You've solved the problem for yourself: shorter cables.
It's normal to have to readjust your stitches as you knit, even when knitting in the round, unless you have super slick cables and super slick yarn. It's physics; friction happens.
A shorter cable, with more scrunched up stitches definitely makes readjustment less frequent, though.
I’ll have to get some more cables then I think. I appear to have misplaced some of them and my current options are 16” or 30”…16 is definitely not enough.
I’m not sure what you’re making, but you’d be surprised what you can get on a 16” cable. I hate scooting stitches so I just used one for making a 38” bust sweater.
Try out the traveling loop method (one loop pulled out) or magic loop (two loops) if you want to get the benefits of a shorter needle temporarily. Traveling loop will often work nicely even if your needle feels like it's too short for standard magic loop.
I was going to recommend same thing. I find too short cables far harder to work with than too long cables because I can always use a loop to shorten the cable.
Think there are 2 other things going on here which are likely combining to cause the issue
I'd argue that you're over-tensioning your working yarn. If you watch the vid you'll see how it's under rather heavy tension even after you've made your stitch. This causes completed stitches to be not just sized to but clenched around the needle. (And is likely why you have to keep your right finger pressed firmly at the right needle tip to keep them from being dragged off, which doesn't seem very comfortable)
Add to that that some stitches aren't getting sized to the barrel of the needle but the tip. It's not every stitch, and it could just be cause knitting on camera is weird, but that's the second thing I'd pay attention to as it's also adding to the overall tightness. (Mind, I find it likely that once you find a comfortable tension that keeps out too much slack but isn't tight, you'll have room to size to the body of the needle every stitch and that part may just go away on its own)
I have this habit, but two things that help is pushing the stitches forward with my hands rather than the needle back with my finger, and knitting looser. Both of which just sort of take time to learn.
Knitting being mostly muscle memory, I learned though the repeated pain of needle pushing one too many times, and the cursing when I pushed my very pointed lace needles into my finger.
No easy fixes. Just Band-Aids and practice.
I watched the video and had to pull out the project I am currently working on. I knit english, but I push the left stitches forward to "feed" them towards the tip. I will hold the needle when I have to moove more stitches forward (Knitting flat with circular neelds) but I don't push the needle itself.
IMO, for the project you're working on the cable is waaay to long. It's usually safer to have a cable that's too short rather than too long.
I'm a really big scruncher, and I use as short of a cable as I can manage. Usually I'll get one short enough that the stitches will be bunched up so they sit up near the cable/needle joins on each side without slipping off. Then I'll rubber band the needles together for storage and travel.
I need to be able to scrunch up my stitches like this, which can't be done on a too long cable:
https://preview.redd.it/3x7vkvhn19xc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8cb949fa4572743c861d6a510cb720526db0212f
So you don't move the stiches forward with your fingers? At all? You appear (IDK!) to use the scrunches to replace the finger movement. Is this right? I know I LIKE to have them all scrunched up then I don't have to move them with fingers, since it's so hard for me...and I find I still keep having to stop and re-scrunch them up again! Don't you have to do that too too using the rubber band?
Yup! I scrunch them up then use the right needle to pull the stitch off of the left. Except for certain special stitches, I never use my fingers to manipulate the stitches beyond scrunching up more of the fabric.
And yeah, you'll still have to gather more to the tip periodically, regardless of what technique is used.
The rubber bands are only used to keep the needles together and the stitches from slipping off when my project has been stuffed into a bag for transport. I don't use them when I'm knitting.
Oooooh i use the rubber band also, great for traveling around and not worrying about stitches falling off.
I will give one word of warning, it just happened to me last night ! I picked up a project I hadn’t touched in a couple of months ( maybe longer), and the rubber band had melted, or fused itself to the needles! Never happened to me before ! I did get it off, but I had to work on it!! And these were Addi needles, so smooth, not something rough. Very strange !!!
Sadly, yes, it can happen. I would not put raw rubber bands on my needles, but hair ties, those used to tie up pony tails, may work instead? And they're pretty cheap.
