Dear fellow knitters,
I have achieved another step in my knitting machine journey. Two months ago I stumbled upon a Passap Duomatic 80 knitting machine. I have always heard knitters refer to this machine as the “Cadillac” of knitting machines. So, I had to see for myself.
My mother was a single mother of four children and she was always looking for ways to support us. When I was about 5 years old, she bought a huge knitting machine. At the time, it seemed humongous to me. This was the first time I saw a knitting machine. I vividly remember reading the word “Passap” on it. She assembled the contraption in the garage (since we didn’t own a car) and off she went. She made dresses and sweaters for sale, and I used to sit on the floor for hours, watching her work. When I saw this machine for sale, I knew I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by.
I usually buy my used knitting machines on eBay, but I found this one on Facebook. The nice lady who sold it to me told me she had bought it from a friend many years ago. She never learned how to use it. Thus, she decided to keep her Brother and sell the Passap. Now I know why. This is the most intimidating looking machine I’ve ever seen!
I think my mom had the Passap E600 which is an electronic machine, white and sleek. The Duo (like everyone calls it) has ugly dark green carriages and a heavy double bed shaped like a triangle. With this machine, I got a lot of manuals, pattern books, and attachments. However, there were no instructions on how to assemble the monstrosity. I finally found the original YouTube video from the 80s that showed how to assemble it. I could barely hear what the guy was saying. Finally, I put it together with the help of my husband.
After that, I spent time reading all the manuals and watching YouTube videos. It took me two days to finally figure it out. The reason is that the videos and the manual say that this machine doesn’t need weights. It comes with a pair of tools called “strippers” which are attached to each side of the main carriage. These tools push down the stitches when the carriage passes over the needles. This prevents them from creeping up and dropping the stitches. Well, it didn’t work for me. So I went to get my Brother’s weights and as soon as I hung them, it worked like a charm
I am used to Japanese knitting machines, but this machine works differently. If I would’ve looked at it with fresh eyes, I probably would’ve learned how to use it faster. I had to figure out some tricks, but when I finally did, a new world opened up for me. This machine is a veritable beauty. It knits in the round and it does ribbing since it’s a double bed machine, no extra attachment needed! I knitted my first test, a baby sweater.
Below are some of the disadvantages of this machine:
- 1. Doesn’t need a ribber
- 2. Knits in the round
- 3. No need for extra carriages
- 4. Uses punch cards
- 5. There are many optional accessories like, Passap form, Passap form computer, four color changer, Jaq 40, etc.
There are some disadvantages though:
- 1. It’s big and not portable by any stretch of the imagination
- 2. It’s old, and although there are some spare parts for sale on eBay, they are scarce and expensive (the gears used to rack the beds don’t work, I am using a screwdriver instead)
- 3. The machine itself, if found in good shape, is expensive.
- 4. It is a standard machine (4 mm st size) which means it works mostly with thin industrial , fingering or lace yarns.
Nevertheless, I am in love with my “gentle giant” knitting machine. Right now it’s in my living room. This is much to my husband’s chagrin. But I plan to find a nice place for it someday. My next goal is to master the punch card mechanism and learn to use the form computer. Wish me luck. In the meantime, knit your brains out!
Helen Textile Arts 
I found a DM80 earlier this week at a charity shop and have been scouring the internet for information. I've not knitted with a machine before, so I have a different learning curve than people who understand Japanese machines. I'm looking forward to learning about it though
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Hi Shona,Good for you. Passap machines are absolutely amazing, but I won't lie to you, they aren't easy to learn. I collect knitting machines and have several Japanese, and European ones that use different technology, but I've never managed a machine so complete and so complex as this one. I am still learning, though. I just finished a sweater and I feel proud of myself. My advice to you is: get familiar with the manual (did you get the manual? If not I can send you a copy). Read it over and over and follow the steps exactly as the manual indicates. Don't get discouraged if it doesn't work right away. Keep trying, don't give up. It will also depend on the shape of your KM. Mine was in fairly good condition, but the rack for the beds, which is the most important part of the machine, broke. If you can't figure out the racking mechanism, you won't be able to knit. Try to clean it as much as you can so it doesn't get stuck. I have some YouTube videos where I show my knitting machines. I haven't posted anything new due to lack of time. I will try to start posting videos about this machine, but I don't know when. I'll let you know. In the meantime, I will take some pics along with some tips and put them on this blog. Stay tuned and good luck.
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We are Knitterbox Free Knitting Patterns, an online community that provides resources for knitters and crocheters. We would like to promote our Free Patterns page, and on that page you'll see a list of available categories for both knitting & crochet patterns.
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Hi Mark, Thank you very much for your kind words. I am passionate about knitting, particularly, machine knitting. It saddens me to see how this beautiful art is dying. 😦
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Hi Marck,Your website looks great. I also crochet and I saw a couple of cute patterns that I'd like to try. Thanks for sharing.
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Good evening
I need information about reading the knitting patterns for passap duomatic 80. I am a beginner knitter. I normally do hand knitting and bought the Passap Duomatic 80 and want to start using it.
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Hi Bettie,
The best way to learn how to read Passap patterns is by following the manuals. My machine came with several audio cassettes with instructions on how to use the knitter. I uploaded the files in the “Download” section of this blog, along with the booklet that goes with the audio files. It is like the children’s books with audio from back in the day. The quality isn’t great, since they are from the 1970s, but they are incredible useful. I would start by following the audio which walks you through the steps to knit a couple of test garments. That would give you the basics. Also, make sure your machine is clean and in working condition. Passap isn’t the easiest knitting machine for beginners, however, it is the most complete. Good luck.
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Thank you so much for the information. I will check it out. I really appreciate your assistance. I will let you know if it was helpful.
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