Hi Y’all! Just a quick post today – I’m headed to Buenos Aires in a few hours (well don’t I feel like Carmen San Diego?!) to see some tango, visit the “Pink House” (the Argentine White House), and shop the famous “yarn district.”
So here’s a quick knitting-faster tip for you on this Friday. This tip complements the ten tips for knitting faster I show you in the Knit Faster! Video E-Book.
In this video, I show you how to maintain a quick pace of knitting while managing the stitches comfortably moving down along your right-hand needle. Enjoy!
Knit Faster Trick - Pushing Your Stitches Down
If you liked this knit faster trick, post in the comments!
12 thoughts on “Manage Your Stitches Right For Faster Knitting”
This was a VERY helpful video! I’ve been trying and trying to get my fingers and thumbs to work like this, but I can see I’ve been resting them on the needles rather than resting the needles further down on palms which leaves the fingers/thumbs free to move the stiches. I’m off to practice.
Thanks very much for this close up!
This was a VERY helpful video! I’ve been trying and trying to get my fingers and thumbs to work like this, but I can see I’ve been resting them on the needles rather than resting the needles further down on palms which leaves the fingers/thumbs free to move the stiches. I’m off to practice.
Thanks very much for this close up!
Hi Debbie,
Thank you for this wonderful comment, and I’m sorry for the incredibly slow reply! I’m delighted that this helped you, Debbie. Good on you for seeing how you could apply it to your own knitting!
Hugs,
Liat
Surely this is an automatic reaction, video a bit of a waste of your time and effort, sorry.
I just wish for some reason that I could knit continental but I can’t. Part of the problem, I believe, is the arthritis in my hands. It especially affects the middle finger on my right hand and the pointer finger on my left hand. The two worse fingers at the moment are those two fingers. They are both swollen and very stiff and I think that must be the reason I have tried and tried to learn continental but just can’t do it. I’m also 82 years old and maybe my brain is telling me I am lucky to knit at all and I should just be happy being a thrower and just continue on that way.
I keep trying but so far I have not been successful.
Sally K
Hi Sally,
I’m so sorry, that sounds so frustrating! There are a couple alternatives to Continental knitting that might suit you.
There’s Portuguese knitting, which uses very little movement, just the left thumb. I have a tutorial here: https://www.knitfreedom.com/blog/portuguese-knitting/
For flat knitting there’s also Combination knitting, which I love, which you can actually do as a picker or a thrower. But you could try it as a picker (Continental knitter). To do the purl stitch, wrap the yarn the opposite way you normally would. This makes the purl stitch require almost no finger movement at all. On the knit side, knit through the back loop. Combination knitting is really fast and gives a nice even tension. The definitive guide is Annie Modessit’s Confessions of a Knitting Heretic (https://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Knitting-Heretic-Annie-Modesitt-ebook/dp/B00G8UVCFS/). I hope to make a video tutorial myself someday.
I hope this helps and if you try either of these please reach out if you have questions!
Great tip for the scrunchies!
Have a great trip to Buenos Aires! Loved your comment re Carmen Sandiego. Back in the day when Carmen first appeared, the middle school kids loved “playing” that computer game in the computer lab!
As always, thank you!
Wow that was amazing” I have not attempted anything other then scarves and dishcloths but when I do advance to something which requires a hem I will definately try your technique. Great ideaaaaaa! thank you.
Linda, you’re so welcome! :) You may be ready to move on to knitting in the round, so that you can knit hats, mittens, socks, and bags. Check out my class on knitting in the round on Magic Loop!
Liat, Thank you so much for your online tutorials. You are such a pro and provide great close up quality video which shows everything so clearly and you go slow enough so that it’s easy to follow. Not to mention your commentary. I was able to learn the magic loop from you which has been a godsend since I cannot master dpns for the life of me. Thank you again.
Wow, Kathy, thank YOU! I am so happy to know that my videos are helping you – that gives me a lot of motivation to keep making videos and teaching my lovely online students. Your comment helps remind me that I really am helping people, even if we can’t see each other.
Thank You . now i know how to join by sliping that first stitch. i heaed about it but having seen it done is really nice! your instructions are clear and thanks for showing how to place a marker and that long theard that joins is the end of row.then place a marker.i like that. it gives a second chance to do so. mine falls off.