Here's what we've learned....thread frays because you have upset your machine.....LOL Things to check: needle 'angle' (turned a little from 'straight in'-may be too much or not enough needle point: take your finger nail and run it DOWN the needle tip around it...see if you 'feel' a little hook-means you have a burr needle alignment: check 'head down' and make sure the needle plate isn't off center anything that makes that needle rub on the side of the hole in the plate will make the thread fray enough to try for now? Hope it helps! Roland