Needles
Which twin needle fits my machine? Start from your widest stitch
A twin needle works only when both needles clear your needle plate and presser foot. This page shows how to find the widest spacing worth trying on your machine, what your manual may add, and which machines can't take a twin needle at all.
The short answer
SCHMETZ says a machine for twin needles should have a zigzag function with a transversal hook, and both needles have to pass through the needle plate and the presser foot. SCHMETZ's US site says twin needles are not for sergers or industrial machines. The spacing is the first number on the pack, in millimeters. Treat the widest stitch your machine sews as the most that spacing can be, follow any limits your manual sets, and turn the first stitches by hand.
- Serger, also called an overlocker, or an industrial machine: don't buy a twin needle.
- Straight stitch only, with no zigzag setting at all: don't buy one. SCHMETZ lists its twins only for machines that sew zigzag.
- Zigzag, but no stitch-width dial: SCHMETZ's condition is a zigzag machine, not a dial. The Janome HD1000 is one such machine. Its instruction book shows a stitch length dial and a pattern selector but no width dial, with zigzag as pattern C. Measure its zigzag as described below.
- Manual says to use only the twin needle supplied with the machine: replace that needle instead of choosing a spacing. The Janome Skyline S6 manual says this.
- Anything else: choose a spacing no wider than your widest stitch, then turn the first stitches by hand. The Singer HD 4552 manual gives 0–6 mm, so an 8.0 is past that ceiling. Singer names no twin size for it, and a 6.0 would sit exactly at the ceiling.
Reading the pack
SCHMETZ's US site, run by its North American importer, explains the label this way: on 2.5/75, the first number is the distance between the two needles and the second is the needle size. So 4.0/100 is two size 100 needles 4 mm apart. The importer's pocket guide gives the spacing in millimeters. The twins use the household 130/705 H system, and ZWI on the pack marks a twin: the Stretch Twin reads 130/705 H-S ZWI. If your machine takes another needle system, start with how to read your needle system and size.
| Needle | Spacing/size on the pack | Listed for |
|---|---|---|
| Universal Twin | 1.6/70, 1.6/80, 2.0/80, 2.5/80, 3.0/90, 4.0/80, 4.0/90, 4.0/100 | Wovens and knits |
| Extra Wide Universal Twin | 6.0/100, 8.0/100 | Two parallel, stretchy seams; needs a zigzag machine with needle plate and foot openings at least 6 or 8 mm wide |
| Stretch Twin | 2.5/75, 4.0/75 | Highly elastic knits and fabrics with Lycra or spandex |
| Jeans/Denim Twin | 4.0/100 | Denim, twill, canvas |
| Embroidery Twin | 2.0/75, 3.0/75 | Rayon, polyester and other embroidery threads |
| Topstitch Twin | 2.5/80, 3.0/90 | Topstitch, metallic and sensitive threads |
| Metallic Twin | 2.5/80, 3.0/90 | Metallic and other specialty threads |
| Double Hemstitch | 2.5/100 | A hemstitch needle paired with a Universal needle; loosely woven fabrics such as linen |
| Universal Triple | 2.5/80, 3.0/80 | Three rows at once on wovens and knits |
| Leather Twin | None | SCHMETZ doesn't make one |
SCHMETZ's own site lists the 6.0 and 8.0 as the Extra Wide Universal Twin. The US site sells them as Universal Twin options. For either, SCHMETZ names the straight stitch as the stitch to use. The Topstitch Twin is listed on the US site but not on SCHMETZ's own twin and triple page.
Start from the widest stitch your machine sews
SCHMETZ's rule is that the needle plate and presser foot need an opening large enough for the needle distance and the stitch width you select. None of the five manuals below gives the width of that opening. What you can find is the widest stitch your machine sews, and it works as an upper limit.
A zigzag plate's slot has to let a single needle come down at both edges of the widest stitch. A twin needle sewing a straight stitch in the center position puts one needle half the spacing to each side of center. At a spacing equal to your widest stitch, both needles land where a single needle lands at full width. Any wider, and they come down outside anywhere the machine was built to drop a needle. That makes the widest stitch a ceiling, not a promise of fit, so the hand-turn check below still matters.
