Does this happen to you?

Stitches at the edge not knitting

You aren't doing anything "wrong".

Anytime something goes wrong when knitting, machine knitters often blame themselves.
Sometimes it's just something simple and the problem goes away.

For example, a new knitter recently complained about her machine jamming, dropped stitches on the edges and mis-formed stitches.

She was seeing the edge stitches (on the carriage side) being too tight and mis-formed.
She wasn't doing anything wrong, this happens to all machine knitters. The secret is to get to the bottom of why this is happening to YOU.
Make sure the end stitches form correctly
  • Is your tension too tight? Yarn too thick for your machine?

    Try a different yarn. If this still happens, check your technique

  • Are you knitting too fast?

    Use a steady rhythm. Not too fast, not too slow ... just right, Goldilocks

  • Are you taking the carriage too far past the edge of your knitting?

    Pulling working yarn can cause these mis-formed stitches

  • Check the yarn take up spring

    if the spring is pulled almost to the needlebed, it's putting too much tension on those end needles. Loosen the mast tension or use a thinner yarn

  • Add claw weight to the edges of your knitting

    Move them up regularly to provide weight for proper stitch formation

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9 COMMENTS
Kate B
 Sep 3, 2023
Super helpful thanks! All these suggestions helped! New machine and just needed to learn my way around it! Thanks Sue!!!

Desiree S
 Feb 13, 2023
Very helpful!

Jacqui H
 Dec 14, 2022
Sometimes I just have to walk away, have a cuppa and come back in a hour. I swear my machines get tired, because whatever was going wrong is often magically fixed. Also knowing your machine and its quirks help. With my mid gauge I have to weight it a lot to cast on and I have to push all the needles forward for about five rows, as well as putting a large bulldog clip on the free tails. If I dont do these things, the edge needles dont knit. Moving the claw weights up regularly is also really important.

Cherie S
 Dec 13, 2022
Regarding the yarn take-up spring: When I got my second-hand machine, I kept having problems with loops on the edges and changed the settings on my take-up dial. I used weights, which helped, but I still got loops. It wasn't until I added a second color in my left-hand take-up spring on the left arm that I noticed that it "clicked" but the right-hand side didn't. I took a closer look and discovered that the right-hand side had not been put together correctly. After taking it apart and putting it together again, it works like it is supposed to with a "click!" It rarely causes me any problems. I do add edge weights, but if your take-up spring is put together incorrectly the weights don't help.

Audrey B
 Dec 13, 2022
On my studio 360, Claw weights on the edges and a bit of weight over the entire row helps alot. Also feeding the machine a yarn IT likes.. Luckily I like that yarn as well. Haha

Sue J
 Dec 13, 2022
Kristin, That's a good reminder. My Taitexma TH160 needs a lot of weight, and other machines not so much.

Kristin C
 Dec 13, 2022
My LK 150 knits great with minimal weight. However, my SK 280 is only in it's happy place with lots of weight. As long as I'm giving it what it wants, it's a joy to use. If I even dare try to remove weights, then it fusses at me...LOL ??

Brigitte K
 Dec 13, 2022
adding a claw weight to the very edge or pushing the last two needles to position E usually solves the problem

Leslie L
 Dec 13, 2022
Very good solutions.