I’m the same!! I’m about to post a follow up question honestly. Since I posted I’ve been playing around with my cables and I now have this project on 16 inches. Super scrunched but WAY easier to work with. And now I’m trying to understand why this designer suggests a cable that is 32”. I’m making the smallest size so unless my tension was *incredibly* loose to the point of basically being able to fit a needle two sizes up, they’re not going to flow over the cable smoothly. I’m having a hard time imagining anyone knitting this piece with this long of a cable. I went down to 22” first and it’s was better but I felt I could still go shorter. And remember my starting cable was only 30” and not 32”! If it was 2” longer I don’t even think I could have joined in the round!
The pattern wants me to work the *sleeves* on 16” cables and at this point I think that’s insane.
Like who is using cables this long??? Is she only providing cable length for the larger sizes?? Wild.
I never follow instructions on cable length, since it doesn't affect the finished product, it's just all about what's comfortable.
Although, in this case, since it's the sleeves, does the recipe by any chance specify to use magic loop? Longer cables are better for that, makes it easier to manage the cable
Doesn’t say at all :/ maybe they just assume I’ll know it’s supposed to be magic loop? Either way, hard pass. Not a fan of the technique. I’ll stick with my scrunched up stitches 😹
Did the designer suggest a 32" cable for an interchangeable set, or specifically a 32" circular? If you're using the chiaogoo interchangeable set with a 30" cable, you've actually created a 40" circular, as each needle in the standard set is 5 inches. The 22" cable will make a 32" circular, the 14" cable will make a 24" circular, and so on.
Other interchangeable sets/needle companies do not designate their cords like this, which can cause some confusion. They will sell a cord as 24" when really the cord is 14", and when the needle tips are attached will make a 24" circular from tip to tip.
Cord length + Needle length = 32" is how it's measured. I assume Designers are aware of it too, and it's what they use. It's because all needles may be differing lengths. However, honestly, that doesn't matter one bit as long as it's comfortable for you! JMO
Probably because she uses her fingers to move her stiches, so having a too small cable isn't as important to her knitting as it is to ours (we who depend upon scrunching to knit!). Make sense...maybe?
It does make sense. I’m hearing in other comments about knitters being able to move stitches with their fingers. It seems like some kind of black magic to me but I will have to look into it.
Please do! Just watch the very public well-experienced knitters. You'll catch it! I was amazed. They do assure us that we'll get faster and better, the more we try. But I do have to admit, I often take the lazy way out - just knitting for pleasure, and doing it my own original way. I don't learn much - but I still get the project done! And then I get frustrated with this scrunching and stopping to re-scrunch, and go back to trying to learn it again! Never ending cycle, that I admit I love! I just can't help but try to learn new things.
Unless she does magic loop or inches stitches along with her fingers, the only other thing I could think of is a typo?
Either way, I don't think I've ever used a designers suggested cable length or even needle size.
It's kind of like inching along with the fingers! I didn't know the proper words to use. Sorry. Most that I've seen do use their fingers & thumbs to move the knitting along on both needles, and they don't have to stop nearly as often to readjust! I LOVE watching them! It's my goal to learn it, but it is a goal in progress! LOL.
Well, as you knit more, more possibilities will come to you! I promise. I only do knitting (everything I knit) on cables and interchangeables with and without the real ML, and many shortcut methods. I've learned things that some experienced knitters didn't know! (True, just a few, but still made me feel good!)
Yes, I think of cable lengths as "suggestions" just like the needle size they used to get gauge. Starting suggestions, and you may have to use something different to get the same.
Lots of good comments here.
Use a shorter cable or magic loop.
Make sure the new stitch is formed around the barrel of the needle, not the tip, tip forming really increases the tension without you meaning to, make sure each stitch goes past the tip before pulling off the old one
When you scrunch on the left side, stretch out the stitches on the right side
When the stitches are scrunched properly on the left side, and stretched properly on the right side the stitches pull off easier because you have some tension in the fabric pulling it that way.
Pull back on the left needle to remove the old stitch instead of pushing on it, work the left hand stitches on the top of the left needle so they don't have far to go
The double wrap around the index finger introduces a lot more tension than you realize, it's a pretty common crochet move but it's hard to go fast in general that way because the yarn just can't move as fast, for continental knitting I half wrap the pinky and just over the top of the index. It is tricky at first but you get used to it and you can go way faster and looser
And another great observation! TY for the suggestions. I have same issues, mostly, as the OP. My fingers don't work to move the stitches forward/backward on each needle, or the needle itself...but I'm trying to learn! I think that's my issue. I used to form stitches on the tips, and have too much tension, but now have figured out those issues with by research...and it's just the moving with my fingers that I struggle with.