On the Singer HD 4552, a 6.0 would sit exactly at that ceiling. SCHMETZ's condition for its 6.0 is a needle plate and foot opening at least 6 mm wide, and the HD 4552 manual doesn't give either width, so the hand-turn check is what settles it.
Look for your widest stitch in the manual's stitch-width section or specification table, and check that it is in millimeters. The Singer HD 4552 manual says its dial numbers are millimeters. The Designer Topaz 65 shows stitch width on its screen in millimeters or inches and sounds a warning when you try to go past the maximum. The Janome 2222 dial runs 0 to 5, but its manual never calls those numbers millimeters, so don't read them as a measurement. The Janome HD1000 has no width dial to read.
No manual? Janome lists its instruction books by model, and Singer's manual page covers Singer, Pfaff and Husqvarna Viking models. Failing that, sew the plain zigzag at its widest setting on scrap. Measure from the center of the thread at one edge to the center of the thread at the other. Measuring from outer edge to outer edge adds the thread's thickness and reads wide. Treat the result as approximate.
Zigzag and decorative stitches need room too. SCHMETZ's rule counts the spacing and the stitch width together. On a 6 mm machine with a 4.0 twin and the needle centered, 6 minus 4 works out to a zigzag no wider than 2 mm. SCHMETZ suggests switching on twin mode, if your machine has one, to limit the stitch width.
When the manual overrules the width
| Machine | Width figure in the manual | What it says about twin needles |
|---|---|---|
| Singer HD 4552 | Stitch width 0–6 mm; dial numbers are millimeters | Set the needle position to center; the needle threader can't be used with twin needles |
| Janome Skyline S6 | Straight-stitch needle position 0.0 to 9.0 | Use only the twin needle supplied with the machine; the twin needle key limits stitch width to 3.0 mm; use zigzag foot A or satin stitch foot F |
| Husqvarna Viking Designer Topaz 65 | None in the specification table; the manual mentions 7 mm stitches, and the screen shows stitch width in millimeters or inches | Don't use asymmetrical twin needles; select the twin needle size in settings to limit width and position; the straight stitch plate can't be used with a twin needle |
| Janome 2222 | Dial 0 to 5, no unit given | No twin-needle section |
| Janome HD1000 | No width dial; zigzag is pattern C on the pattern selector | No twin-needle section |
The Skyline S6 shows why the manual comes first. Its straight-stitch needle position runs from 0.0 to 9.0, which looks like room for a wide twin. Janome still says to use only the twin needle included with the machine, because another may hit the needle plate, foot or hook and break. Its twin needle key limits the stitch width to 3.0 mm and the straight-stitch needle position to between 3.0 and 6.0. The twin comes in the S6's needle set, part no. 859856005, along with four single needles, and the manual gives the twin no number of its own. If yours is lost, give a Janome dealer your model and ask for the S6 twin needle, or for that set.
On the Designer Topaz 65 you select the twin needle size in the settings, and the machine limits width and position to suit. If stitches later come out narrow, the manual's fix is to switch that setting off.
SCHMETZ's condition also names the hook, and the simplest check is your manual. A twin-needle section shows the maker expects twin needles on that machine, so follow that section and any limits it sets. If the manual is silent, as the Janome 2222's and HD1000's are, turn a few stitches by hand on scrap. Check that both needles clear the plate and the foot, and that both rows of stitches form.
Before the first stitch
- Switch the machine off before you change the needle. The Singer, Janome and Husqvarna Viking manuals all say so.
- Fit the zigzag needle plate, the one with the long slot, and a zigzag foot with a wide opening, not a straight stitch foot. The S6 calls for foot A or F; the HD 4552's all-purpose foot has a wide slot. For other feet, see will this presser foot fit.
