“Flicking” is a way of knitting that is a variation on English/American/throwing knitting – a way to hold the working yarn in your right hand without ever letting go of the right needle. The first (and more general) video I have on flicking can be found here:
You can find more information about Knitter’s Pride needles, as well as retailers using these links:
Bryson Distributing:
Accessories Unlimited:
Knitter’s Pride Shop finder:
The Knitter’s Pride Platina needles I’m using can be found here:
The seed stitch cowl I’m working on is a kit from Purl Soho:
The nail polish I’m wearing is by Julep, color “Janie”:
I looked at Kniter’s Pride but couldn’t find your needles…still available?
I knit the portuguese way. It` s much easier and fast.
Instead of wrapping the yarn around my index finger I weave it through the fingers on my right hand and drape it over the 2nds finger with the index finger held against the needle. It feels like I have a better grip on tension that way. Speed is the desired outcome.
It's funny, but no one who teaches "flicking" ever discusses the individual's hand/finger anatomy. Seems people with long fingers and flexible finger joints do really well with flickiing. I mean just look at her second from the end joint – it looks like the upper part of the letter Z! I have short, stubby fingers and naturally stiff finger joints. The most I can get is a round circle. I cannot flick no matter how hard I try. People's hand anatomy and dexterity is never discussed.
I simply cannot keep tension in my pinky finger 😢
Staci you are simply amazing. I have learned to knit only a couple years ago and your videos have been and are immensely helpful.
I learned to knit English style and also spontaneously converted to flicking without even knowing that it is a thing. I just find it more comfortable and natural, and happen to hold the yarn behind the finger just as you suggested. It was incredibly reassuring and encouraging to find this style not only is a thing but is functional and all in all ergonomic. I had been feeling quite self-conscious seeing the eternal debate on continental being "better" or more ergonomic, when personally I find continental extremely uncomfortable and tiring.
Sincerely, thank you! I would not have been so confident and successful in my knitting journey without you!
edit: I had accidentally written "comfortable" when I meant to say that I find continental style uncomfortable. Unfortunately editing the comment has caused it to lose your heart reaction but I'm so happy you saw it and appreciated it, thank you!! 💛
Used to hold my working yarn the same way you do. But after 60 years My little finger is now very arthritic and I couldn't maintain tension. I now stay the yarn around the upper part of my middle finger and hold it over my index finger like you do, but a far shorter lead in to my knitting. I hold the body of my knitting from underneath and this shorter lead in of the working yarn keeps the movement of my fingers to the minimum. I can't knit Continental for the pic of me though.
I keep the yarn on the front of my index finger and I only make two movements shuttle and shuttle out. You use the lever method for holding the righthand needle and your fingers are very long. My fingers are shorter and I tried your method and it's too tight and an uncomfortable. Also the "pencil hold" again is too much like the old way I used to knit and I end up throwing. Also one last thing about the way I flick s that I stay very close to the tips of the needles as thee newly formed stitch pushes the knitted line back automatically. There was a lady on Winchester Knits that suggested that we keep our eyes on the left-hand needle at all times and that keeps jus form splitting the year, but also make us prepare the next stitch before the current stitch is being knitted off. It also prepared us to move the working yarn form back to front and front to back as we knit not after. ai've found that this is a lot less stressful on the wrists and shoulders as the only movement is the slight guiding swirl to form the stitch. You have those wonderfully long fingers that can flick so quickly. My hand can't arch so high especially my left hand and that annoys me because it hides the last three or four stitches and I sometimes lose track of the last stitch. I've tried to keep it up but it gets tired and the wrist starts to complain ! Tank you for your tutorials they are so helpful to watch and give me the enthusiasm to love knitting!
