Ever wished you could knit faster? Maybe you’ve got a gift knitting deadline looming, or perhaps you’re just eager to see your project finished. For years, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of knitting faster — I’ve attended speed knitting competitions and even hosted our own speed knitting event at Knit City a few years back. In this post, we’ll explore some practical tips and techniques to boost your knitting speed, while also considering the why behind our desire for speed.
Different Knitting Styles: Finding Your Fit
The way you hold your needles and yarn can significantly impact your knitting speed. Years ago, I learned from a workshop with Stephanie Pearl-McPhee that there are basically two kinds of knitters — those who knit for a living, and those who don’t. We can look to those who do production knitting for tips on speed and efficiency.
Generally “picking” or Continental style (holding the yarn in your left hand) is the most efficient way to generate a knit stitch, and so historically we see pickers knitting a lot of garments in the round or garter-based lace. “Throwers” or English Style knitters (holding the yarn in your right hand) generally knit more stockinette-based lace, and garments are typically worked in pieces.
Finally, a third style of knitting, lever knitting, is often used by people who knit for a living. It’s the most ergonomic way to knit and allows people to knit for 8-10 hours a day without any repetitive strain. Lever knitting makes knitting or purling equally easy to do, and the stitches are precise and even. So, lever knitters can easily knit everything.
Here’s a quick rundown of some common styles:
English Style
Holding the yarn in your right hand, “English Style knitting” involves a “throwing” motion to wrap the yarn around the needle. I carry the yarn in my right hand like a little shuttle that moves back and forth to deliver yarn to the tips of the needles. The key to speeding up with English Style is to minimize unnecessary movement.
If you’ve ever doubted English Style as a speedy style of knitting, check out one of the fastest knitters in the world, Hazel Tindall from the Shetland Islands. In a handknitting competition in 2008, Hazel used 5 mm knitting needles and knit 262 stitches in 3 minutes (60 stitches to a row). Second place in that same event went to Miriam Tegels of the Netherlands who knit 243 stitches in 3 minutes with a continental knitting style.
Continental Style
In Continental Style knitting, the yarn is tensioned in your left hand, and the right needle “picks” the yarn to create new stitches. This style of knitting theoretically leads to faster knitting speed due to minimal hand movement.
Lever Style (Irish Cottage Knitting)
Lever knitting, also known as Irish cottage style or pivot knitting is a style of knitting that can be very productive. Years ago, I stumbled on the the Heart Strings website and discovered a tutorial on how to knit “lever-action” English style. And then at Vogue Knitting Live in NYC in 2011, I took the Stephanie Pearl-McPhee/Yarn Harlot’s “Knitting for Speed & Efficiency” class and left absolutely ecstatic. Ever since then, I’ve been trying to incorporate what I learned there into my own knitting practices… most specifically to improve my knitting speed and efficiency.
A while ago, I saw a video of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and her “Irish Cottage Knitting” and knew, I had to learn that. Here’s the first video of her knitting on a sock, followed by a second video of her knitting with the straight needle held under her armpit.
Stephanie’s criteria for lever knitting is simple — one needle held stationary (under the armpit, held in a makkin or knitting belt, or held like a pencil) and the yarn tensioned on the lower fingers of the right hand. Tensioning the yarn lower down on the third, fourth and fifth fingers allows the index finger and thumb to do more of the sensitive manipulation of the stitches. The middle and ring fingers that are holding the yarn, act more like a sewing machine shuttle. Arcing back and forth to catch the tip of the needle.
Holding the needle like a pencil, this style uses a lever-like motion with your finger to wrap the yarn. It can be particularly beneficial for long straight needles or when using a knitting belt. Stephanie’s method of lever knitting has a different method of yarn tensioning than on the HeartStrings site, but the fundamental concept is the same.
As a long-time English style knitter, learning to knit lever style still took some practice and adjustment. Stephanie’s suggestion was to practice daily for at least 21 to 30 days in order to develop the micro-muscle movement memory that is needed. Every change simply requires a bit of time and practice.
If you are interested in learning to knit faster (want to get through that stash? I do!), I would encourage you to seek out Stephanie’s class (where available) and see first-hand how her teaching can improve your knitting speed. She also gives plenty of tips and techniques for speeding up your knitting, should you choose to stick with your picking or throwing. You can check out her Patreon page here.
