Knitting Help - Flicking
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 1 мар 2011
- "Flicking" is a fast, but unusual, way of knitting right-handed. Because the right needle is never released to wrap the yarn, it is comparable to the speed of continental knitting. This is the way that I knit, and I have received many requests to slow down and explain it in detail.
The poncho on the mannequin is here (not my design):
www.ravelry.com/patterns/libra...
The pattern for the sweater I'm wearing is here (not my design):
www.ravelry.com/patterns/libra...
I knit my sweater with a cotton yarn that has been discontinued.
The yarn I use for demonstration is Cascade 220. 
Хобби
I have watched many videos on this "flicking" style of knitting - you are the only one I have seen that shows and mentions the "pivot" of the needle! As soon as I saw that it clicked in my head - before that I still couldnt understand it . Thanks again!
Changing from throwing to flicking is slow but doable. Pick an easy project like a blanket. Your tension will be off like you are a new knitter but it's a blanket. No big deal. Its a long project that will help the muscle memory click in. I.am not there yet but it is slowing getting there. Thank you for the video!
OMG!!! There's a name for the way I've been knitting all these years? Not only speedy, but easy on the arms, wrists, and hands too. I also find that knitting tension is easily controlled too.
This is how I knit too! You can get a really nice rhythm going, and pick up some speed with this technique. I think it's one of the reasons I knit almost exclusively with circular needles. The shorter rigid sections allow you to pivot the needle easily. Longer, straight needles can get hung up on my clothing and I end up having to hold the project higher or away from my body which gets uncomfortable. Flicking and circular needles for my Zen knitting!
Thank you so much for making this video! After lots of practice I've managed to reteach myself to knit in this way and now I finish projects so much more quickly! By far the best "fast knitting" video on youtube.
I love watching you knit. I am a continental knitter and I am fascinated when I watch you knit. I have never seen another person knit like you do. Your knitting produces beautiful knitting with such even tension. I love to watch your knitting videos and to listen to you talk. I taught myself to knit from books 30+ years ago before the internet! I love youtube and have learned a lot since I discovered it. Thank you so much for being an excellent teacher!
I've been knitting for about 35 years. I started as a very little girl.
46 actually 😂
I was taught to knit from a Scottish lady. She taught me the flicking method, and said that it was the Scottish style. I've been using this technique for 50+ years now, currently working on a project for a friend's baby boy.
Thank you so much for filming this video.. I was doing the same thing because I'm ambidextrous and I do a cross between English and continental. I think this is a good technique for me. Love your videos!
My late mother knitted this way and taught me too. I've seen this method used a lot here in Australia- always thought it was the way all experienced knitters worked.
Yay! Glad to see somebody else who knits the way I do! Tensioning with the right hand, but *not* letting go of the needle and "throwing" the yarn around. I think I was initially taught that way by the instructor, but watching her doing her own knitting during class, I could tell that she herself did not knit in the way she was teaching us. I asked her about it, and she said it was just "practice". In trying to imitate her, my fingers just worked it out for themselves:-)
I have been happily watching you for almost a decade now. I learned how to knit because of you, and I'm happy to say that many years ago, I started "flicking" as well. I have never looked back! It helped me pick up my speed immensely and is very comfortable for me. Thank you for your many wonderful years on this platform and I look forward to many more. :)
I've always loved the way you knit, seeing the right needle rhythmically flick under your right hand.
Thank you so much Staci for sharing this video! After I finished my last project I decided that I wanted to start knitting this way so using some scrap yarn I spent one afternoon practicing this technique. My tension was already pretty neat as a thrower, but it just looks so much better and more even using this technique.
It took a bit of trial and error with how I hold the yarn in my right hand - wrapping around middle, ring or pinkie finger created too tight a tension, and so did weaving the yarn between my fingers, but found how you did it to work quite well and I found it quite comfortable, eventually I started enclosing the yarn simply by wedging the yarn in the crease under the middle knuckle of my ring finger so I didn't have to close my finger completely.
I enjoy knitting so much more now, because I an faster, and can now knit without looking :)
oh I am so glad to see you knitting this way... many people say I knit wrong but I knit the same as you. just like you said I was tired of dropping th needle and throwing my yarn so I decided to figure out how to keep the yarn and needle in my hand the same as you. thanks for putting this up.