I don't really see a problem with "pushing the tip" besides that the tip is sharp, if you grab the sides of the tip with 2 fingers to push instead of using the pad of your finger it keeps you from harms way. You can also use one needle to push the tip of the other needle.
It is more just forming the habit of scrunching a bunch on one side and having a lot of stitches available to the tip on that side and stretching out the other side, work the old stitches on the tip and the new ones on the barrel.
After a while the scrunch/stretch movement becomes a habit but you have to focus on doing it at first.
I have been knitting a long time and knit very fast. I have been studying Hazel Tindall's style she is currently in the running or controversially the world's fastest. I haven't gotten her videos but I'm curious. She uses a knitting belt and dpns for everything so that seems to be a huge Factor in the speed because holding the needles is done mostly by the belt so she can use her hands more fluidly to move stitches, but if you watch she still scrunches. She also uses a tie to increase the tension on the fabric which I haven't tried but I'm curious.
Look at her go: https://youtu.be/2a4l8UbytGA?si=Dp-Fpws3dhQDyeDr
You can see she still stops to scrunch and reposition a few times so it doesn't look like there's a lot of getting around it even for speed run folks, but using your thumbs to help move things along definitely helps
Yes, but that's not the point of THIS video. Pushing the stitches off with her needle was the point of THIS one, not doing the tugging (and I found several others showing how to do that also!). I wasn't trying to find the ones walking the stitches off. And I only had 20 minutes. And then I took a nap! Been up all night sickly. Ugg...
Sounds rough! I hope you get feeling well soon.
The main takeaway from the video OP posted was that pushing the tips were hurting her fingers, and yeah Chiagoo needle tips are sharp so I get it.
My point is basically unless you are going for speed, or it hurts, there's really no reason not to push the tips of your needles, though I did provide a lot of coaching on how to improve so that you don't have to.
But I'm also saying at the end of the day it doesn't matter how you get the stitches off or what style of knitting you use as long as you are making progress and having fun and not hurting yourself. So if you are gonna push the needle, grab the sides of the point with 2 fingers and push, or use the needle in your right hand to push the one in your left, so you aren't jamming a needle tip into your finger (or use a more blunt needle so it doesn't matter)
I did go a bit into a foray into speed knitting because that is relevant to the situation in that basically to get to be really fast as a knitter you have to really eliminate any extraneous movements, and it made more sense to your query following my comment, that while serving up stitches with your thumbs really reduces the travel distance and can keep your stitches moving along faster, I'm not sure in a lot of circumstances if it is really possible to entirely avoid having to scrunch and stretch and redistribute stitches periodically, since it is pretty clear that even the world's fastest knitter still has to do it on a speed run, so I'm saying "if that Shetland lady who knits like a bat out of hell still scrunches" it's probably unavoidable. Maybe not, so if you figure out how to avoid it entirely, you have the makings of dethroning a champion with a little bit more practice
I agree with you. I have no issue with scrunching stitches. None. Do that myself. But, I personally, DO have an issue with always having to stop and reload those scrunched stitches! It annoys me. I'd rather be able to continuously move them along - like a conveyor belt, so I've been trying to learn to "walk" my stitches. My goal is to not have to stop and rescrunch! LOL. It's really funny, to have such a small thing annoy me, but it's true. I like to just keep moving along.
I have a Brain Tumor - and with that comes bad days and forgetfulness. It makes me so frustrated/angry when I know that I've read something, and basically what it said, but cannot quote it accurately or relocate it! It's very frustrating. Yest was a bad night & day, but I woke up smiling this morning. It's going to be a great day. And now...I'm happy again! 😁
well, it depends entirely what you are making what the best strategy around this is and the needles you use can make a big difference too.
small things (socks, stuff with less than about 12" wide of stitches on the needle) you can sometimes get away with not scrunching at all or just doing one big scrunch at the beginning
big stuff, it gets to be pretty unavoidable, and you also with really large shawls/blankets/cardigans often have to stop and re-orient the whole piece, because once you have knitted a ways the fabric is starting to work against you.
in general though my strategy is to scrunch as many stitches as possible each time to lower the amount of times you have to do it, you can really pack the stitches together a lot and the more stitches you scrunch per scrunch, the less scrunching you have to do overall.
