TUTORIAL: KNIT FASTER WITH FLICKING

Knit faster with the flick knitting method!
- Calla Shawl by Natasja Hornby
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[@schuermurrman]

😱 ok. Flicking is my holy grail. I forced myself to figure it out and like...cussed a lot. But I couldn't get the tension right. Just saw ur video and my brain dropped out my head. Ran upstairs to my "I'll work on this when I'm not mad at flicking" and the wrapping that u showed for Flicking saving the knitting for me!!!! Woop woop and thank you 😊 🙌

[@jendjoyce]

We are witches. We use wands, curse, and make something wonderful.

[@sadheart24]

I evolved into flicking without even noticing. I love that and can knit quite quickly. Still slower on the purls. The way I tension my yarn changes sometimes with the weight of the yarn. I even noticed your tensioning changes in the video from the way you showed us. It’s all a comfort level.

[@facsmom]

I think I purl slower than knit with my current knitting method already. That would be something in common with whatever other method a person uses. I am ready to try your method of tensioning the yarn on my flicking journey.

[@susancolby6531]

Hi! How high up do you hold the right needles? I feel like I’m holding them low in order to flick. Just curious!

[@ziweihe1465]

I actually purl quicker than knit! For some reason knit is not as intuitive as purling...

[@rachellajankolovitz9162]

Thank you for teaching me a new way of knitting. I think it is a better one for people who got arthritis... Will give it a try!!

[@mounthoodsts]

Thank you for demonstrating flicking! I've been a thrower for 40 years, but thanks to this video I am a flicking convert! I'm working on a Find Your Fade shawl and it's the perfect mindless knit to practice this 'new to me' method of knitting. Thank you so much, I love, love, love this method 🥰

[@adriennes4882]

I'm a flicker, too. My dear, little mother taught me to knit this way when I was a child and it's the most comfortable way for me. I enjoyed the video and will be back to watch more. You are an inspiration!

[@soly8919]

I didn't even know I was flicking, just knitting the way my grandma showed me ! 😊 I am INCAPABLE of knitting continental, my left hand cannot handle tension and picking 😅 Impressed by your ability to switch around and thank you for such a lovely video !

[@p1nesap]

Great tutorial for a newbie. This is the method I'm gonna learn: efficient & will save my damaged left thumb tendon 👍

[@brandiagnew4247]

It’s nice to see a video about this. I naturally started flicking when I learned to knit.

[@arguchik]

I taught myself to knit in 1986 - way before Stitch 'n' Bitch, haha. I used a book from the 1950s that my mom dug out for me when I asked. She didn't teach me to knit. She crocheted, and to this day I have no idea why she even had any knitting books or needles. I learned on long, straight Boye aluminum needles (they were bent, actually - I think someone sat on them at some point). It was years before I switched to circs. Anyway, the book had great diagrams for what the yarn and needles were supposed to do, but it didn't say anything about what the hands should be doing. I figured out my own method, and it is almost identical to what you're doing in this video The only difference is that I hold the yarn more loosely in my right hand - I don't wrap it around either the index or pinky finger. I basically drape it over the back of my index finger, along the palm side of my middle and ring fingers, and back out again behind my pinky finger. I tension the yarn between my pinky and ring finger. I've never really understood why everyone makes such a big deal about purling. The book I learned from went right from the knit stitch to the purl stitch, so I learned how to purl right along with learning to knit. But when I watch you purling by "throwing," I get it. Letting go of the right needle seems a bit awkward to me (just not how I'm used to doing it) - especially when purling. Like you, I haven't gotten the hang of purling continental-style. I'm fine with the knit stitch (I learned because I wanted to do stranded color work), but that method of purling by pushing the yarn down with your left index finger feels really awkward to me. For the life of me, I can't figure out how to keep tension on the yarn when I purl like that. I either end up with my working yarn too floppy or too tight, or it falls off my index finger altogether, LOL. I've been intrigued by how a couple of Scandinavian knitters (Kutovakika and Petite Knit mainly) purl - it's not "Norwegian style," it's something different. I'm still trying to figure it out. :)

[@kellyramos6134]

I was serious about learning this method recently because I knit using a blend of throwing/flicking. It was difficult relearning how to knit but I trialed different tensioning methods until I found one that worked for me. I haven’t gotten as fast as you but I definitely doubled my speed compared to what I was able to do! So don’t give up if you want to try this! I just knit stitched with different wrapping/tensioning until I got it!