I'm a continental knitter and hold my yarn through my little finger like you do just on the other hand 🙂
Funny how I've watched this specific video a minimum of seven (7) times now I something further clicked in my brain this time that hasn't done so previously! The way the yarn is to come from.the back to the front vs swapped around. There's my problem I do beiieve another two years later. Gonna give this yet another try with my next project. I am determined to get this down. Thank you, Staci, for including this video in your weekly newsletter this week! ❤❤❤
I'm all fingers and thumbs and oh so clumsy 😅
I've been forcing myself to flick for the past week and I think I've got it down now. one piece of advice I have if you're following all the steps in the video and you're still struggling is to try holding the yarn different ways until you find a way that feels right to you. almost every video I saw, every knitter seemed to be holding the yarn around different fingers to create tension. some wrapped it around the pinky, some around two fingers, etc. I found for me personally what ended up working was to wrap it around my entire four fingers. before that I could not for the life of me keep tension. so there's my little tidbit. if you're struggling with keeping tension, try holding it different ways until one feels good
🧶
I’m a flicker and the lightbulb moment for me is where the yarn comes over your finger 👏🏽
Thank you for your video! I have switched to flicking and I do enjoy it! I do notce that as.my piece grows, particularly a shawl or sweater, the weight of the pice seems.to weigh on my wrists and fingers…do you notice this??? How do you manage the weight of the work as it grows???
Extremely helpful video, thank you from London, UK XXXXX
Yeah the tension thing so that the yarn stays up higher on my index finger is my biggest struggle. I don’t know how to consistently release the yarn from my pinky finger, it’s either too little (too tight) or too much (too loose).
When you knit continental the yarn lays on your finger from back to front so it makes perfect sense that you have to lay it from back to front to flick. Great video.
I knit what I always understood to be ‘English’ knitting, but I hold me needles completely differently. I mostly use straight needles. The left needle is hardly moved and tucked by my left side. The right needle is held in between the crook of my thumb and forefinger, coming over my hand. The yarn is also in my right hand through my palm and over my index finger. I do not let go of the needle and the needle and yarn are moved to the left needle at the same time. This allows me to knit exceptionally fast as my needles hardly move. I haven’t seen this on any demonstrations.
This is such a helpful video! I’m a continental knitter, but I want to learn to flick! I feel like I have all the info I need to try this after watching this video. I love hearing that you committed to knitting a whole Afghan like this when you first taught yourself this method. Thank you! ❤
As I watched a lot of your videos, I always found myself looking at how you hold your yarn. Screenshot your hands and tried to immitate. But that was before I knew this video existed. Oy vey! Now to practice flicking.
This video is SO VERY HELPFUL! Thank you for this!
I'm a continental knitter, but I think this "flick" will be handy for doible knitting. Definerly will try it. Hope my brain cooperates to wok my coordination kills as I am a right handed person.
I need to see how you hold the needle with your right hand. Every time I try to flick I loose all tension
OH! I tension my yarn by holding it with my little finger. I have always wondered why that's not more common! I think it used to make my hand cramp up, but the muscles very quickly get used to it and it's not been a problem for years. Very comfortable now.
I my question is kinda odd. My husband and I are on a fixed income. I really cannot afford the high in needles. I was looking at the generic stainless steel needles on Amazon. I cannot any reviews on them. Do you know anything about them.
That 3rd one helped a lot! Thank you!
Thanks to you Stacey I am now flicking. It took me about a year to get efficient but now I love it so much! I keep my yarn the other way around my index fi get though 😅 couldn't make it work your way. But thank you so much for the inspiration! ❤️
Why don’t you keep your thumb under the right hand needle?
You can hold the yarn in the same manner but use your thumb pressed into your middle finger with the yarn between the two for tension. My tension is always on point and I've been knitting like this for over 50 years. Hope this helps someone!
Wow. In less than 30 seconds, I went from weird inconsistent tension to really seamless tension. I've been trying your style for a month now, but could never get the same results. It was all in the wrap, like you said – I was wrapping the yarn over my finger the other way.
Can't believe a tiny adjustment like that made such a crazy difference!
