First, have you checked the HQ website? they have some really good tutorials on video. I use an HQ16 and when my tension is correct, I rarely get pokeys. You first adjust the bobbin tension using the drop-and-hold-by-the-thread technique. Then, you adjust the top thread. Whereas on a DM, small adjustments go far, on the HQ you should turn it 180* at a time. With some threads, I've had to make a full (360*) turn or more. Looser is better. If the pokey shows on top, the bobbin tension needs adjustment. If the pokey shows on the bottom, the top tension needs adjustment. Just last weekend, I quilted a quilt with a pale yellow on top and a pink on the bottom and had so few pokeys, even around the curves.