[@rosecaruso6487]

You explained this so well; i've been doing this by accident to attempt to speed things up (but lacking the skill and understanding of it lol) so thank you for this video! Best one i've come across

[@Kathy-xy2sr]

Hi Kristin, I am a continental knitter which I find comfortable and fast but I am trying to learn how to do color work or stranded knitting. Many instructions have you knitting with both hands so here I am! I am finding your technique easier than some of the other video instructions I have been trying. I am more comfortable with your technique of tensioning the yarn. Thank you for a great video! I’m going to go work on some of that muscle memory, wish me luck.

[@yzamorategui]

Maybe this is the right video to include the comment about how I knit, I would called "special continental". I learned about 45 years ago from my mother and just recently (2 years ago), I've discovered that I ALWAYS knit through the back loop (knit and purl), YES! My stitches are never twisted as many would think. It's not easy to explain but this is how I knit and at the end the finished items look the same. I feel that I knit fast with few movements with my hands. Just to finish, why people doesn't like to purl? At least to me, is easy and fast, maybe is because the way a knit? Who knows. Greetings from a Mexican living in Budapest.

[@miabusse7986]

Im pretty sure you knit the same way I do then.. at least it sounds similar. Do you, when you purl, wrap the yarn around the needle clockwise or counterclockwise? (Looking at the tip of the needle..) because normal continental all knitters wrap it counterclockwise but I just „pick up“ the yarn clockwise, which leads the stitches to be oriented in a way, that when I knit through the back loop it’s not twisted. I hope this made sense lol

[@esalenchik]

As long as you’re consistent with your method for both knits and purls, stitches won’t be twisted.

[@heather7862]

I’m a flicker too, I can knit continental pretty well but I always go back to flicking, I actually think it’s faster. I know it’s so second nature for us “flickers” but pivoting your right needle a little bit to get the yarn to catch is key. Great video Kristin!

[@lalathebenificent1335]

Can you flick with continental?

[@heather7862]

When I do knit continental I tend to move my index finger in a similar motion to flicking to get the yarn in a place where I can “pick”. Purling requires some different motions (at least how I purl continental).

[@abiparker442]

Very very helpful. I have been practising your method regularly. It's definitely all about muscle memory. Thankyou for this. I have to watch it over and over to see where your fingers sit.

[@catmakinbizkitz]

I flick squeezing the yarn between my ponter and middle finger, I learned Continental first but heard a tale of somone flicking back before KZbin, and heard how fast it was and experimented with it until i figured it out, i cant go back now. Going from the middle finger is a bit nicer for me because you arent always holding one finger up, all the muscles in your hand are working togeth. It does suck to purl, so ive been looking at other methods, Portuguese looks interesting for those long haul purl rows

[@rosemaryfrew5571]

Thanks Kristin..interesting to see the difference.👍

[@theknitterbeal8603]

Now I know what my knitting method is called! I’ve been ‘flicking’ for 30 years and always thought it was just a more efficient way of English throwing! I DO think it’s super fast for me. I hold my string twice around my pinky and let it lay over my index. On the other hand, I do think the yarn harlot’s way is the very fastest. It’s called Cottage Knitting. You can find her doing it on KZbin. Loved your video!

[@isabelle.duchatelle]

I did not know I had been flicking for over 50 years ! My grandmother taught me and all the women were knitting that way around me, so I did and still am. I do not wrap the yarn the same way as you do. Once around my pinky and then the yarn goes up inside my hand then on my index. I regulate tension with my pinky and squeezing more or less the yarn inside my hand and on the right needle. Works for all types of yarn and all types of stitches pattens :) Only once with a sticky mohair did I not wrap the yarn around my pinky 😺

[@crazeyspinner]

I am a continental flicker that's how I was taught. Once you get going you can get a lot done.