The hardest part of changing the way you knit is figuring out a comfortable way to hold the yarn for good tension. Everyone is different. Keep practicing! It will happen. :)
I came here hoping to be taught something, not be told I can figure it out for myself. Why not give suggestions or show ways to hold the yarn for good tension? Honestly, why not? I teach English for a living, an equivalent might be “Verbs are the hardest part of any language to learn, so here are the nouns.” I’ll just go and figure it out myself I guess.
@@chayaf9952 - you can watch my other flicking videos for more information on that, but it REALLY is a personal thing. In fact, I've never found anyone who holds the yarn like I do. If you are learning flicking after already knowing how to "throw", I recommend holding the yarn the same way. There is no need to change how you keep tension.
@amcdevries Thank you - I'm glad you're enjoying the videos! Yes, I have advice for you...practice. I'm still not great at the continental and flicking combo when I'm knitting two colors, but I still keep trying. Every time I do it, it gets a little easier, and my tension gets better. :)
I've been knitting for over 40 years and have always knit English. I have been sort of flicking for a while, but still let go of the needle. Faster than throwing, but not as fast as your flicking. The one part I was missing was moving the right needle. I couldn't get my finger to flick the yarn over the needle without taking my finger off the needle, but now that you've demonstrated how you do it, I finally have it! I still need lots of practice, but already it has made it much easier. Thank you so much for showing how you hold and pivot the needle!!
@lolajl You are a knitter after my own heart! Few people knit this way, so it's fun to hear that others naturally do it. And I take pride in the fact that I type out transcripts to each of my videos by hand (no easy task) so that the CC is completely accurate. I'm glad to hear that you appreciate the CC, and the fact that I get to the point quickly. :)
I didn't know I was a flicker either! i love how people discover the same technique all by themselves. Thank you Ms. VP Knits for putting a name to it.
I watched an Amish lady knit while we travelled to Minnesota. I was very enthralled with her style. She knitted a child's sock on 3 or 4 needles. Very spellbinding to say the least.
I knit like this too and never really realised it had a term or a name to describe it until now. I started off knitting with the letting go like you first demonstrated, then subconsciously must have decided to keep hold of the working needle to flick it. Seemed natural to me. It feels cool to understand my style now.
I learned about flicking by hearing about it and kind of figured out on my own how to do it, but I'm definitely relieved to finally see it demonstrated and know that I didn't somehow mess it up! It's my preferred way of knitting :)
Wow this is awesome! I've logged thousands of hours knitting over the past 21 years and have never heard of this technique. Usually I used the standard right handed technique and have always been annoyed about having to let go of the needle each time, but the left-handed "continental" technique never felt very comfortable for me.
It will definitely take a bit of time to change my muscle memory on this but I'm definitely switching! Thanks so much for taking the time to share this video. I'm knitting as a job now - started a side business with my sister a few months ago where she creates luxury yarns by hand-processing and hand-spinning fiber from her alpaca herd and angora rabbits and I knit beautiful accessories to sell with it - so I've really been looking for anything to speed things up since I often knit 4-8 hrs a day. Super excited to see how much more productive this technique will make me! I've found your other videos on various knitting stitches very helpful as well,
I was curious to see what flick knitting is so I started watching your video and realized that I already knit this way. I am a self taught knitter and this is the way I knit. I never paid attention to that before. Well, now I know what to call it.😁
This has always been the way I knit. I had attempted to learn continental because everyone always said it was faster, but not only was it slower for me, I could never reliably keep a hold on the stitch. I suppose it was just what was comfortable. Truth be told, I had never seen anyone RELEASE the needle before.
I found that this is especially good when double knitting, with the exception that I hold one on my index finger and one on my middle finger.
I KNIT LIKE THIS!! I am so happy that I'm not the only one. Thanks for posting this video!! I now know what to call my unique way of knitting. :-)
Hi Stacy, I've been a crocheter for a little over 40 years. I wanted to learn how to knit about 5 years ago. There were so many videos out there, but yours are the ones I always go to and recommend as well. I already knew how to do a long tail co, but after that, had no idea what to do next. Finally learned and turned out to be a 'thrower'. I got tired of always letting go of the needle and tried and tried. I watched this video and decided to just stick with it. And it's been a few weeks but I'm finally just 'flicking'. I did also learn to do Norwegian, but my tension is always too tight and yarn feels better in my right hand. Thank you again!! Look forward to more of your videos. Oh and the socks one made so much more sense to me! Now if I can just flick with DPNs, that's kind of hard to do right now.
