Check all of your thread guides, sometimes lint or thread does get stuck. Also threading from the opposite direction will keep your thread in the take up lever. You should always thread any machine with the pressure foot up. No tension pressure, so your thread goes into every guide it is intended to go into. Best wishes.....Love my Janomes....they did discover years ago that this was a problem for their machines, they, then starting putting a "lock" on the take up lever. Duh moment, why don't they test their machines with real sewists before releasing a machine for market.....amazing.