[@unplainjane123]

For those having trouble switching from throwing to flicking don’t be discouraged at first. It took me several weeks of daily knitting before being able comfortably flick. Mainly my issue was figuring out how to tension the yarn. Try different methods and see what works for you. Now I flick second nature and actually find throwing cumbersome.

[@KnittingmommyArts]

I didn't know this style of knitting had a name. I started knitting like this over forty years ago when I was learning to knit from books. I was a crocheter and the idea of dropping the needle to wrap the yarn made no sense to me. It seemed like a lot of wasted movements, so I pulled from what I knew from crocheting and started knitting like this. I tensioned the yarn in my right hand and only moved my fingers to wrap the yarn around the needle without ever letting go of the needle. And since I didn't have anyone who knitted to tell me I was doing it wrong, it worked for me. I'd never seen anyone else who knitted like me until I discovered the Yarn Harlot, and even then what I do isn't quite the same. How you demonstrate in this video is the closest I've seen to how I knit. So now, I have a name for my style of knitting when people ask me what the heck I'm doing!

[@Shaki611]

Very helpful and clear tutorial, also note that the right needle pivots from left to the right as the yarn wraps it, it's very quick but that helps with speed and to simplify the movements I guess.

[@Mustnt_Grumble]

Regarding the pivoting of the right needle, I haven’t been able to find one “flicking” video clearly showing which fingers are controlling the needle pivot. The fingers of the right hand in the videos are usually covered by the project being held, so even slowing down the video I’m still not able to see which fingers are performing the pivot. If you knit this way, would you please let me know how to get the right needle to pivot? 🌸

[@starstofillmydreams]

I didn't realize that flicking was a thing. I thought that there were only pickers and throwers but it turns out that I'm probably a flicker. I tension my yarn almost the same way you do but I keep my index fingers mostly straight to maintain tension and I use my middle finger to flick the yarn around the needle. All that to say that I probably knit weird but it's worked for me for 18 years!

[@QueensYarnBoutique]

I used to knit continental but now I am a thrower. I need to learn how to flick! I tried to flick along with you but I need to work on my tension.

[@rodneyferris4089]

I always wanted to flick! My mother and cousin were both flickers. when Mum taught me to knit, and my Dad was a thrower as his Mum was a thrower, he thought it best I learn to throw first. I didn't knit for 50 years after a marathon knitting episode in the monastery I was living in at the time until last August. I finally started to knit again and I loved it but throwing was too tiring on my old hands. I invested in some Chiao Goo circulars and almost like magic flcking became a thing! I tried PRYM needles and I couldn't get a decent tension with them if I tried to flick. I don't know why but the drippiness of the plastic just wouldn't let my muscles accept flicking motions. The Chiao Goo needles just seemed to encourage me to flick. I'd practised enough but to no avail with the other needles. I'm not a fluid flicker yet! I flick faster when I'm knitting socks, but as I'm still a bit hesitant, I drop stitches only to find out that they were stopped when I start weaving in the ends! I'm getting better at it though. I use a Patons Classic on US5's for socks this gives me more negative ease and the number of stitches aren't endless and 40 stitches gives me great rhythm . I'm working on a colour work hat for a friend and I use two hands for the knitting and I weave as I go so I'm still slow at it. Though I find that I'm understanding the pattern better than when I tried it three hats ago. this has relaxed my knitting and it's just the difficult left. hand knit stitch that I end to stretch the wool. I liked the idea of the tensioning you suggested by leaving off the pinky and still controlling the yarn. Sorry to be so long, but this little video really showed me that I am picking correctly! Thanks Kristin!

[@susanfix8068]

I have arthritis in both hands and fingers. I have tried every possibility of knitting and I am finding I always go to Norwegian or flicking. Less pressure off he fingers and less movement. Gotta keep on knitting.