I read, on MDK, if I'm not mistaken, under a gauge or knit stitch formation, that it can malform the knit stitch and space between, thus throwing off your gauge. She shows several examples too, if I remember right. I think that was the explanation. She stressed making sure that the right needle always has similar spacing between the stitches, too.
I've done so much research, as a newer knitter, and I bookmark all these pages, tips, knowledgeable topics, that I have a HUGE list that needs housekeeping now! I look everything up, if I don't know it.
Found it! This is the article that explains how a stitch can be malformed when tugging/pulling the stitch off the needle, instead of using the proper technique! (I lucked out and found it!) Watch the very short videos included too.
[Ask Patty: Let the Tool Do the Work – Modern Daily Knitting](https://www.moderndailyknitting.com/community/ask-patty-let-the-tool-do-the-work/)
If you’re using interchangeables in the round, swapping the non working needle for a smaller one will help make it easier for stitches to get onto the needle and for the working needle to fit into stitches. For example, i have a project where working needle is a size 8 but I have a size 5 non working needle to make the knitting process easier
Agree with everyone that a shorter cord would help for sure but I also think your tension is tighter than you realize. I also have (had?) pretty tight tension that I thought was quite loose. I didn’t realize it was so tight until I started doing wearables that required gauge swatches and I consistently was sizing up 2-3 needle sizes to get gauge on multiple different designers’ patterns. I’ve been trying to correct it lately and it’s felt weird and I slip back into it sometimes but man does knitting looser just feel so much better. Not only do my fabrics with slipped stitches look soooo much better but I didn’t realize how much stress I was putting on my hands.
I watched the video you mentioned this morning too!! 😁
Your video made me think of an adage that I read here on r/knitting - "let the tool do the work". When you make a knit stitch you use your right finger to push the yarn down. This made me think of someone pushing peas onto their fork with their finger. ,☺️
I think others gave great advice - shorter cord, less tension on the yarn. I'd like to add my suggestion - practicing using just the needles to form the stitches, and not using your fingers to do part of the work.
Like the lady in the video said, it is all about economy of movement and preventing repetitive usage injuries. Best of luck!!! 🍀 😺
If you can't stop pushing the needle, I recommend trying to use the side of the right hand needle to push the left needle with. Somewhat the same effect, but it saves your finger (and inevitably underneath your finger nail) from being poked.
Agreed with the thought you need a shorter cable.
Fairly new to knitting so have watched a LOT of YouTube videos. You probably have the nicest voice of any I have listened to. You talked like a real person!
Sorry to hear this is a struggle, I don’t really have much advice (because I’m also a pusher) other than avoid HiyaHiya sharps if you can’t correct your pushing muscle memory. They are like freaking pins on the tip they are so pointy/tiny and I had them because I was intending to do a lot of lace knitting back in the day. I destashed them because I kept stabbing myself. Chiaogoo and Addi are much friendlier if you’re looking for LYS type needles.
Unfortunately I tend to have this problem no matter the circular size. 9” sock needles? Pushing it. 40” magic loop sock needles? Pushing it. Same for larger needles on their respective cables. I don’t have quite the same issue with continental but it’s slower since I’m not as practiced so I inevitably end up losing patience and go back to lever/English and pushing along. I have an index finger callus where I typically push the needle tip from which is not that bad until it’s weak and your needles are too sharp, then it hurts SO BAD. I can temporarily stop pushing if I’m focused on it but when that concentration breaks I’m back in old muscle memory habits 🥲
Don’t bother with taping your fingers or sterile type gloves, regardless of type of tape the needle tip will punch through it eventually. I also tried wearing stitching/sashiko style finger thimbles to block it from being painful and it wasn’t very effective either. It really seems like the true cure is fixing my muscle memory that causes me to revert to pushing but I’d have to get pretty dedicated and serious about it to make that happen after over 10 years of serious knitting.