Thanks for the interesting video. I'm trialling this technique lately, though slightly different, as I keep the yarn over my middle finger and flick by lifting my index. I've found that it's really improved how even my stitches are compared to English style and it's easier for me to control the needles than continental is.
As with all your videos Stack, excellent and professionally done. Thank you very much. Flicking has already improved my knitting speed!
Until I watched your video I never knew it had a name. I knit this way but just started doing it subconsciously because it was just more of a natural feel to me learning to knit. Love to see it has a fun name too. :)
Hi Staci let me start by saying that I love your videos. I’ve been trying to teach myself to knit but, get frustrated because I’m so slow and yes in my head I know practice, practice then I watched this video about your style of flicking and I’ve been trying and I’m happy to say that I’m slowly catching on and it’s making me want to knit more so big thank you 😊
Your channel is so amazing! I watch your videos all the time and they are so helpful! I recently started knitting and I ordered the needle set that you use, and I've been knitting so much that my left hand is aching (Continental knitting). So after knitting for about 12 hours in two days I had to try to learn this style since I couldn't stop knitting even though my left hand wouldn't let me!
I'm so glad that I found your videos, I saw this video and I knit so much faster flicking. I still subconsciously alternate from letting go of the needle and flicking, but I can tell that the flicking is taking over!!!!
Interesting. Turns out I knit the same way. I was taught to knit with the needle under my armpit and it was a flicking action. When I changed to circular needles for everything, I transferred the style over. Funny. I have had Continental knitters tell me it isn’t flicking but my finger flicks, so that’s what I call it! Thank you for all of your great vids.
My mother knits like this and now I know what its called. I knit ages ago and put it down. I am not picking it back up again and wanted to know how to knit like this from scratch. Thank you for this it was very helpful.
Thank you so much! I got your note about this a while ago, but I've been without internet for the last 3 months. I'm back and have needles in hand! Yay!!!!!!!! hugs
I started knitting this way recently because I've noticed you and some other youtubers knit this way in tutorials, and it does make things go by so much faster. I can't get myself to purl this way, though. I have to try again the next time I do a purl stitch.
Additionally, the pivot point works with my tensioning. I also have learned Continental, Combined and Eastern as I have arthritis and I know that continued movement helps the stiffness to go away. I knit daily now and my arthritis is so much better.
I have learned also to knit backwards in all knitting styles and have been able to learn how to knit backwards, English-style and using the pivot point to pick the yarn.
Right handed knitting done well is a pleasure to watch and you do knit well.
I have been practicing flicking and I'm getting better and faster. I also find that this method keeps my tension even and stockingette looks great.THANKS!
been "throwing all my life but it's slow, trying to learn continental for the last year and having a problem, but not with continental purling, you really show that knitting english can be faster, I haven't seen a video like this before, thank you. I am going to give continental one more try, if I can't I'm just going to keep english and learn to flicker
This technique is wonderful. I am gradually teaching myself to transfer from English knitting to this. I am getting pretty good knitting but purling is slower.
I love your videos! They are so clear and easy to understand Staci! Thanks so much for teaching old knitters like me new techniques. {{{hugs}}}
It’s quite funny because when I first learned to knit a few months ago, I started by throwing but unconsciously and very quickly was flicking without knowing that I was doing it until just now that I saw your video! I was actually comfortable, it felt natural and I gained speed. In the mean time, I kept looking at beginner videos and found out about continental knitting and because I learned to crochet first, I convinced mysellf that continental knitting was for me. But it took me a great deal of patience to learn and hours of video watching to get it. I still don’t necessarily feel always comfortable with it. It’s probably due to the way I hold my yarn when I crochet, which is a bit different. It works fine for me with crochet but maybe not for knitting. I am going to try flicking again.