[@Voolenvine]

I actually decided to learn continental knitting just in case my right hand can't take the pressure in the future. For us knitters, if there's a will, we'll find a way! 😆

[@berithansen134]

I’m a continental knitter and that is by far the fastest way for me. I use very little movements and even my purl is as fast as your flicking 😊 It is a question of keeping your index fingers close to the needle tips for minimal movement 😊

[@beverlyhess611]

I haven’t tried flicking, but I’m definitely intrigued by it! I also like the way you thread the yarn around your hand, I’m an English knitter and I throw. I have picked up continental a bit, especially when I’m doing color work, but I still find I’m most comfortable with my English style. I’ve tried to “figure” out how to flick by watching others as they do it, but I’ve never been able to pick it up from that. Thanks for taking time to actually SHOW me the techniques for both threading and flicking! I’ll let you know how it works out!

[@Voolenvine]

Absolutely, Beverly! 😄 And I use continental for knitting colorwork, too. I think it helps that my gauge is a bit looser with my left so the fabric doesn't pucker. Silver lining? hehe

[@beverlyhess611]

@@Voolenvine definitely! I’ve tried just knitting continental, but I don’t find it fun, so I always go back to my regular throwing style when I’m not doing color work.

[@lesliemclaughlin5038]

I am also a English knitter that throws - I enjoyed this video - can you talk about how to maintain yarn tension and yarn movement when you are flicking. I tried it and felt like with so many wraps around my fingers I couldn’t get the yarn to move. I would love to find ways to speed up my knitting.

[@beverlyhess611]

@@lesliemclaughlin5038 I found that an issue to… but being a cosmetologist, I have very strong fingers and hold my yarn different anyway bc I tend to hold it too tightly if I wrap it around my fingers even once… definitely gonna have to work several times to figure out what hold works for me to! If you figure it out, any suggestions would be welcome! Thanks!

[@kimberlybarone8817]

I switched to flicking a few years ago. I find it faster. However, I only wrap the yarn around the index finger one time. I weave it under the pinky, over the ring finger, Under the middle finger, over the index finger.

[@Lavendare1023]

I learnt from my mother who was a self taught flicker. She has very long fingers. Mine are shorter but this is how I was shown so I flick too. I only heard about other method last year when I started watching knitting KZbin during Covid lockdown number two.

[@lauradiaz-autin3178]

Aaahhh yessss Thank you 100×over as of last week I had been searching for a better way to learn this Flicking method after crochet being my first love at 9yrs old I barely caught the knitting Bug and decided that if I was to put in the time to learn now in my midLife age it was going to be whatever the best way for me to pick it up and not waste time trying slow methods which is why I am super exited and Glad you're on KZbin which after this video I do hope to discover some tricks and tips but mostly now just wanted to give you my gratitude

[@marniesgouros1491]

Yay! You made the video!!! Thank you. Shot so beautifully and wonderfully explained...

[@Michel-ek9ld]

Very interesting! I always enjoy watching English knitting because it seems so opposite to how I’m used to viewing my own knitting. I’m a continental knitter who used to “pick” purls slowly from continental positioning until I learned the Norwegian purl from Arne and Carlos a couple of years ago. It significantly sped up my purling.

[@miserybutane298]

omg. watching you do that gives me such nostalgia! so it turns out that's how my mum used to knit and I didn't know it was anything different. but i taught myself to knit and didn't realize I was knitting continental until about a year ago lol

[@annetteegerton6153]

My mother was a 200 stiches a minute knitter. I tried to watch her movement but it was too fast when she was up to speed. Her knitting was immaculate. She worked right at the tips of the needles with her hands on top of the work, not gathering and bunching the work up. The work flowed downward from the needles. Her flick was a blur. Her tension was even and neat. She did not wind the yarn so many times round her index finger just once so that it popped over the needle. She always pulled a good length of yarn from the ball so that it didn't cause tightness in the tension, it flowed through her hand smoothly as she knitted. Your demonstration approximated very well to her technique. Mum used metal needles because they had good slip. She tucked the right needle under her arm and worked level to the middle of her chest. Her movements were minimal. I try to knit as fast has she did but I can't match it. I believe really fast knitters have exceptional eye/hand coordination which, alas not all of us are blessed with. This method is easy on the hands and wrists.

[@susanfoster8637]

Portuguese style knitting is great. Unfortunately it is very hard on my arthritic thumbs.

