How did you learn to hold your yarn?

I learned to knit a little over 30 years ago. I took an evening class at my LYS, and got the basics. One thing I never learned (or was even explained to me) was how to hold and tension the yarn. I knit English, and I actually do “throw” the yarn - I mean I make the whole movement with my hand/arm, and let go of the yarn after making a stitch. I think this is at least one thing that causes me to knit so slowly.

I’d like to learn how to hold the yarn to make knitting less tiring and hopefully a bit faster. Does anyone have any advice as to the technique they use to wrap the yarn around their fingers and how long it takes to adjust?

Thanks so much!!

I was a crocheter first and thought holding it in my left hand would work better (continental), but it wasn’t so I learned english first. Can do both now.

I wrap the yarn around my little finger and across my palm and then between my index and middle finger so it’s over the top of my index finger. I throw, but there’s very little arm movement. I’ll see what info I can find.

I’m more of a flicker. I wrap the yarn around my pinkie, over my ring finger, under my middle finger, and over my index finger. Then I hold the working needle with my thumb and middle finger, raise my index finger for wrapping the yarn around the needle. These pics may show it better than my description.

I do not know if this will be helpful to you, but I do not hold my yarn when I knit. I just knit, and it still holds good tension.

I do the opposite! Under pinkie, over ring, under middle and then over forefinger, I also ‘flick’ the yarn so the only movement is with my forefinger, although I can now do continental as well.

Actually, that’s almost the same. I just loop mine around my pinkie first.

Since I don’t have much movement it’s probably flicking. It’s so automatic I don’t even think about it. My friend doesn’t tension the yarn and she’s slower than I am, but she’s happy with it so that’s all that matters.

Thank you all!!! I’ll have to experiment and see if I can figure out a way that’s best for me. I’m hoping I can make something work, although the throwing motion I use works for me, it’s definitely slow. It would be nice to not have to spend months on a project instead of weeks.

I probably learned it from a KH video. Although lately I noticed I’m wrapping my pinky backwards for double knitting.

I know that my girl learned knitting and how to hold her yarn from her grandma! Its so adorable! I like her sitting and knitting! Its a real art, I think!

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With all the help here, I’m sure you’ll find the perfect way to hold the yarn for you. It takes experimentation! I’m right handed and have a few fingers missing from an accident, so I had to learn a new way if I wanted to continue knitting. I simply grab the yarn with my thumb and index nub, and it works better for me than any other hold! Good luck to you.

I wish I could do European knitting. I have watched the videos and tried but just can’t do it. I hold it over my pointer and under my little finger. I know I knit fairly tightly but it mostly comes out even and pretty close to pattern size.

hi…i learned to knit in johannesburg in the seventies…i knit and have knitted a lot but something I have never seen is someone else throw the yarn with the middle finger like i do. Does anybody else do that?

I am a self taught knitter I throw the yarn also but I keep tension on the yarn when I make the stitch. I was in the hospital in Oct at the VA hospital in Tampa. I had my hubby bring the blanket I started for grandson Hunter’s Christmas present. One of the Dr.s who came to talk to me saw what I was working on and he asked if he could touch it.I said yes, and he did and exclaimed "you have such perfect tension, how do you make your stitches? I showed him how I did it by knitting a few stitches. He said that he was going to try it when he got home. He is a knitter too.
Another Dr liked my daylily picture on my phone and started talking daylilies with me.

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Daylily, I’m sorry to hear that you were in the hospital. Very good that you were able to work on your grandson’s blanket and even find another knitter!

Well, I’m a Continental knitter. I’m the oddball. I learned to knit from a neighborhood babysitter who learned from her German grandmother. I hold it over my middle finger on the left hand. If I move my index finger up, I can quickly flick the yarn to the front for purling like when doing rib stitch.

I was in there 8 days, my potassium level as real low. I had collapsed the the day I went in, but did not hit my head. I was standing up and it was like a switch was flipped , I went down right on my rear end. While I was in there I had several sonograms to check various things and they found out that my uterus lining is thicker than normal. I go in for a D&C on Jan 7.

Oh no! So sorry you were in the hospital and hope the D&C goes well and you have a happy healthy Christmas!

Yes my Christams will be merry. We are driving up to Va to spend it with youngest son Jared and his family. I get to see Hunter unwrap his blanket . He said he wanted yellow and boy it is sunny and bright.