MADELEINE'S HEP HERD

After failing to find much online help about troubleshooting the Passap Duo80 I went back to the studio on Saturday afternoon and loosen a few screws.  I tugged and shuffled the locks and suddenly everything was moving again.  So I tightened the screws again and changed the needle that broke to release it all. Luckily I had been given a massive box of needles along with all the other gadgets and add-ons I've yet to figure out.  Also luckily, changing a needle is very straightforward and much like it was on the Toyota machine I had 30 years ago. With a sigh of relief, I cast on with my practice yarn and knitted a fairly scraggy bit of lambswool rib. That's proof it will work once I work out what I'm doing.  We'll see what happens over the next few weeks - there might even be some prototypes and samples ready by Open Studios Weekend 2&3 August.

The Rolls Royce of knitting machines (Passap Duo 80) arrived in my studio last night.  I've got it clamped to it's stand and done the equivalent of crashing the gears already.  Got the locks stuck while sliding them on for the first time because some needles had been pushed up into working position without me noticing. Now they're tangled together and I can't take the locks off to start again from scratch.  Any advice is welcome - except giving up!