SewLibra:
Since I have a coverstitch, serger and computerized sewing machine I don't sew knits on my 1008, but wondered how it would do with a twin needle. Only one mention of it in the manual, that there is a thread guide in the handle for twin needle sewing.
SewLibra:
I have the machine set for a straight stitch, needle position in the middle and length at 4.0. I normally sew knits at 3.5 or 4.0, as the stitches get buried in knits. It holds fine and if you (heaven forbid) have to unpick stitches it's a bit easier.
SewLibra:
I'm starting with the upper tension on the red line. Typically on wovens you rarely have to change it for a perfect stitch. I expect I'll have to change it for knits though. My bobbin case tension is calibrated with the red line using C&C poly thread.
SewLibra:
The left spool is threaded normally and the right spool goes through the handle guide first, then through the normal path. I have the direction coming off the spools in different directions to avoid twisting of the threads. I read that helps.
SewLibra:
The thread from the left spool goes on the left side of the tension disc, and the right thread on the right side of the tension disc. This is to help keep the thread from twisting together.
SewLibra:
Right from the beginning I realized my twin needles are not marked "stretch". Oh no! I'm going to proceed anyway and we'll see what happens. This is a Schmetz Universal Twin Wide, 6,0/100.
SewLibra:
Wow! It works great on this woven linen with no setting changes! The underside has small loops at the zig zag points but I recall this from when I used to use twin needles on my Brother computerized machine so I consider it normal.
SewLibra:
To experiment on a knit I chose the thinnest, slinkiest knit I have which is a Telio rayon jersey bamboo knit. Very soft and floppy. I pressed up a 1" hem in the round to simulate a T-shirt. Over the course of the day I made several of these.
SewLibra:
With the still the same settings, no stabilizer, I held the threads, lowered the needle and took the first stitch or two with the handwheel to get it started. I read online using the handwheel at the start is recommended.
SewLibra:
I used one hand behind the presser foot and held the other end up while guiding it through. No stretching or pulling!
SewLibra:
Above the pin is where I sewed with tension at the red line which is 5.0. It was tunneling so I changed the upper tension to 3.0 and it did great! Nice and flat.
SewLibra:
Now I have switched to a narrow twin needle, Schmetz 2,0/80. I know it's not ideal that I don't have stretch needles and maybe even the wrong size too. It worked just fine on the linen with the prior upper tension setting at 3.0.
SewLibra:
The narrow twin needles skipped stitches like crazy! I'll try a stabilizer next. Wish I would have noticed this yesterday, but I see the hem is on the straight grain and it's usually on the cross grain. I was cutting scraps and didn't think of that!
SewLibra:
Before trying a stabilizer I tried this narrow twin needle. It must have come with one of my machines, not a Schmetz, and I don't know if it's for stretch or not.
SewLibra:
Hahahaha! Well it sure didn't work well on the rayon jersey bamboo. I've never seen such a mess in my life! This even jammed my machine and I saw the threads were twisted below the take-up lever. Could be that happened from the jam though.
SewLibra:
Time for stretch fusible seam tape. I use Knit-N-Stable, it's wonderful stuff! I haven't needed it for hems since I got my coverstitch machine, but I use it on V-necklines and other applications.
SewLibra:
I've fused the Knit-N-Stable and have the upper tension at 3.0. Whenever I tried lower than 3.0 my machine jammed. Higher than the red line (5.0) and I got severe tunneling.
SewLibra:
I rethreaded the machine and continued with the same needle (green plastic) on the stabilized hem. Much better but plenty of skipped stitches from the left needle. The underside of the stitch looks terrible!
SewLibra:
Another approach is using a separate thread stand. As an aside, I used this thread stand for serger cone thread while making 117 masks on this machine. It saved me a ton of my fashion fabric thread. A good notion to have!
SewLibra:
The underside looks a little better but still having skipped stitches (though fewer) from the left needle.
SewLibra:
Another thing I read is to leave one of the threads out of that last thread guide, the one below the needle clamp. Let's see how that goes.
SewLibra:
Still getting skipped stitches and I am using a stabilized hem area with Knit-N-Stable. Obviously I'm not having success with my narrow needles. Wish I had a stretch one to try, but I'm just using what I have.
SewLibra:
Back to using both spools on the machine and upper tension at the red line. I'm starting over with a walking foot next.
SewLibra:
The walking foot is on, there is no Knit-N-Stable on the upper half of the folded hem, but it's there on the lower half.
SewLibra:
Still terrible. Above the pin is no stabilizer, below has stabilizer, and the opposite for the underside. (Underside pic is upside down.) All in all, I had success with the wide needle and none with the narrow ones.