The first genuine hand knitting machine made its debut in 1939 at the Swiss National Exhibition. It had been built by Ernst Luchsinger, with the help of an emigrant from Hungary. Although using this knitting machine required a fair amount of manual labor, the results were 5 to 8 times faster than with pure hand knitting.

From the beginning, E. Luchsinger sold its hand knitting machines under the brand name PASSAP, which is an abbreviation for PAtent Schnell Strick AParat, which means something (like “patented rapid knitting apparatus”).

The development of the ELECTRONIC 6000 was the biggest and most expensive challenge in PASSAP’s 60-year history. Its development not only posed a formidable challenge for the MADAG engineers, but was also a huge leap into new technologies. Ultimately all obstacles were overcome and the result was the state-of-the-art electronic knitting machine for its time.

The Passap E 6000 weaves in exactly what you say, seamlessly with the unique dialogue computer that talks to you. The important thing is that you learn to speak Passap to be able to communicate with the console. Since it is very precise, there is a learning curve to get familiar with console programming and get the exact result you want.

The electronic system in the knitting console asks you a series of simple questions. They are not in the usual sequence we are used to and do not answer why or how such patience is needed on your part.

When you understand the console’s step-by-step format and the questions it asks, it will be easier to learn programming to avoid error messages and achieve pattern and technical input on the computer.

The computer displays the options and you decide if you want to accept them.

It makes no sense to wish the manual were written more clearly. We have to work with what we have and get used to the flow, the way the console is set up and the sequence of questions being asked. Once you’ve achieved sequence knowledge, your weaving on the Passap will be much easier.

The learning curve is a bit steep, but certainly doable, so I want to encourage you to stick with it until you hit the crunch and gain the confidence of knowing you can handle this wonderful machine.