Need help with tension when knitting magic loop

How-to Questions
1

I learned knitting English style, but was tired off yarning over that way and so now I use the Continental method, which I love. However, I just starting learning the magic loop technique and I am almost ready to give up because I cannot get the tension right. I always pull the first stitch on the back needle too tight when starting a new side, so by the time it comes back on to the front needle, I really struggle to stretch that stitch out to get it on to my needle. And the stitches slide off a lot because my tension is so loose that I have to keep letting go of my knitting to tighten it up and I just don’t know how to keep the tension uniform so I don’t slow down, especially when going from knit to purl. It’s like my index finger is too far away and when I try to bend it to go around the working needle, there is way too much slack. I’ve tried wrapping twice around my pinkie. It seemed to work but not for long. I’m thinking about going back to English style for magic loop knitting, but I REALLY want to make this work. Can anyone help?

2

Regardless of what knitting style you use, it will take some time and practice to achieve uniform tension. I think some styles makes it easier than other. For me Continental Combined style helped me a lot and I always have my index finger really close. I do not wrap the yarn at all around the index finger, I just hold it between my index finger and my long finger and I am able to adjust tension by very slightly holding the fingers together.

Earlier I made a video showing what it looks like when knitting the Continental Combined style and switching between knit and purl:

I have plans to do a full tutorial on how to use this technique but yet I have not had time and courage to do so. For now you have to search youtube for this style. Many on youtube are calling this style “Russian knitting”.

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3

Welcome!
In addition to engblom’s helpful video, here’s one from Patty at MDK about tension on the last stitch before the needle change in magic loop. It’s about a 1/4 down the page under “Mystery of the Tight Stitch”

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