- Set up a second spool, since each needle takes its own thread. The Topaz 65 manual puts it on the auxiliary spool pin, and the S6 manual on the extra spool pin. The HD 4552 has an auxiliary spool pin too, but its manual doesn't cover twin-needle threading.
- Take both threads through the guides together, as if they were one, then separate them and thread one through each needle eye by hand. That is SCHMETZ's method. If your manual has its own twin-needle threading steps, follow those: the Topaz 65's put one thread on each side of the tension discs.
- Skip the automatic needle threader. SCHMETZ, Singer, Janome and Husqvarna Viking all say it won't work with twin needles.
- Center the needle and turn on twin mode if your machine has one. The HD 4552 manual says to set the needle position to center. Raise the needle before you change the stitch width or the stitch: the HD 4552 and 2222 manuals say so for the width dial, and the HD1000's for its pattern selector.
- Turn the handwheel toward you through the first stitches before you touch the foot control, as SCHMETZ's US site suggests. Both needles should go into the slot without touching the plate or the foot. The S6 manual also says to test twin-needle stitches before you sew on the garment.
- If the seam arches between the rows, loosen the needle thread tension. SCHMETZ says it usually has to be loosened.
Traps
- Asymmetrical twin needles: the Topaz 65 manual says not to use them, because they can damage the machine. Its drawing shows one needle on the full shank and the second fixed beside it on a shorter one.
- Special stitches: in twin mode the S6 won't select buttonholes, darning, eyelets or monograms.
- Leather: SCHMETZ doesn't make a leather twin needle.
- Triple needles: SCHMETZ gives them the same plate-and-foot condition, and a triple takes three needle threads. The Topaz 65's needle threader can't be used with triples either. Turn one through by hand before you sew.
- Industrial machines: SCHMETZ's US site says twin needles aren't for them. If your machine's plate names an industrial system, start with the industrial needle cross-reference.
Singer Heavy Duty owners: the machine's needles, bobbins and feet are covered in what a Singer Heavy Duty takes.
Check it on your own equipment
These take you to the manufacturers and standards bodies the page draws on, so you can look up your exact model.
- Merchant listing
SCHMETZ Universal Twin listing, every spacing (US importer's store) (opens in a new tab)The Universal Twin page on SCHMETZneedles.com, the store of Euro-notions, the exclusive North American importer of SCHMETZ carded home sewing needles. It shows system 130/705 H ZWI with each spacing and size as its own option: 1.6/70, 1.6/80, 2.0/80, 2.5/80, 3.0/90, 4.0/80, 4.0/90, 4.0/100, 6.0/100 and 8.0/100, plus an assorted card of 1.6/70, 2.0/80 and 3.0/90. — www.schmetzneedles.com - Manufacturer specification
SCHMETZ twin and triple needle types (opens in a new tab)SCHMETZ's own overview of its twin and triple types, including the Stretch, Jeans and Extra Wide twins (the Topstitch Twin appears only on the US site), with the zigzag and needle-plate requirement and SCHMETZ's threading and tension notes. — www.schmetz.com - Official support page
SINGER, PFAFF and HUSQVARNA VIKING manuals by model (opens in a new tab)A search by model and series lists of PDF manuals for all three brands, including the Heavy Duty 4552 and Topaz 65. Each manual's stitch-width figure and any twin-needle section are inside. Models not listed are pointed to Singer's support site. — www.singer.com - Official support page
Janome instruction books by model (opens in a new tab)Janome's Software & Manuals page, with PDF instruction books grouped by machine category, including the Skyline S6, 2222 and HD1000. Older models are pointed to a Retired Machines list. — www.janome.com
What this page does not tell you
- No machine maker covered here publishes a maximum twin-needle spacing or a needle-plate opening width for a model. The widest-stitch ceiling is this page's reading of SCHMETZ's opening rule, not a maker's figure, and it assumes the zigzag swings evenly either side of the center needle position. Your manual's twin-needle limits and a hand-turned test on scrap settle fit.