[@BeckyMcGraw-ie3hv]

I am a continental stitch but am definitely going to try this. Thanks for the video.

[@ericablue2296]

Hi! I just found your video as im looking to get better tension with my rigjt hand. Throwing was the way I learned way back when. Then I learned to crochet and figured out how to tension with my left hand and took that back to knitting with Continental style. But now I'm learning colorwork and need to get the tension correct with both hands! Thank you for your help! I know it will take time 😁

[@mlewis8579]

TY I knit Russian and wanted to learn this!

[@krissyallacher]

I've been wanting to learn to do this to speed up my knitting! (I'm a thrower!) Your explanation is so helpful! Thank you so much for this demo!

[@laurenmiller3886]

Thank you for your video! I too am a flicker, so glad to know that I am not alone 🤗

[@charmaineestep1333]

I love this! I’m a continental knitter but I’ve been trying to venture out.

[@nybennie9123]

Me too! Does this look faster than your Continental? It is faster than mine for sure!

[@723snoopy]

Thank you for the clear tutorial and comparison to other methods!

[@ketoisgreat5911]

I definitely have to try flicking, I have been doing English throwing. I wish I could do continental ,anyway hope to see more from you

[@paigeschwartzenberger3965]

I taught myself to flick to get faster and it did work. I’ve been knitting for about 10 years and I used to throw but found it time consuming and difficult to maintain tension. Flicking makes everything easier

[@lindacornelius3451]

Thank you I am just getting ready to have my first sweater. Just checking everything out. Thank you so much.

[@rollingcow2224]

I'm not sure what you'd call my way of knitting. A little continental, sort of Norwegian and I still find some things easier to do with my right hand since I am right handed. I learned not to listen to people who tell me I'm going it 'wrong' since my stuff looks every bit as good as theirs. I do try new things from time to time but I learned a long time ago that if you're happy with what you're doing just do that.

[@Voolenvine]

YESSS!! That's a great mindset to have. It's great to learn many ways of doing something and using only the bits that work best for you. 🤗

[@nybennie9123]

I learned to knit Continental style and although I had heard "picking" was faster than "throwing" I've seen people knitting in what I thought was English style who were really fast. I assumed they were just throwing very quickly--faster than my Continental! Now I know they were "flicking"! Who knew there were so many methods for accomplishing the same knit stitches? Since my Continental knitting seems slow to me, I'm going to try flicking. I also like that you mentioned Norwegian purling. I've tried that on occasion but it really is a lot of movement even though you keep the yarn basically in the same position as knitting, which is supposedly its advantage. I've also heard of knitters who perform knit stitches using one method and purl stitches using another. Something else to try! Thank you for your great tutorial!

[@yasminegough9714]

I'm a flicker. I love how smooth it is.

[@kaylacasco4438]

Well, now I know how stuck on my continental style I am! I learned a little bit with english, then found out about continental and immediately switched to that. Watching this tutorial I felt like oh! That looks easy and fast! But I can't switch from continental. Lol I guess I'll have to give it a try and see how it feels. I may be able to change my ways.

[@scanzaroli]

I mix throwing, Norwegian and continental, although throwing is easiest for me. I can't seem to get the flicking. After 20 years of knitting, my middle and index finger refuse to operate independently! I'll keep trying though. I love the mechanics of it, paring it down to only the most essential movements. It's beautiful to watch.

[@elmira9193]

Thank you so much ❤ your video helped me a lot❤

[@dccd673]

I love those needles. Bought one and I felt a difference between them and the ones I have.

[@libellula3313]

Great video thanks. Mum taught me to throw in the 50’s(!) but I have flicked for years. I taught myself continental last year because of arthritis, so now I can alternate my index fingers. But I go back to flicking for purl stitches, more comfortable, and in my opinion faster than all the actions in Norwegian purl. Of course using both techniques together for two colour work is just so much easier.

[@dianeespinoza8647]

I just learned this and I am searching Purl methods , even though there are more movements in the Norwegian Purl it I the least amount of strain on your hands wrists and forearms. Arnie and Carlos have a good demo and touch in that topic a little My orthopedic Dr explained that a raised finger causes strain, a loose grip and fingers close to needles is the safest way to knit. I have arthritis and trying to find the best way to do colorwork .