Efficiency Tips for Speedier Knitting
Beyond knitting styles, here are some additional tips to optimize your efficiency:
- Minimize Movement: Focus on small, controlled movements with your fingers and hands. Avoid unnecessary wrist or arm motions.
- Active Left Hand: Keep your left hand engaged in pushing up stitches, ensuring they’re readily available for knitting.
- Needle Choice: Consider using smooth needles (like metal) to reduce friction and allow stitches to slide easily. Needles made from bamboo or wood might be more “grippy” and slow down your knitting.
- Stitch Management: Keep stitches scrunched up on your left needle and spread out on your right needle for smoother workflow.
- Avoid Tight Stitches: Knitting too tightly at the needle tips can slow you down. Ensure your stitches are formed on the main shaft of the needle.
Also, check out the Bellwether’s post about the fastest knitters in the world and see how they knit. You’ll notice how one needle is always held stationary, and the hands are making tiny movements. The hand that is tensioning the yarn does not actually drop the needle, and so there is no time lost to dropping and picking up the needle again. If you feel like you need a support group, there’s even a Ravelry group for production knitters. Have any of you tried this and successfully switched to lever knitting? I would love to hear from you in the comments!
And as for speed, we did a little speed check at the beginning and end of class and the average around the class was between 20-30 stitches per minute. Stephanie said that lever knitters start at 60-80 stitches per minute. Eunny Jang has spoken about how she knits 75-80 stitches per minute, but how productivity is actually achieved by always knitting as opposed to fast knitting.
Planning Ahead: The Key to True Efficiency
Knitting fast is great, but knitting correctly is even better! There’s no use in knitting 100 stitches a minute if you’re knitting the wrong instructions. Here’s where planning comes in:
- Understand Your Pattern: Read through the pattern carefully, anticipate upcoming instructions, and ensure you have enough yarn.
- Avoid Mistakes: Mistakes mean ripping back, which ultimately wastes time. Careful attention to your pattern can prevent this.
Another Perspective: Why the Rush?
While speed can be satisfying, it’s important to remember why we knit in the first place. Enjoy the process, savour the feel of the yarn, and appreciate the rhythm of the stitches. I feel like I’ve been knitting on my Nightshift shawl for ages now, but honestly seeing the colours combine row after row, I’m enjoying this so much.
Don’t sacrifice good posture or risk injury for the sake of speed. After years of experiencing arm, shoulder and wrist issues, it was confirmed by a doctor that I have developed carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and that I need to lighten up on how and how much I knit. So I’m looking hopefully towards lever knitting as a method of injury-free and more ergonomic knitting.
Ultimately, the goal is to find a balance between speed and enjoyment. Experiment with different techniques, optimize your efficiency, but also remember to relax and savour the journey.
Originally posted on February 17, 2011
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I like this post, I had never seen these videos! I developped my own method of knitting as a child (when getting back into knitting and discovering the Internet I found out I was picking my yarn, but I never saw anyone do that over here …) and I was pretty fast for the knit stitch (never found a better method to purl).
The “under the armpit” method of the YH is a great method, one used here by almost all of the older generation of knitters (when they see me using a round needle they often wonder how I can knit without putting the needle under my arm!). But the big setback is that you usually have all of the weight of your knitting is on one needle and thus putting pressure on one arm/wrist. Many get RSI because of this, especially if you knit a lot of big sweaters! When you knit on a round needle the weight of your knit is always on your lap.
Oh, and I still have DPNs that are 30 or 40cm long, in case one wants to knit socks “armpit style” (londer DPNs are currently used as blocking wires as I can’t get those over here …).
So interesting! I always wondered how I could knit more efficiently. I don’t know if I have the time now to relearn a new knitting method… but I’m definitely going to take one of Stephanie’s classes if I get the chance! Thanks for posting!
wow. I am pretty sure I am NOT knitting for speed or efficiency. It takes me hours and hours to finish a pair of socks. Plus, I am a thrower. Thanks for posting this, it is inspiration to research and try out speedier techniques!
After reading your blog this morning I decided that it is time to try this technique. I am already a pretty fast knitter and have been knitting continental style for over 30 years but I have been having a lot of hand pain and weakness recently. If this can help keep my hands working longer than I am willing to go back to square one and learn to knit all over again!