- Five manuals are covered: Singer HD 4552, Janome Skyline S6, Husqvarna Viking Designer Topaz 65, Janome 2222 and Janome HD1000. Bernina and other makers' manuals are not. Read the twin-needle section of your own model's manual.
- The Janome 2222 and HD1000 manuals give no maximum zigzag width in millimeters, so this page gives none. On those machines, measure the widest zigzag on scrap as described above.
- SCHMETZ lists its triple needles as 2.5 and 3.0 without saying whether that is the gap between neighboring needles or the overall spread, so the widest-stitch ceiling isn't applied to triples by number. Use SCHMETZ's plate-and-foot condition and turn the first stitches by hand.
- SCHMETZ's two websites print different system codes for the Metallic Twin and the Universal Triple, so the only code given here is the Stretch Twin's, on which both agree. Read the code on the pack you buy.
- SCHMETZ doesn't explain its transversal hook condition, and none of the five manuals uses the term. If your manual has a twin-needle section, follow it; if it is silent, check on a hand-turned test that both needles clear and both rows of stitches form.
Sources
27 documents, each with the facts on this page it supports. Manufacturers revise specifications, so every source is dated — open it before you buy.
- SCHMETZ says the machine should have zigzag capability with a transversal hook and a needle plate hole wide enough for the needle.
- SCHMETZ's machine condition names zigzag capability, not a stitch-width dial; a straight-stitch-only machine falls outside it.
- SCHMETZ's own twin and triple page lists eight types (Universal, Extra Wide Universal, Stretch, Jeans, Embroidery, Metallic, Double Hemstitch, Universal Triple) and no Topstitch Twin.
- SCHMETZ says to use the zigzag stitch needle plate and a zigzag foot with a wide hole, not a straight stitch foot.
- SCHMETZ says each needle needs its own thread spool.
- SCHMETZ says the tension usually has to be loosened to avoid arching of the seam.
- SCHMETZ's US pocket guide lists twin and triple needles as only suitable for zigzag machines with a transverse hook and says to verify the throat plate can accommodate the needle width.
- The spacing is the first number on a SCHMETZ twin pack and is given in millimeters.
- SCHMETZ says the needle plate and sewing foot must have a recess large enough for the needle distance and the selected stitch width.
- The widest stitch a machine sews works as an upper limit (ceiling) for twin-needle spacing, but not a guarantee of fit.
- SCHMETZ Universal Twin sizes are 1.6/70, 1.6/80, 2.0/80, 2.5/80, 3.0/90, 4.0/80, 4.0/90 and 4.0/100, system 130/705 H ZWI.
- A zigzag plate's slot must let a single needle come down at both edges of the widest stitch; a twin at a spacing equal to that width puts its needles where a single needle lands at full width, and a wider spacing puts them outside anywhere the machine drops a needle.
- With a 4.0 twin on a 6 mm machine and the needle centered, the zigzag can be no wider than 2 mm.
- SCHMETZ advises switching on twin mode or a similar button, if available, to limit the stitch width.
- SCHMETZ says to guide the two threads through the machine's guides together as if they were one thread, then separate them and guide one thread through each eye.
- SCHMETZ says the automatic needle threader does not work with twin needles.
- SCHMETZ's US site says twin needles are not suitable for sergers or industrial machines and should be used only in home sewing machines.
- SCHMETZ's US site FAQ says double or twin needles are not suitable for sergers and should be used only in normal household machines.
- On a SCHMETZ twin label such as 2.5/75, the first number is the distance between the two needles and the second is the needle size; 130/705 H is the household needle system, -S marks a Stretch needle and ZWI marks a twin.
- A 4.0/100 twin is two size 100 needles 4 mm apart.
- SCHMETZ does not manufacture a leather twin needle.
- On a centered straight stitch, each needle of a twin sits half the spacing to one side of center.
- SCHMETZ's US site says to use the zigzag needle plate with the elongated aperture with a twin needle, and that with decorative stitches the stitch width must not exceed the aperture or the needles will hit the plate and break.
- SCHMETZ's US site suggests trying the first stitches by moving the hand wheel manually.
