Do you want to knit faster? Is it taking too much of your time and effort to get a project done? Knitting at a fast pace is developed after a lot of practice but then there are also a few tips that can help you. So, before you start knitting, make sure you have quality knitting needles in the right size and type and yarn along with knitting accessories to assist you in the craft.
1. Make Knitting a Daily Practice
Like all skills, knitting takes practice. The more you knit, the better and faster you get. Make time for knitting as much as you can. Daily practice will certainly help but if you do not have the time, try over a weekend. Giving time is important but it is equally necessary to knit without distractions. A playlist of your favorite songs will assist you with knitting. So get one ready before you get started. It is also a good idea to participate in knit-along (KALs) in your community for the reason to get some purpose to your knitting. Another habit to develop is knitting without looking. It requires a lot of practice but can be mastered with time. This is because even if you do not focus on your knitting needles, your muscle memory will take over your hands and get you knitting faster.
Once you develop this habit, you can knit pretty much anywhere and be fast with your knitting projects. When learning to knit without looking, it is always recommended to use a simple pattern with mainly knit and purl stitches and no other special techniques. This way you do not have to keep looking at your knitting every time.
2. Get comfortable.
A very simple technique but very effective in getting your projects done faster is to choose comfortable seating with lots of lighting. Many times a different knitting position can do wonders for your speed. You can try to sit cross-legged or seated on a rocking chair or on the sofa cuddled by your pets. Experiment and see what works best for you. Also do make sure to take breaks in between long knitting sessions. Also do not attempt to knit whenever you are tired, this way you will be making mistakes and taking time to correct them, making your knitting go slower.
3. Knit Looser
Knitting fast is all about knitting neatly. Loose stitches are your best bet to avoid knitting mistakes and therefore the option to go faster. Loose even stitches mean easier to insert your knitting needle tip. This will help you avoid any assistance from the loops and knit smoothly and faster. This also works for you to correct knitting mistakes whether you rip or tink or use any other measure.
4. Tension your yarn efficiently
Tensioning yarn in a way that best works for you are the trick to knitting fast. Every knitter has a unique way of holding and tensioning the yarn. To knit faster, it’s recommended you play around with different tensioning methods and find the one that works for you and not stick to the method you were taught. The yarn must glide effortlessly or it will certainly slow you down. Either weave the yarn in your fingers rather than wrapping them or let it lie flat in your palm. This brings us to the next point, the knitting style.
5. Switch to a different knitting style.
There are five general knitting styles and every knitter has their own style too. When we begin knitting, we generally adopt the style taught to us by our mentor and find it easy to continue doing so. To speed up knitting a recommended way is to explore knitting styles and choose one that best works for you. Try out the English knitting style for its simplicity. The Continental style of knitting works best if you are left-handed or have learned crocheting first. Lever knitting known as flicking is believed to be the fastest knitting style. Shetland knitting style is used by the popular knitter Hazel Tindall, who holds the title of the world’s fastest knitter. Even the ancient Portuguese knitting style is being rediscovered for its unique style of tensioning the yarn.
6. Change your knitting needles
While we always prefer our old and trusted knitting needles over others, the trick to knitting faster is sometimes changing the needles. Even if you find wood, bamboo and other materials work for you, metals are ideal for fast knitting. The stainless steel knitting needles from the Mindful Collection make stitch passing very easy. And it’s not just the material it is also the knitting needle type. Not just the material, knitters struggling with double-pointed needles have often worked faster and smoother with circular knitting needles. And, this is for other needle types.
7. Use Knitting Accessories
Knitting accessories are knitting essentials and they help you with your craft. Be it stitch markers or scissors, knitting needle sets or cases, there is so much to help your knit faster and smoother.
With the above tricks and tips, learn to knit faster.
Happy knitting!