[@janicemacdougall1844]

Thank you for your clear video and instructions! :) I am going to try this tomorrow! :)

[@davidhensley76]

I learned throwing 30+ years ago and can't break the habit.

[@Voolenvine]

Hey, if the method ain't broke ... don't fix it! Am I right?! 😄

[@davidhensley76]

@@Voolenvine It works well for making gloves, you know. 😀

[@tlneill]

I naturally started flicking, thankfully. Found out what it was termed later. I noticed the time and movement wasted moving that whole arm, practically. I also learned the basics of the Portuguese method. Now I'm trying to figure out how to use a Norwegian thimble flicking, as I'm not proficient in the Portuguese knitting.

[@nazliece4395]

I'm normally a continental knitter but trying to learn flicking to make fair isle knits more easy as I plan to flick one color and continental knit the other. That video was so helpful, my tension s still way too tight, but I believe I can loosen it with more practice 😊

[@ilonarosenason2475]

I haven’t tried it yet but will in the near future 🧶🧣😍

[@elizabethsteff7507]

Hi thank you for enlightening me as I never realised that how I knit IS actually called flicking. I always thought it was English style! I’ve tried Continental/ Norwegian styles but the following happens for me a) my tension is far looser & b) not as fast for me compared to when I flick. I hold my yarn differently though to you. Around my little finger as you do but then with the yarn running along under the next 2 fingers (palm side )& then up over the index finger. The middle finger then can be lightly pressed down to create the right level of tension for me but still allowing to yarn to easily glide through evenly too. So I find I can control & manage the tension & flow of the yarn best like that.😃

[@LadyWiggin]

I am a flicker. I also taught myself. I came by it naturally it’s just how my hands pick up the yarn. I have short fingers and find continental difficult and harder in my hands. I can do it but I tire more easily. Throwing doesn’t give me the tension I like. Great video

[@lesleydavis5293]

Huh!! I have been flicking this whole time lol? I love it it just came naturally to me 😄

[@latishajohnson2208]

OMG!!! Thank you!!! This help me improve my speed a lot!!!

[@teresaleo9554]

This was certainly new information for me. I a new knitter and looking forward to trying this method. Thank you!

[@snvazquez724]

I can’t do it for the life of me lol I’m a Continental knitter. I will keep trying lol Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@NinaKeilin]

This is my problem as well. Any version of right hand knitting that I try has the yarn too tight. I just cannot seem to loosen up so that the yarn flows smoothly. The only thing that works for me is to just hold the yarn and literally throw it around the stitch and pull it through, as children learn. I use that with continental knitting for two-handed colorwork.

[@marianwooten6110]

I'm going to try flicking!

[@rustypatch9543]

Very helpful. I usually do continental but I will try this.

[@BlessedBaubles]

Wow!! No one that I’ve seen has explained all of these methods!! Thank you!!! I guess I’ve become a flicker! Yay! But with your instruction I can now try a new tension. Also, when flicking, it’s SO easy to bring the yarn back and forth when alternating knit and purl sts. Well, atleast there is a KZbin person who makes it look INCREDIBLY EASY! I’m trying to get that one to work for me, but you look like you would probably wave the yarn from front to back and vs vs when you have to say, knit one, purl one, by the way I see you knit as well. Could you show us how you work a knit/ purl with your method of flicking? I’d like to see if this simple bob the yarn backwards and forward is whet you can do too. Thanks SO much! I’ve asked a lot of ppl about this how to hold everything issue, but you’re the first to explain it AND what the different methods are called! So cool? English, Norwegian… etc. Awesome!! You are great!!

[@LexieKnits93]

Flicking is the way I learnt! I can only continental when I’m doing colourwork and I find it sooo difficult to purl continental

[@sunnyw4148]

Thanks. I am going to have to try this again.

[@judymccarty2695]

Interesting! I’m going to give that a try, I knit Continental, but always willing to try something new. I can purl quite efficiently with continental .