- The Janome HD1000 instruction book's Names of Parts shows a stitch length dial and a pattern selector dial and no stitch width dial.
- On the Janome HD1000, zigzag sewing is set with the pattern selector at C.
- The Janome HD1000 manual does not state the width of the needle plate slot or foot opening.
- The Janome HD1000 manual has no twin-needle section.
- The Janome HD1000 manual says to make sure the needle is up and out of the fabric while selecting a stitch with the pattern selector.
- The Janome Skyline S6 manual says not to use twin needles other than the one included in the standard accessories, or the needle may hit the needle plate, foot or hook and break.
- The Janome Skyline S6 manual does not state the width of the needle plate slot or foot opening.
- The Janome Skyline S6 straight-stitch needle drop position is adjustable on a scale from 0.0 to 9.0.
- On the Janome Skyline S6, the twin needle key restricts the maximum permissible stitch width to 3.0 mm and the straight-stitch needle drop to between 3.0 and 6.0.
- The Janome Skyline S6 manual says to use zigzag foot A or satin stitch foot F for twin needle sewing.
- The Janome Skyline S6 accessory table lists part no. 859856005 as the needle set, and the manual notes the needle case holds 1 twin needle, 2 blue tip #11/75, 1 red tip #14/90 and 1 purple tip #14/90; no separate part number is given for the twin.
- A twin-needle section in a machine's manual shows the maker expects twin needles on that machine; a silent manual leaves the hand-turn check as the way to confirm.
- The Janome Skyline S6 manual says to turn the power switch off or press the lockout key before changing the needle.
- The Janome Skyline S6 manual says the extra spool pin is also used for twin needle sewing.
- The Janome Skyline S6 needle threader cannot be used with the twin needle.
- The Janome Skyline S6 manual says to test twin-needle stitches first before sewing on the garment.
- In twin needle mode the Janome Skyline S6 cannot select buttonholes, darning, eyelet or monogram stitches.
- The Singer HD 4552 stitch width can be varied from 0 to 6 mm, and the numbers on the selection wheel correspond to stitch width in mm; the specification table also gives 0-6 mm.
- On the HD 4552, an 8.0 twin is past the 6 mm ceiling and a 6.0 sits exactly at it.
- The Singer HD 4552 manual names no twin-needle size; it mentions twin needles only to center the needle position and to say the threader can't be used with them.
- The Singer HD 4552 manual does not state the width of the needle plate slot or foot opening.
- Measuring a zigzag from thread center to thread center gives the needle's side-to-side travel; measuring outer edge to outer edge adds the thread's thickness and reads wide.
- The Singer HD 4552 manual says to set the needle position to center for twin needle stitching.
- The Singer HD 4552 needle threader cannot be used for twin needles.
- The Singer HD 4552 manual says to switch the machine off when making any adjustment in the needle area, such as changing the needle.
- The Singer HD 4552 all-purpose foot has a wide slot so the needle can move from left to right.
- The Singer HD 4552 has a main spool pin and an auxiliary spool pin; the manual describes the auxiliary pin for winding a bobbin from a second spool and for large or specialty spools, and gives no twin-needle threading.
- The Singer HD 4552 manual says to raise the needle to its highest position before turning the stitch width dial, or it may bend or break.
- The Singer HD 4552 manual has the handwheel turned toward you, including very slowly to be sure the needle clears.
- SCHMETZneedles.com is part of Euro-notions, Inc., the exclusive importer of SCHMETZ carded home sewing machine needles in North America.
- The SCHMETZ Stretch Twin needle system is 130/705 H-S ZWI, in 2.5/75 and 4.0/75.
- SCHMETZ's US site lists the Universal Twin for numerous wovens and knits.
- SCHMETZ's US site sells 6.0/100 and 8.0/100 as options of the Universal Twin, alongside 1.6/70 through 4.0/100 and an assorted 1.6/70, 2.0/80, 3.0/90 card.
- The SCHMETZ Extra Wide Universal Twin comes in 6.0/100 and 8.0/100, system 130/705 H ZWI BR.
