Can anyone help me to knit quicker?!

[WhereBeThatBlackbirdTo]

I taught myself to knit when I was about 7 (at least 40 years ago) and I seem to let go of the needles somehow each time I wind the thread round. I have knitted allsorts of patterns this way successfully - lace, fairisle, cable, using circular needles etc - but it takes me ages and I rarely finish anything these days.

I was looking on You Tube for video inspiration but couldn't find what I was looking for. My mum (who is no longer here to ask) seemed to tuck the needles under her arm and whizz along the rows without even looking.

Does anyone have ideas that could help me please?

I had exactly this problem when I restarted knitting after 30 some years :o I got a knitting book out of the library that had diagrams on how to hold yarn, and knitted a really simple scarf on circular needles so all I had to concentrate on was the way I knitted rather than counting stitches for patterns/rows. The first few rows were really really slow, but gradually it became more natural. Now I'm loads faster - especially when doing knit stitch, less so when purling.

In particular, I twisted the yarn round my right little finger, then my right index finger. This meant I could lift that finger up and wrap the yarn round (in knit stitch) without letting go of the needle.

The other thing I've discovered is that the really really fast way of knitting is in the continental style, where you only move the right needle, but the english style (move the yarn with your right and) is what I first learned, and I don't' intend to knit so much that I have to learn from scratch again!

Which needles are you using? If you want to knit quickly then aluminium/metal needles are the way to go as the wool will move more easily on them, I love bamboo but the wool moves more slowly on them so they are brill for lace work. Next is the size of your needles and thickness of your wool... obviously the fatter your needles and wool the quicker the project.

Finally make something smaller.. I stopped for a couple of years and then saw a really sweet pattern for booties. I cast on and within 90 mins I was starting on the other booty.. making baby clothes did it for me.

Finally the more you knit, the quicker you get :)

I was a really slow knitter, and although I tried every technique for the way I knitted (throwing - ie letting go of a needle every stitch), I couodn't get that fast, so I re-learned using continental style, and literally knit four times fast than I did before. It took me a while to pick it up - I knitted a baby blanket, and by the end I was at least as fast as my old throwing way, and within a couple more projects was much faster.

I'm watching avidly to pick up tips, as I am a knitter who lets go. I think that's why I've not loved it that much tbh as my Mum knits too fast for me to follow and MiL is lefty and it all looks cak handed to me. I'm going off to google continental style videos.

That's the English style of knitting, I do that. I'm very very slow. Continental is much quicker, but I can't master it. I'm resigned to spending months on a jumper, and probably getting rsi too. I love knitting though, even at a snail's pace.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

lattelady - I always use metal needles - my mum had every size you could ever need and I've never used anything else.

I had a look at the continental style but my index finger just won't do what it is supposed to, it seems to argue with my middle finger! I sat here like a toddler concentrating, tongue out of the corner of my mouth, but just couldn't master it.

I vaguely remember my mum winding the wool around her index finger and zipping along.

How do you continental style purl? I can do the knit stitch but the tension's stupidly tight so I let go at the mo til I can be bothered to practice more but I can't work out how to hold the yarn to purl continental.
Very jealous of anyone who can just whizz through a hat in an evening!

Find a local knit and natter and see if someone will show you in rl. I'm always happy to give people a leg up with crochet - and one of the "knacks" with crochet sounds a lot like that continental style thing...

I am very interested in your thread Blackbird. Mum taught me to knit and she was fast, I have her mostly metal needles. I tuck the right needle under my arm, guide the wool round with my right forefinger and move the left needle more. Don't know what style it is. I can knit fast ish but not as fast as mum could.

I think as a crocheter I really found the continental style easier, have just been trying to get to grips with it and it's going... ok. it's very like the crochet tension thingy I do, purling was slower, haven't attempted rib...yet, pattern doesn't call for it at this point. Thanks for the tip O Wise Owls of MN

Wherebe, from your nickname there's a chance you're very local to me, feel free to pm for details of a local knit and natter (apologies if the blackbird song i know isn't the same one)

If you search YouTube for "speed knitting" there is lots of videos and hints on there.

Personally I dont' knit according to one of the approved methods - I just do what works for me - as long as your knitting looks nice it doesn't matter how you achieve it!

Having grown up on the continent I only ever learnt continental style, which is supposed to be quicker and easier. Still am amazed at the speed of my MILs English style knitting. I can't get my head round how to do it in the first place.