It's neat to see this, because I've only ever knit this way, and didn't know it was a "thing." I just assumed it was the natural progression (over a lot of years of experience) from doing a big motion of wrapping the yarn... the motion gets smaller and smaller over time until it's just coming from the fingers and not the whole hand/arm. Plus, I tension the yarn by carrying it over/under certain fingers on my right hand (was taught that way right from the outset as a kid).
The first time I saw someone knit by dropping the R needle and doing a big wrap-around motion with the whole hand, I was baffled. It just seemed like such hard work! Goes to show, knitters come in all types and preferences.
Wow - If I was an English knitter I would definitely be a flicker! Makes so much more sense. I taught myself to knit and became a continental knitter - and I'm pleased with the speed that I can achieve using this method but flicking would be just as good!
I really like the way you do your videos - very cool - I'kk be looking for more!
Omg thank I've been knitting for years and didn't know this way to knit! Trying to get myself used to knitting this way now...so difficult training my fingers but I will persevere as i want to be a quicker knitter!
Thank you so much for sharing this -- I can hardly wait to try it. I have carpel tunnel in both hands, and, I hope I can discipline myself to change how I currently knit to help alleviate the unnecessary movement with dropping/picking up the knitting needle. . . . practice, practice, practice.
I "forced" myself into this technique several years ago as well. I didn't really know it had a name! I saw similar instructions in one of my Mom's old needlework books, and gave it a whirl. I wrap the yarn around my pinky to tension - probably a carry over from how I hold my yarn for crochet. My tension is more even, I have less hand stess... and I can knit faster. It's definitely a step up.
Thank you very much for teaching me this flicking method. At first, I couldn't manage it but with plenty of practice I have mastered it. I can honestly say purling is MUCH easier.
@Mitts09 Yes - that's a good idea. Many people have adopted this flicking style, but I suppose I could do an "advanced" flicking video! Thank you!
This is how I've seen a lot of people knit (including my Mum and Auntie, and how my Nan used to do it) - perhaps it's more common here in the UK (and not many people do continental style here very much either), I've never been able to master it myself though. I HAVE to let go of that right needle to wrap it.... I'm a quick knitter but I'd love to not have to let go of that right needle, especially when using circular needles! Thanks for your video - it shows how to do it so clearly, think I'll give it another try.
This is how I knit! And I totally love that you have captioning! I'm deaf and it's really difficult to find videos with captioning. I particularly dread videos with long audio explanation while the knitter fiddles with the yarn and needle before actually doing the technique that I'm trying to learn.
@ecote96 I just hold the yarn across my palm, with my middle, ring and pinkie bent to hold it. It takes practice to get good tension this way. Most people wrap the yarn around their pinkie once or twice.
@CrystalEar That pattern is called "Short Drops Poncho" by Drops Design. It's a free pattern that you can find on the Ravelry website. You can find it on Ravelry by searching "115-11 short poncho".
I am a convert to flicking style! I love that I don't have to let go! Thank you!
Well, after fifty years of knitting like this, I finally got a name put to it! I only managed to make it through half a knitting class long ago, and have sort of made it up as I go along ever since. I guess I'm a "flicker!" Thanks!
Thank you for this I completely hold the left and let go of the right hand needle after wrapping the yarn I'm getting terrible carpel tunnel in my left tried it your way took me a few ways to get it but much easier on the arms
I love this style of knitting. I'm still practicing with a swatch but, it is so much easier on my hands and wrist.
Thank you very much for this clear explanation. I was told by an Englishwoman that this is actually the way most English knitting was traditionally done in the old days, and that throwing the yarn is just the way beginners would start out, to make learning easier. She says she has never known any seasoned knitter to carry on with throwing past the learning period. I think with the revival of knitting and the large numbers of people learning on their own with books, the throwing method became more common because it is easier to diagram and explain in writing to beginners.
I personally am a continental knitter (taught as a child by my grandmother) and have been trying and trying to do this, but it is not easy for me at all. I want to get good at it so that I can do fast two-handed colorwork, but boy is it hard! I think I'm getting there, but I just can't get the right amount of tension on the yarn. My hands are slippery, and I can't get the yarn to stay put. Oh well, practice, practice!
You are so good at it though, I just love watching you knit. :)
This. Releasing the right hand needle to loop around is beginner's level.