- SCHMETZ says the extra-wide twin sews two exactly parallel, stretchy seams at once on a normal household machine.
- SCHMETZ says the extra-wide twins are for household machines with a zigzag function and a needle plate and sewing foot with recesses of at least 6 or 8 mm in width.
- For the 6.0/100, SCHMETZ's condition means a needle plate and foot opening at least 6 mm wide.
- SCHMETZ names the straight stitch as the stitch to use with an extra-wide Universal Twin.
- SCHMETZ's US site lists the Stretch Twin for elastic materials, highly elastic knitwear and knits with Lycra, spandex or elastic.
- The SCHMETZ Jeans Twin comes in 4.0/100, system 130/705 H-J ZWI.
- SCHMETZ's US site lists the Jeans/Denim Twin for denim, twill and canvas.
- The SCHMETZ Embroidery Twin comes in 2.0/75 and 3.0/75.
- SCHMETZ's US site lists the Embroidery Twin for rayon, polyester and other specialty embroidery threads.
- SCHMETZ's US site lists the Topstitch Twin in 2.5/80 and 3.0/90 for topstitch, metallic and sensitive threads.
- The SCHMETZ Metallic Twin comes in 2.5/80 and 3.0/90.
- SCHMETZ's US site lists the Metallic Twin for metallic and other specialty threads.
- The SCHMETZ Double Hemstitch comes in 2.5/100, pairs a Universal needle with a Hemstitch needle, and is for decorating loosely woven fabrics such as linen.
- The SCHMETZ Universal Triple comes in 2.5/80 and 3.0/80.
- SCHMETZ applies the same plate-and-foot recess condition to its Universal Triple needle and says it sews three seams using three top threads.
- SCHMETZ's US site says the Universal Triple sews three rows at once and lists it for numerous wovens and knits.
- The Husqvarna Viking Designer Topaz 65 guide does not state the width of the needle plate slot or foot opening.
- The Designer Topaz 65 screen shows stitch width in mm/inch, and a warning sound is heard when trying to exceed the minimum or maximum width.
- The Designer Topaz 65 technical specification table does not list a stitch width.
- The Designer Topaz 65 guide refers to '7mm stitches' in its sequence overview.
- The Designer Topaz 65 guide says not to use asymmetrical twin needles because they can damage the machine.
- On the Designer Topaz 65 you can select the size of the twin needle in settings to limit stitch width and stitch positioning.
- The Designer Topaz 65 guide says the straight stitch plate cannot be used with a twin needle.
- The Designer Topaz 65 troubleshooting fix for a wrong, irregular or narrow stitch is to deactivate the twin needle or stitch width safety setting.
- The Designer Topaz 65 guide says to switch the machine off when making any adjustment in the needle area, such as changing the needle.
- The Designer Topaz 65 guide says to use the auxiliary spool pin for a second spool when sewing with a twin needle.
- The Designer Topaz 65 twin-needle threading places one thread on each side of the tension discs.
- The Designer Topaz 65 needle threader cannot be used with wing, twin or triple needles.
- The Designer Topaz 65 guide's drawing of an asymmetrical twin needle (figure C, page 31) shows one needle on the full shank and a second needle fixed beside it on a shorter one.
- The Janome 2222 manual does not state the width of the needle plate slot or foot opening.
- The Janome 2222 stitch width dial is numbered 0 to 5 and the manual says higher numbers give a wider stitch, without giving a unit.
- The Janome 2222 manual has no twin-needle section.
- The Janome 2222 manual says to raise the needle above the fabric when turning the stitch width dial.
- Janome's Software & Manuals page lists PDF instruction books by model, grouped by machine category, including the Skyline S6, 2222 and HD1000, and points older models to Retired Machines.
- Singer's manual page offers model-specific PDF manuals for SINGER, PFAFF and HUSQVARNA VIKING machines, with a search by model, series lists (including Heavy Duty 4552 and Topaz 65), and a pointer to Singer's support site for models not shown.