My old Passap machine has been making a weird noise since yesterday and the stitches aren't forming properly anymore. Is that normal or is it something I need to get repaired? I'm not really sure how to maintain it, nobody around me knits with a machine anymore.
Passap machines are sturdy but they need regular maintenance, especially if you haven't used it in a while! Weird noise combined with badly formed stitches is often a sign that something's shifted or there's dust/fibers stuck in the mechanism. I'd suggest first cleaning all the moving parts thoroughly with a soft brush, checking that the needles aren't broken or mispositioned, and making sure the carriage slides smoothly on the bar. If nothing changes after that, then yeah you'll need to have someone who knows these machines take a look at it, because Passaps don't adjust easily if you're just tinkering with them on your own!
Don't force it to keep running like that, you risk damaging the needles or selector bars further. A new noise + poorly formed stitches is usually a sign that something's gotten misaligned or there's a buildup of fibers blocking the mechanism - it can be fixed with a good cleaning and realignment, but for an old Passap, given how complex the thing is, a knitting machine specialist would really be your best bet.
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