How to Knit Fast

The bad news is that improving your speed takes time and patience. You’ll naturally become faster with time and lots of patience, speed can’t be forced. If you try to force it you’ll make silly mistakes you wouldn’t normally make under “normal” knitting conditions, in turn using more time and creating more stress. The good news is that anyone can learn how to knit faster. Here are some tips:

#1: Start by practicing with just knit stitches and work on perfecting your knitting style. Do you prefer the Continental or English method or another method? Think about how you’re holding your yarn, is it comfortable? Does it give you a nice consistent stitch? Keep trying different positions until you find one that feels natural to you and gives you the results you want. Do not underestimate tension (not in your shoulders, in your stitches) it’s very important.

#2: Knit “loose” stitches, not too loose and not too tight. If your stitches are too tight then you’ll find yourself fighting to get the needle through each stitch. This is also hard on your hands, you’re overworking your muscles. Yeah, it takes muscles to knit :) It also creates a bit of stress in your shoulders/neck too. Knitting should be relaxing, not forced.

#3: Perfect each stitch at a slow pace. Once your comfortable with knitting at one pace you can try knitting a little faster. Then perfect that pace and go a little faster and so on. Let repetition become your friend and you’ll become a faster, master knitter in no time.

#4: The key to speed is relaxing, your hands, stomach and shoulder muscles. Take a slow, deep breath in… and out…

#5: Knit a lot. Whenever and where ever you can. “Practice, practice, practice” (Marsha, Marsha, Marsha; that’s from the Brady bunch for those that don’t know.) Knit in every spare moment that you have because really, what would your rather be doing? Knitting. Now you have an excuse to be knitting in all your spare time, “because you’re practicing to knit faster.” And the faster you knit the more projects you can create! :) It sounds like a win-win to me.

Do keep in mind that knitting isn’t about how fast you knit your next project, it’s about… enjoying the process. Improving your ‘self’. Deep Breathing. Relaxation. Meditation. Mindfulness. Prayer. Creating. Dreaming. Giving. Charity. Love. Warmth. Purpose.