Fast knitting is impressive. Many of us love to see the knitting needles fly and get your projects done fast. Speed knitting comes with lots of practice and with time, but there are tips that can assist you. With a few changes in your knitting, you will become little better, a little smarter, a little faster.
So, let’s get started.
1. Switch your knitting needles
We prefer our old and trusted knitting needles over others as they might be the ones you learnt knitting with or have been passed on by your mentor. But, sometimes switching needles helps you to knit faster.
Circular knitting needles are believed to be fast, the reason being you do not need to turn the project, you do not need to purl and the cables of the needles support the weight of the project. Be it the fixed circulars or interchangeable, enjoy the benefits of the versatile needles. Interchangeable knitting needle sets are even better as one kit has multiple needle sizes and cable lengths that are perfect for knitting socks to large blankets and everything in between.
Besides the needle types, you can experiment with needle materials if you find your yarn resisting, try out smooth aluminum, stainless steel, acrylics or carbon fiber needles. If you find yourself dropping stitches on the metals, you can work with wood or bamboo and. Smartstix needles have inch markings that help you keep an eye on the measurements. Cubics treat knitters with ergonomic make and tapered points that help to knit faster, especially for knitters who suffer from wrist and hand ailments.
2. Switch to a different knitting style.
Besides the knitting needles we also adopt the knitting style of our mentor or teacher and find it easy to continue doing so. A good option to speed up knitting is trying out new styles. The continental knitting style requires you hold the yarn in your left hand. As you pick up the yarn without letting go of your needle, it means small and fast movements. Other popular knitting styles include lever knitting, Portuguese knitting and the Shetland style. Experiment with them to find your favorite pick. Though it’s tough to learn new things, it is definitely worthwhile.
3. Knit Looser
Uniform knitting is the basic requirement of neat knitting. It is always recommended to knit looser rather than tight. For fast knitting you need to smoothly insert your knitting needles into a stitch and pick the yarn. Loose knit stitches help the knitter will find the opening quite effortlessly and also there’s much less resistance when pulling the yarn through getting you to knit faster. Knitting with circular needles assists with this, you can move the stitches to the cable and tips to test if it’s loose enough. If you are worried about the snag where the cable meets the needle, fixed circular needles solve the issue.
4. Tension your yarn efficiently
Every knitter has a unique way to tension yarn. To knit faster, it’s recommended you tension the yarn in a way that it glides effortlessly.
5. Add a Lifeline to Your Knitting
Have you heard about a lifeline in knitting? When you have added a lifeline to your knitting, you can safely pull out the needles and rip back without fear. There are several ways to add a lifeline, it can be done both in advance in case of you needing it later. For example, before a difficult passage in your knitting. Or after you have detected a mistake.
Hopefully, you try out the above tricks and tips and learn to knit faster.