[@Voolenvine]

Continental purling looks like it would be pretty fast, too! It really comes down to me not having built up my muscle memory. 🥴

[@NinaKeilin]

@@Voolenvine It really is fast. Since it was the first way I learned as a child, it's easy for me. I can't switch over to your method LOL.

[@judymccarty2695]

I think it’s good to use different styles, this summer during the crazy sock ladies summer site camp I tried socks on magic loop and 2-16 inch needles and I really enjoyed the magic loop I’m usually a DPN knitter but it was nice on my hands to try something different.

[@debrawallace4542]

Thank you for this! I'm a thrower but I have really wanted to change. I can do a bit of continental for color work but pulling continental has always baffled me. I'm such a slow knitter!! I'm definitely going to practice flicking!!

[@judystadler9419]

Thanks so much for this, Kristin. I tried flicking once before but was never able to get the yarn to stay on my finger. I am going to try your tensioning method to see if it works better for me. I recently went back to Continental because I had carpal tunnel and surgery for it that didn't work. I had learned Continental as a child from my mother and switched to English using the throwing method as an adult. My knitting tension improved astronomically when I did that and I was very pleased. - If it wasn't for the misery of purling while throwing... Anyway, now I find that throwing creates a lot of physical misery for my carpal tunnel hand and so I went back to Continental. But my knitting gauge is now so loose that I have to go down 2 needle sizes in order to get gauge most of the time. Imagine what size needle I will have to use if to begin with the pattern/yarn calls for a size 1?!!! P.S. I do enjoy every one of your YT videos. Maybe because I am a New Yorker (I consider Brooklyn New York) there is a certain sympatico?

[@marys9554]

My mother is a flicker. I’m a thrower. I love watching her knit so quickly, but I can’t flick. I’ve been throwing since I was 7, and that’s 50 years ago. 😂 I’m pretty fast now. Nothing’s gonna change. Hahaha

[@TheMetatronGirl]

I was taught English style throwing but changed to continental around 25 years ago. I’m trying to learn flicking so I can get faster at stranded colorwork. I use one color in each hand. I’d also like to get better at backward knitting to make large projects easier.

[@ainsleylatwaitis3774]

Lol, I had no idea I was a Flicker!! I'm self taught, and really didn't know there was a term for my technique....just assumed it was a form of throwing, since I knew it wasn't continental! Thanks!!

[@JessicaJones-me6sp]

I do them all and crochet.

[@taccora]

I am a continental knitter (but not a picker) since I started my fiber arts journey as a hooker/crocheter. I have dabbled into "flicking" for color work as it is simply the mirror of the way I knit normally, but my tension is much tighter when I use the flicking method of knitting with my right hand (my tension isn't as tight when I throw). For speed and comfortability, my fail safe is continental/left handed flicking

[@nybennie9123]

Wow! You just made me realize that although I am a Continental knitter, I too am not a picker. It always bothered me that hard as I'd try my continental knitting style didn't look like that in the videos. I think I use my left index finger like a "shuttle" (I think that is the word Kristen was going for rather than "bobbin") and therefore I am left-handed flicking"? However, I am slow and I think I will try flicking with my right hand to see if I can increase my speed. And, I may try it for color work as you did. Thanks for the revelation! ;-)

[@taccora]

@@nybennie9123 Right? It took me watching a few slowed down instructional videos going over "picking" and "flicking" to realize that I wasn't a picker at all and that I knit the way flickers do. For me, the only difference is that the purl motion for flicking is much more economic when done with the right hand than the left, but I've been knitting continentally so long that I get a nice groove going when purling now.

[@pallavijayeshmody6524]

I’ve been doing this ever since I learnt to knit. I started out with the English throwing method but soon my mother discovered flicking or lever knitting/ Irish cottage knitting and initiated me

[@usmcwife0398]

I learned how to knit by flicking. I was told it was english throwing and never really paid attention to throwers to see it was different.

[@rachelraye285]

This was really helpful! Thank you for showing the tension method.

[@helenvann3506]

I’m also a flicker, but I hold the right needle in the crook of my right thumb between thumb and first fingers

[@deborahmountsier1222]

Thanks for the video! I use the flicking method as well and I often need to remind myself to keep my left hand fingers involved by having them move the stitches off the left needle. You are good at doing that! I think my stitches look more balanced when I keep this in mind.

