Yarn Won't Stay in the Cloth: Feed and Tension Fixes

October 04, 2026

Yarn tension and feed problems can be subtle. They show up as yarn falling out of the needle or the cloth, yarn breaking, bunching near the needle eye, inconsistent pile height, or cloth showing through on the front of the rug. This guide covers the most common causes and fixes. The main tension control is the shutter strip, a small adjustable metal strip near the needle eye.

Quick Reference: Symptoms, Causes and Fixes

Yarn Falling Out of the Cloth

If your tufts work their way out of the cloth, check these common causes:

1. Yarn type. Yarn weight and fiber content both affect how well yarn stays in the cloth. Thinner or softer yarns work their way out more easily. We recommend a coarser, heavier yarn such as wool, and make sure the yarn is thick enough.
2. Tufting speed. If you go too fast, the needle can't keep up and misses spots in the cloth. Our quick start video has tips on speed and technique.
3. Not enough forward pressure. Push the machine firmly against the cloth. The quick start video shows how much pressure to use.
4. Cloth not tight enough. The cloth should be stretched as tight as a drum, with no sagging. Primary tufting cloth is the recommended cloth for tufting guns, so make sure you're using an appropriate backing cloth.
5. Cloth not attached securely. For tips, see our article on the best way to attach cloth to the frame.
6. Tufting direction. Tuft in a consistent direction.

If none of these applies, contact us at support@tufttheworld.com for further troubleshooting.

Shutter Strip Adjustment

The shutter strip is a thin metal piece near the needle eye. It controls yarn tension by increasing or decreasing friction as the yarn passes through.

1. Turn OFF and UNPLUG the machine.
2. Locate the set screw on the needle assembly that secures the shutter strip.
3. Loosen the set screw just enough to let the strip slide. Do NOT fully remove it.
4. To increase tension (yarn falling out), slide the strip forward toward the needle tip.
5. To decrease tension (yarn breaking or bunching), slide the strip backward away from the tip.
6. For thick or dense yarn, slide the strip fully back so it doesn't protrude through the needle eye at all.
7. For thin or slippery yarn, slide the strip forward slightly to narrow the eye opening.
8. Re-tighten the set screw once you've found the right position.
9. Test with your specific yarn. Different yarns need different settings.

If the shutter strip slides out or gets dislodged

If your machine suddenly stops mid-tuft and you see the shutter strip sticking out of the needle area, the bolt holding it has probably worked loose and let the strip slide forward.

1. Turn OFF and UNPLUG the machine.
2. Pull the dislodged shutter strip out with a pair of pliers.
3. Check the bolt that held the strip and tighten it if it's loose.

The shutter strip's only job is to narrow the needle hole when you're tufting with very thin yarn or a single strand. If you tuft with normal-weight yarn or two strands, you can leave the strip out.

If the strip is removed, accidentally or otherwise, and you need it back: contact support@tufttheworld.com for a walkthrough on re-inserting and positioning it. Please don't try to re-insert it without guidance.

Cloth Coming Through on the Front of the Rug

If tufting cloth is visible on the front (pile side) of the rug, it's almost always a foot-to-needle alignment problem. When the needle is at its forward-most position, the needle hole must not be in front of the foot.

1. Turn OFF and UNPLUG the machine.
2. Rotate the needle to its forward-most position.
3. Look at the relationship between the needle hole and the foot. The hole should NOT be in front of the foot.
4. Raise the foot (by adjusting the foot height) until the needle hole is even with, or just behind, the foot.
5. Re-test with a scrap of tufting cloth.

Tip: If cloth is still shredding after the foot adjustment, check that your tufting cloth is properly stretched and taut on the frame. Loose cloth makes it more likely the needle will pull cloth through.

Uneven Strand Lengths on Cut Pile (One Side Shorter)

If each cut tuft has one leg noticeably shorter than the other (for example, one side at full pile height and the other much shorter), the cause is almost always yarn feed, not a machine setting.

Why it happens: Cut-pile machines are purely mechanical. The scissors pull yarn through the needle eye as they extend and then cut it. If the yarn doesn't feed smoothly and evenly, the two legs of each tuft are pulled at different rates and end up different lengths.

What to check:

• Look over your whole yarn path, from the cone or ball to the needle, for snags, hang-ups or friction points.
• Make sure yarn comes off the cone or ball freely, with no drag or tangles.
• If you're tufting with multiple strands, make sure they all feed with the same tension.

There's no machine adjustment that fixes this. Smoothing out your yarn feed is the solution. A light trim at the end can tidy small differences, but it won't fix large ones.

AK-III: Yarn Not Feeding (Feed Wheel Arm Spring)

On the AK-III, a feed wheel pulls yarn into the needle, and a spring-loaded arm presses the yarn against this wheel. If the yarn stops feeding, check this arm first.

Most likely cause: The spring that presses the arm against the feed wheel has weakened. If the arm isn't pushing the yarn firmly against the wheel, a worn spring is almost always the reason.

Temporary fix: Wrap a rubber band around the machine and hook it onto the end of the arm so it pushes the arm hard against the feed wheel. We've used this method many times and it works well.

Permanent fix: Replacement springs are inexpensive and available from us. You can also send the machine in and we'll replace the spring and fully test it. Contact support@tufttheworld.com for a quote, and see Sending Your Machine In for Repair.