I found a pair of metal straights that didn’t get tossed into the donation basket when I decided to use only circular needles a few years ago. I knit a garter stitch base to keep it from rolling and gave it a go. I am glad for the tip to keep at it every day for a month or so! The hardest part is learning how to hold and tension the yarn properly in my right hand. My tension is far tighter than it has been since I was first learning to knit :)
It felt so good to go back to my usual style after 30 minutes of working at the lever knitting. I did notice just how many tiny movements my hands do with continental so I am excited about learning a better method – with speed as a terrific bonus. I should see how fast I am now knitting continental, how fast I am with this technique, and see where I am at with both in two weeks and a month.
Really interesting to watch. But guess what….almost everything I do in life is for speed and efficiency. I knit to relax, the method I use will never win a contest for speed or efficiency, but it accomplishes something for me that is far more valuable…and – eventually – I have something beautiful to keep or gift. More power to you speed gals, though, I enjoyed watching.
Very cool! Switching your knitting style definitely is something that takes dedication and practice, and something you have to do consciously (i.e. Stephanie’s 21-30 day suggestion). I tried switching to Continental a few years back, after 10 years as a “throwing” knitter, and while I taught myself how to do it accurately, my fingers still prefer the way I learned, and I’m still sooo much faster that way, too. I’m sure if I really made it a point to practice something like you’re talking about here it would make a huge difference eventually :)
I like that. Now where did she have her yarn place at when she was knitting, on the table in the video? I notice the yarn was up a little.
Wow! This is an awesome post. Thank you for sharing your experience with the class and for all of the links. I got so much out of reading and watching your links.
I am obsessed with learning this method and your blog has the best video and explanation….do you think it’s possible to learn this without taking the class? It’s sold out at Vogue Live and I’m not able to get out much with 6 kiddos (which is another reason I want to knit faster).
Hi Lynna! While I think taking Stephanie’s class in person is an invaluable experience, I do think that you can learn things on your own too. Many years ago, I taught myself one style of lever knitting by following the instructions here: https://www.heartstringsfiberarts.com/leverstyle.shtm.
Ultimately, it’s all about practice and developing that muscle memory to get faster and faster. Just keep your movements simple and small, and practice 10 minutes every day for 30 days!
Oh, thank you for the link…I just happened to recheck your site and saw your encouraging reply….I am still determined to try lever knitting and just bought a pair of 14″ straights (in US 2 since I’m a very loose knitter). Maybe I’ll try out your Sweet Georgia Tough sock that I have been saving in my stash! Thanks again…I’ll keep checking your video as a reference!
Lynna
Very interesting and I’m bookmarking this too see if I can figure it out later. Knitting is currently an excersise in pain and trying to measure to see when my fingers on my left hand start to go completely numb. I’ve already been trying to keep motion to a minimum so maybe this will help me further achieve that, and hey it’d be nice to knit a pair of socks in anything under a month.
I’m originally from Scotland and my mother taught me this method. She knitted that way too. It is fast and it also keeps the knitting very even as you are not pulling at it with both sets of hands. I can knit for hours and my hands or shoulders don’t get sore. It wasn’t till I emigrated to Canada and now live in Newfoundland that I have been looked at as an ‘odd’ knitter. I haven’t seen anyone knit lever style here. Must be the old country way of knitting as Scots are known to be fast and good knitters.
Hi Felicia, Very interesting video and page. I knit a version of English. When I was young I was sitting in the corner chair where the light was and I was very pleased with myself as I was copying people who essentially threw their whole arm for every stitch. My father was nearby reading a paper. He looked over and said, “You will not knit another stitch until you learn to do it correctly”. Ouch! He came over and showed me how to throw the yarn with just my first finger not letting go of the knitting. I also do not wind the yarn around multiple fingers. The yarn goes over my first finger, then held lightly by my thumb against my middle finger while also loosely holding the needle at the same place. My ring finger and pinky fold over the yarn and the needle. Since my thumb and middle finger are loosely holding the needle, my hand is able to pivot up to throw the yarn. Probably clear as mud, but in the end I can knit quickly with less movement of my right hand than you show. Colleen