This is how I do it! I kind of adapted it myself too a few years ago when I wanted to be faster and it felt more comfortable. Cool!
i have been knitting like this without even realizing what it's called. thank you for putting a name to it.
Thanks!! I decided to use a small rubber band and place it over the tip of my pointer finger.. Which is where the yarn keeps coming off.. Even though my finger is turning purple, I am learning to control the yarn.. Almost ready to take my band off :D lol.. Thanks for your help.. LOVE all of your videos! They are great! Thanks for taking the time to put them on the meta.!
Thank you for posting this video! I found your tutorials while looking for a tubular cast on example and the first thing I thought was "wow, I love the way she knits!" Now that I found this video I'm going to try it. I've tried the continental knitting but can't get the hang of purling that way. This seems more do-able.
Thank you so much for showing this technique. I want to stop dropping my needle and get faster, but I really don't want to learn continental since it is so different than English knitting. I can't wait to try this.
Thank you so much for demonstrating so well for us🙏💝👌
I’m just start to do the flicking too and seem to be more easy than others’s styles
Hi, I am back with happy news. I kept at it and now I only flicker. I have not used continental style as I found this to be quicker, once I figured out the tension. I do wrap the yarn around my pinkie once, but I am not actually holding the yarn. Now I flicker back and forth from knit to purl,maven yo's! Thank you for your videos.
Thank you so much for this video. I took up knitting again when I saw continental because I always thought throwing was to inefficient. However, purling is an issue. I have been trying flicking but have issues with tension and the purl side mostly. I see you don't wrap the yarn around your fingers. I am off to give that a try! Thanks for all the videos and clear instructions. You are a great resource!
I have been watching you for a while, and I'm a continental style knitter ... I tried to knit english style a week ago, and I realized that knitting continent style is faster.
Who knew there actually is a name for this style of knitting? Not me. I gravitating to holding the yarn and the needles this way soon after I started knitting. This gives me much more control over tension and produces more even stitches. It also is much more efficient and quicker. It also makes it nearly impossible to drop a slick needle, thus pulling stitches off. Grrrrr! I do the knit stitch exactly as you do. For purling, I use my thumb to push the needle tip through the stitch. It is easy to develop a rhythm.
Thanks for the note. I honestly don't remember how long it took for me to get good at flicking. But I can tell you it takes practice to change the way you knit! Keep practicing!
VeryPink Knits thank you for sharing this video clip... I've been crocheting for 4yrs and I use the same flicking movement but of course with my left forefinger holding the yarn... I knit English style ... but I've never "flicked" with knitting ... like you say in your comments ... it takes a lot of practice and each person is unique in their way of tensioning the yarn and knitting ... cheers!!
Can't wait to try this. Thank you!
I have been doing this style for nearly 60 years, but also have learned about 6 or 7 other styles in order to teach students whichever method "feels right" for them.
Yes - I agree with you. I address this very thing in my video "Knitting Help - Lefties vs. Righties".
@glyncor Holding the yarn in your left hand is called Continental or "Picking". Holding the yarn in your right hand is called American, English, or "Throwing".
I used to stabilize the needle in my armpit, but when I started with circular needles, I couldn't do that, and so I just let go of the needle, but it regularly slid out of the stitches at the beginning of a row. So I developed a way similar to this, I just use all my fingers to hold the needle. Nice to see I'm not the only one who found a way to knit fast and easy with the yarn in the right hand.
I'm fascinated with your knitting style too. After watching this video, I realized that I've been doing my own kind of mutated version of it. I always control the yarn by holding it over my middle finger and between my middle and forefinger. Then, leaving just my thumb on the right needle and pivoting my hand slightly, I use those two fingers and sort of throw or wrap the yarn around the left needle. Not as quick as flicking and, purling can be tricky but, I can go pretty fast sometimes! I always wonder if anyone else controls the yarn with their middle finger. Anyway, thanks for sharing your secrets. 😁
This is how learned to knit from my mom. We called it British style knitting. After watching some videos of “British production knitting” I realized that it is very similar in the hand motions but the right needle is held in your hand without letting go instead of under the right armpit.
Thank you so much for this! I've always throw/held in a fist and when I tried continental it felt so awkward. My knitting will definitely go faster this way.
