFinished.htm
http://home.earthlink.net/~claudiarn/craft/KM.html
http://knittsings.com/bickford-seam/
http://www.panix.com/~ilaine/nsocks.html
http://www.stephthornton.co.uk/
http://knittsings.com/how-to-machine-knit-a-basic-easy-stocking-hat/

these are all free...


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## CaroleJS (Jun 2, 2011)

I LOVE this group SOOOOOO much. I have a knit machine in "waiting". I had to put it away to have a room for my grandson.


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## biltong (Jun 3, 2011)

Thanks.


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## brenda m (Jun 2, 2011)

ran across this open edge heart trim needle set up 
110101101101011
x x Cast on and k 2 rows. Put x in hold. k 6 rows. then k 2 rows over all needles. continue to desired length. 
for interesting materials, try kate artmitage's Card 3 book. it shows how to use this card (there is an electronic version of the card in about 35 different textures. the last is a double bed version that looks like aran knit. for one of our meetings, a friend and I split these and knit a sample of each


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## brenda m (Jun 2, 2011)

sorry , the hold needles didn't show up, but hold the 3rd 1 and the 8th


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## Bea 465 (Mar 27, 2011)

deemail said:


> i am a plus size...you know, size 10 plus fat.....lol..... so lots of patterns are not large enough for me on my knitting machines... so i do lots of 'piecing'... i knit 2/3 of a sweater front, from neck to hem or vice versa, and then i knit the other 1/3 but put a cable along the edge to be joined... that way, when i mattress st them tog, you cannot even tell it's a seam. this 'limitation' has driven me to find lots of ways to widen my patterns and have it look planned, so you could do some of this type of thing, too.....


Deemail, brilliant! I'm not a plus size, but I was trying to knit a sweater on my bulky using a yarn that knitted best at a 3 setting. The problem however was that I didn't have room to add 12 stitches on each side for the 'sleeves' because the bed wasn't long enough. I never thought to only knit half the front twice and same for the back. After joining I could have added a crochet chain to cover the join. Thanks so much!


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## Bea 465 (Mar 27, 2011)

I'm thinking about ordering a garter bar off eBay from Sonny Choi. He's selling a 9 mm bulky for Singer and Brother KM's. I have a Knitking which I think is the same as a Brother. Can anyone tell me if I'm right and this garter bar will work?


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## deemail (Jan 25, 2011)

Bea 465 said:


> deemail said:
> 
> 
> > i am a plus size...you know, size 10 plus fat.....lol..... so lots of patterns are not large enough for me on my knitting machines... so i do lots of 'piecing'... i knit 2/3 of a sweater front, from neck to hem or vice versa, and then i knit the other 1/3 but put a cable along the edge to be joined... that way, when i mattress st them tog, you cannot even tell it's a seam. this 'limitation' has driven me to find lots of ways to widen my patterns and have it look planned, so you could do some of this type of thing, too.....
> ...


okay, now there's a solution i haven't used... tho i did something similar i saw in a magazine one time... all sections of the sweater, front, back, sleeve1, sleeve 2 and yokes for front and back were done in different pastels... then a knitted cable in one final pastel (i chose lavendar, was appliqued over all seams... the chain could be used the same way. i made that sweater before i had the size problem, but i loved it... it may be time for a new version....


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## deemail (Jan 25, 2011)

Bea..... yes, KnitKing and Brother are the same if the number is the same... there are many different models..


as for the bulky garter bar..... it will work ..... but so will a regular garter bar if you are talking about a 9mm machine... the 4.5 mm tools like the garter bar and the cast on comb work for the bulkies.... just on every other 'hole'... just be sure you are talking about the right measurements, as there are a lot of different mid-gauge machines and of course, these tools don't work on them.


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## Celt Knitter (Jul 13, 2011)

I live in Marietta! I have Brother and Toyota machines but should have a Passap Duo by the end of the week. Here's a couple of sites you might find useful:http://knittsings.com/free-knitting-patterns/
http://www.molalla.net/dallas&sandy/
http://www.maggieandrews.supanet.com/machine-knitting-sites.htm
http://www.poshfrocks.com/acatalog/passap.html


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## biltong (Jun 3, 2011)

Hi Norma, thanks for the sites, I am off work this week so I will spend some time looking. Right now I am making hats and it's all trial and error until I have worked out gauges.


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## Laurelbee (May 5, 2011)

Thank you Deemail. This will be a wonderful way of knitting for my husband when using fine yarn. There are so many wonderful ideas out there. Sound so simple, but why couldn't I have thought about them myself?

I am so happy about the many letters from machine knitters.
I get ideas from hand knitters that I can often convert, but it is so good to hear from machine knitters too. xxx


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