Sorry to give such a basic reply, but I suspect that:
you haven't threaded the yarn properly,
your carriage tension may be too tight or loose,
the yarn you are using is hand knitting yarn,
you've cast on all the needles instead of 1x1.
The needles do not warp but they may need cleaning. A good way to do this is to wipe them over with some white spirit on a clean cloth, then wipe the knitting machine oil over them. It isn't just cigarette smoke which clings to the machine bits - the needles will have some remnants of oil on them anyway, and over time dust can be attracted which will cling & clog.
Jo of www.scanthecat.com
November 2008