I've been knitting like this for over fifty years. I gravitated to this technique quite naturally. I hold my needles the way you do to purl but I press the yarn against my middle finger with my thumb and that provides all the tension I need.
I love watching you knit like this. I'm trying to practice this way. I keep getting hung up with the purl stitches. Not gonna quit though...lol hoping I'll get it eventually.
Rex... I have noticed my tension is tighter with the knits. I think it's just gonna take A LOT of practice. At least, for me it will 😝
Thank you so much for both flicking videos... have the yarn run through the back does make it easier
This is how my dad knits, and he taught me to do the same. He explained that it makes more sense, and is faster, since you don't have to keep letting go of the needle and then grabbing it again.
I use this style of knitting regardless of the needles and yarn I'm using...it just takes practice! :)
I would like to learn to knit like you do. I learned to knit on my own. I hold the yarn in my let hand and "flick" the knit stitches with my index finger, and "flick" the purl stitches with my thumb. I don't know if the way I knit is incorrect, but it works for me. I will try your style of knitting. Thank you for the wonderful videos. Great teaching style.
@Dnangel665 Yes - it sounds like your knitting style is what is normally called "Continental". I have a video called "Knitting Help - Lefties vs. Righties" that shows the difference between Continental and English knitting. (Sorry, RUclips won't let me link to it directly, but you can search for it on my channel page.)
I never knew I was a flicker until my Aunt was watching me knit and said "that's not the way I taught you". Haha. I don't know when I transitioned from throwing to flicking, but I love it and I'm fast!!
This seems normal to me... this is how my mom knit... and so how she taught me. When I started looking at videos of other knitters I could see I knit unlike most of them at least until I found your videos. Then it was like... hey that looks and feels familiar.
AHA, this is the "secret" video with the magic info! Thanx so much for getting back to me with this URL: I am totally gaga! :)
I use this now and it's works so much better than throwing.
Hey, thanks for this video! I am going to commit to learning how to knit this way. Letting go of the righ needle each time is really cumbersome and lethargic feeling. Also, I really, really appreciate that you have closed captions! I often watch at night when my partner is sleeping, so being able to turn the volume low and read the captions makes watching a lot easier. :)
Here is my second video on flicking - should answer your questions: ruclips.net/video/DmEGLLbbRB4/видео.html
Just an update, I've found that wrapping the yarn once around my little finger helps with the tension, i'm able to do about 20 sts but then have to adjust, but this is a lot more than a few days ago so i guess i'm getting better! thanks again Staci!!!
Thanks, im new to knitting now that i seem to be really good at crochet- thought i would try something new like knitting, your tips are great :)
Thank you so much for this! It is slow going at first (and my tension is way too tight right now) but in the end I think it will be faster.
This is how I have knitted for over 50 years ... the best and fastest way to 'throw'. I learned the other way ... letting go the needle . but that ended fter about 6 months. REALLY makes the guage and tension a lot easier to control.
I've been knitting this way once I got the basics....over 50 years.
@BoBeauFuzz I don't have a specific video demonstrating flicking in ribbing, but many of my tutorials show this. For instance, in "Learn to Knit Mittens" I demonstrate how to get started on the cuff of the mittens, and I show that in 2x2 rib. And, of course, I flick while I do it because that's just how I knit. :)
Welcome to the world of speed knitting!! I bet your stitches are nice and tight now too.... Never understood English style knitting....
This is how I have always knit, and until I saw this video I really thought I was the only one I had never seen another person knit this way and for a while I thought I was doing something wrong but I can't stop it lol
learned this way from my mom, whose family was from UK. Works for me in straight work (all knit or all purl) but I revert to throwing (with the yarn held over ring finger and pinky for control) when ribbing. Have tried Continental for 30 years but can't get good results, and I get cramps in my left hand. I actually get better speed with the throwing method I use, comparable to most pickers...different strokes for different folks!
I have knit this way since I was 6 and was taught by my mother in the late 1950's. I hold the yarn closer to the needle, and over my first forefinger segment however. I wonder if this was more common back then. It's certainly fast.
Excellent technique.
Wow. i need to practice that technique. When I started knitting I learned the english method, but now most of the time I knit continental. I still can knit the english method. That is the fast way to knit in english style knitting.