Click here to download the Instructions that come with our meter

This webpage will list some of the findings that we have made relative to using the Yarn Meter by NKK. Our little meter is affordable but because of this, it does have its idiosyncrasies like any engineered product that is expected to handle many applications. By knowing what these issues are in advance, however, our customers are forewarned and will know how to avoid them and to make the best use of the Yarn Meter. For a complete and current list of Tips, please download the pdf document listed above.

As we learn more about how our customers use the meter, we will list them here. If you own our meter, you should check this webpage periodically for ideas and tips. Feel free to send us your ideas or issues and we will list them here.

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Yarns which can cause problems

1. Lumpy yarns - will not pass through housing of meter. If you feel hard lumpy sections in the yarn, do not use with the meter.
2. Wide ribbon yarns - will not sit properly in the drive wheel of the meter and will pop out. try to limit the width of ribbon yarn to 1/4" or less
3. Thick and Thin - large, thick sections will cause the meter to slow down and possibly stop or jam. Our worse jams have been the result of using thick ' thin yarns. We do not recommend these yarns.

Where is the best place to position your yarn to be measured:

On the floor below the meter. Preferably, with a center pull yarn ball. This creates an ideal tension for the yarn.

What conditions to avoid?

Yarn balls which are tangled or too tight and will not pull correctly.

We have noticed that the ball winder becomes the "victim" to some of these conditions (the gears grind, etc.). This becomes a good early warning system that something is wrong. Also, if your yarn is wrapping too tightly on the ball winder, then this is a function of the yarn being too tight as it enters the meter. The meter does not put any tension per se on the yarn - the yarn simply passes through. Any tension problems that you have will be caused by something affecting the yarn before it enters the meter.

What does it mean when the meter is running backward?

It can be two different issues.

#1, you are running the meter in the opposite direction. This is OK if you want to do this. However, to correct it, simply rotate the meter 180° and the meter will read correctly.

#2, this is a major problem. What has happened is that the yarn has popped off the drive wheel and it has gone underneath the drive wheel and although it is still driving  the meter, it is going backward. You will need to remove the front cover of the meter (a #0 phillips screw driver is needed to remove the one screw on the bottom underneath yarn slot). Once the cover is off, simply pull the yarn out from under the wheel and clear the problem. Re-attach the cover, insert the yarn and throw the lever, and you are ready to use the meter again.

The meter seems to have stopped measuring even though the yarn is passing through

What has happened is that the yarn has popped out of the drive wheel. Lower the lever and remove the yarn, then re-insert it carefully and throw the lever. It should then be OK.

If there is a jam, you will have to remove the screw in the bottom and inspect the inside of the meter. Clear jam and re-assemble. If you experience a lot of jams with a particular yarn, you may leave the front cover off of the meter and then you can clear jams more readily.

While you are using the meter, watch it to see if it is measuring properly. That way, if anything does go wrong, you can immediately stop measuring and correct the problem. Once you become familiar with its use, you can stop monitoring as often.

What is the small knob on the end of the meter used for?

This is tensioning knob and is used to provide more or less tension to the internal clamp that grabs the yarn when you throw the lever. We set it to maximum because we do not want you to have the clamp fly off too easily. Feel free to adjust it. Do not over-tighten it.

What tools do I need to have handy to use the meter?

Always have a #0 Phillips screw driver available to open the case and clear a jam.

Footage versus yardage meter

Because we did not design the meter mechanism, we have had to accept the footage versus yardage measurements. Just remember to divide the number measured by 3 to get yards. If you are measuring a large ball, it may go beyond 999 so simply remember to add that number plus 999 and then divide by 3.

We have run the meter with a wide variety of yarns. In the majority of cases, the meter runs well and you will enjoy using it. Just be careful to note the items contained above.  

 

 

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