I've been a teacher ( Pre K) for a long, long time. I'm newly retired now but I feel like I know a good teacher when I see one in action- you are truly great. I am going to keep trying bc I have all the issues that you spoke about! haha. Thanks!
Thank you for explaining this! I taught myself how to do basic stitches to make a scarf and pot holders in high school and would pick it up here and there but never got around to learning anything more complicated. About 2 weeks ago I decided I was going to learn how to make socks on dpn’s and I then learned there was continental knitting and I was an English style knitter. The English style is so much more comfortable for my hands but I still wanted to try a flicking way to help keep my pointer finger from cramping and we hold the yearn very similar 😅 but you tension it slightly differently and I’m going to try your way since I’m making my stitches too tight. Love your channel and I’m so glad I found you!
I love your demonstrations so much. They make so much sense . Now summoning up the confidence to try and flick . Thank you .
Thank you so much! I’ve been holding my yarn wrong when I’ve tried this method.
Always interested in learning a new way to knit! The way you demonstrate actually has me moving my elbow way more so I think I just gotta keep practicing lol
I hold my yarn exactly the same as you! Very helpful indeed, many thanks.😊
Yay you knit as I do, this is so helpful, thank you 😊
This is exactly how I have always knitted! I honestly didn't know there was any other way to knit till I started watching YouTube videos of other knitters. Thanks for all of the tips!
I didn’t know this style had a name! I also just sort of figured it out to be more efficient with my knitting. It’s funny though- I hold my working yarn to the front of my index finger and it works fine for me without moving my elbows. I tried to to the back and kept getting caught up. Might have to play around w it more just for fun.
I am a long time crocheter though and so I hold my working yarn for knitting the exact same way as I do for crochet except in my right hand. (Tried continental but it just didn’t work for me)
Thank you thank you thank you, you’ve helped me so much. I was holding my yarn in front of my finger instead of in back and I’m sure it’s going to make all the difference in the world. Again thanks!
I find I have to alternate between English and Continental methods to avoid tendinitis. Since I’m normally a right handed knitter, it took practice to train myself to knit Continental. The rewards were immense, for knit-purl projects and Fair Isle color work. When I knit English style, I notice the yarn wraps around my index finger in the same direction as your yarn. So, I’m confident that with practice, I’ll be able to start flicking — and stop letting go of the right needle! Thanks, Staci ❤️
I've been knitting for just over a year now, always been a thrower but lately I've been wanting to work on improving my speed. Tried learning to flick today, really got the hang of flicking knit stitches, struggling with the purls but I'll get there! Your videos have been incredibly helpful.
Oh thank the Lord lol I thought I was getting tennis elbow. Ok change from front to back of finger. Thanks!
Granted I’m a novice knitter, but trying to hold the yarn this way, makes me feel like a brand newbie…😬
Hi! I am a new knitter. You are great, thank you for all your resources and vids. I want to either flick or do continental because I also do not want to let go of the needle. I am glad you discussed your blanket/afgan commitment. I have tried continental for two days and am ready to throw in the towel because I am still struggling. But it seems that it all takes a lot longerto master a style and I am working on a simple throw (98 stitch row, 4 colors, each color 45 rows, alt knit/purl for each row) so I will commit to that project and practice both styles, perhaps each style for one knit and one purl row or perhaps one style for each color!
I'M A FLICKER TOOOO! It developed on its own. So much more comfortable than other mwthods.
I can’t keep the tension…I really have to practice this!!
Just wanted to say thank you, after watching and watching I tried to flick … nope. Got frustrated and stopped trying … the next day the same … but on the third day I got it until I tried to move the stitches along the needle … they were way to tight, so then made an effort to loosen my death grip on the yarn and needles and now I am so happy to say yes I am now a flicker. I am actually enjoying my knitting more now if that is possible … so a big heartfelt thanks for showing us in depth how you knit. Have a good one 🙂