[@lolam.9291]

Self taught leftie here from years ago. I only knit on and off and find that I have to start from square one every time I have to pick up a set of needles. I am happy that nowadays there are videos on line to teach certain stitches, unlike 20+ years ago; had to learn from books that taught righties only… I do most of my movement with my left wrist when knitting. I don’t think I can ever learn to flick 😰.

[@mariae9584]

This tutorial is extremely helpful! I'm a beginner "thrower" knitter and I can't wait to try flicking. Thank you for this video!

[@susanschroeder1402]

I am going to try this tonight! Thanks for the demo!

[@rhyesajackson3034]

I'm a bit late to the conversation but I'm a continental combination knitter (yarn held in the left hand, picking it, my purls are wrapped the opposite way than my knits resulting in twisted stitches. When I work a purl in the next row I work it through the back to fix the twist as I go). I find it to be amazing fast and has even less movement than your throwing. The only tricky part is remembering that all those purls are twisted when doing more complex lace. However things like SSK are super easy as the "slips" are already done. Sometimes I find it easier in really complex patterns to switch to Norwegian purling which is definitely slower but doesn't require different tensioning.

[@lolafabulous7]

Im a flicker too! I will also agree that purling is a necessary evil.... EVIL I say! LOLOL! I avoid knitting many flat projects and go for in the round but my latest wip is almost 50% purling. This is another great video Kristen!

[@atolanib]

Hi Kristin, I noticed how you tension your yarn @1:31 is different to how you tension @1:48, not sure if i missed something there and a little confused. Thank you

[@ecastalia1]

Love the video! A must try! Thank you!

[@miekeharinck500]

nice tutorial! it makes me think about trying it again. what you don't say in the tutorial is that when flicking the left hand is far more involved in the making of the stitch. when throwing the left hand is almost only holding the needle. maybe this is also part of the fastness of flicking, the complete movement of making a stitch is divided by the two hands. greetings, mieke

[@Chris-ul3tb]

Hi! I'm confused - at the 1:50 time on your video you have the yarn wrapped differently than how you demonstrated to wrap it - as you show us how to flick the yarn is under your middle finger, not across the top of your fingers?

[@ShatteredRippleBooks]

I knit this way and I had no idea this is what it's called 😂.

[@akiahselwa4584]

Super helpful! Thank you.

[@verversa]

I'm just starting to learn this and I noticed that there is an extra loop around your middle finger when you're actually knitting vs when you're demonstrating how to wrap the yarn. Would be good to see that way of wrapping as I do feel I need an extra bit of tensioning.

[@sarawatson5031]

I want to learn flicking. I began knitting using continental because I was first a crocheter and it felt natural to hold the yarn in my left hand. However, I have very irregular tension and unless I learn a more consistent technique, I am doomed to be less than completely happy with my projects.

[@elizstitches]

Can't seem to flick without lifting my hand...would like to be able to switch from my usual continental. My purling in continental is a little different, I use my thumb to push instead of lowering my index finger (I have a tiny video on my google channel page which shows exaggerated movements, but it gets fast once you get used to it, and not painful pushing either lol). Thanks for showing us flicking!

[@bsfb3ar]

I wanted to learn how to do flicking. Because I have a lot of pain knitting continental style, I stumble into one of the tutorial mentioned that she was able to eliminate wrist pain by switching from continental to flicking. mot tutorial showed the flicking part but not the yarn tension technique. I'm so glad you show clearly how to tension the yarn around your hand .. I've trouble catching the yarn to the left needle perhaps I don't have enough tension on my yarn. Any advise you can share? Thanks.

[@mistyblue5312]

My gauge / tension is off when flicking. My fastest method is Norwegian style - picking it right off the index finger (finger down). The Norwegian purling is another story. I use the Arne&Carlos method of Cha-cha-cha and “yank the cord” (if it loosens up) so strangely… I use combination methods of throwing, Norwegian, flicking and backwards knitting - especially when handling colour work. Whatever works right? We shall get there! 😉😆🧶🧶🧶