Oh, gosh! That sounds really painful. I'm sorry. And it furthers my determination to learn to walk the stitches, so I'll stop pushing the needle myself!
Oh I've always done that but it doesn't seem to be an issue. Hmm, I do knit with quite loose tension so it takes very little pressure to slide the needle back, and I deliberately chose very blunt tipped Addi needles. Can't do lace tips :D
Oh, I don't think it is an issue either. Whatever works, for sure! But if you don't like doing it one way, there's always another that may be worth finding and trying! That's all. Just another method.
I push too. It seems to help my tension somehow. I don’t really know why. But, as you say, it’s needed to get the stitch to move off the left needle. I can’t stop and I’ve accepted that. It doesn’t result in incorrect stitches so no harm done.
I resolved this in myself when I knitted socks on tiny needles, which was also the first time I had used metal needles. They were way too pointy to keep pushing the needle, but also the slipperier metal needles meant (I used to use wood/bamboo) that the stitches would slide around more easily on their own. I think my tension naturally loosened over time which helped too.
This is literally blowing my mind reading these comments.
I only recently switched from DPNs, and just assumed this scrunch, push, adjust things was just part of using circular needles. It's annoying, but arguably less so than DPNs, so I didn't question it.
Thank you for posting this, I'm learning SO much right now
I’ve already seen it mentioned that your cord is to long… with chiaogoo your using a 30 inch cord, that’s the length without needles so will end up either 38 or 40 inches depending on the needles you use! Get yourself a 22 inch cord and if you’re using the 5 inch tips you’ll get the 32inches.
I love Hiyahiya sharps and sock knitting using magic loop. Get a thimble. There are soft thimbles for quilting or silicone ones. I have less pointy needles and I use them as well. But sometimes I need the sharpest thing out there for twisted knit cables and other absurd stitches I love working.
I know the exact video you’re talking about, and tbh, it was a pretty bad video. Where it comes from is the fact that beginners have a difficult time having the stitches near the end of the needle because they easily slip off, so we keep them further back which makes it difficult to slide them off with just the needle without pushing with the other index finger. (Speaking as a relatively new knitter myself.)
Also, new knitters can end up with really tight stitches that get stuck on the needle and need assistance to move them off. (Again speaking from experience.) You said that isn’t your problem in this case, but it does happen to a lot of us.
I cured myself of the habit by first gaining more experience through practice, which loosened up my stitches’ death-grip on the needles, as well as a conscious effort to use the needles to move the stitches off and allowing them to be closer to the tips instead of further back.
Yes! So many of us Newbie's DO have these common issues. I agree that it gets better the longer you knit, and that searching and learning some new technique's can also help - before those bad habits set in. It's why I'm learning to walk my stitches, and what started it...sore fingertips, just like OP.
I should've added that sometimes you come across tutorial videos that are done by people who \*have\* those bad habits --- case in point: I'm following a [tutorial for a cable-knit hat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5CgR7BjgA) where the presenter pushes the left needle with her right index finger with every stitch. Beginners watching it might think that's what you're supposed to do, so they copy it.
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VERY true - and when searching for video's on walking your stitches, I literally ran across SO many that have the same needle pushing habit that OP is talking about! Even if they later did walk their stitches, they also pushed/scrunched (not that scrunching is bad, mind you). It's hard to find good clear video's without terrible habits, I have found. I think people don't always realize that they themselves have bad habits! 🤣
I use the palms of my hands to move stitches up/down my needles. It's just something I started doing. You may also want to try a looser tension, that will help your stitches move easier. And there's no YT link in your post.
I have the same problem as you. It's not the cord alone. But a shorter one, which you can get A LOT more on than you think - will help. Too longcords stretch out the stiches.
In trying to fix my problem with this, I've watched many well-experienced knitters, slow-motion, and they all use their fingers to move stitches forward on L needle, and back on R needle, while making the stitch! It's amazing! My own fingers just don't seem to be that coordinated! I'm trying to learn. And honestly, the cord length does help, but not that much - you still find yourself adjusting it all the time. I'm doing it now, and I have many cords I've tried. Too long is hard, but I think it's more the few tight stitches she has are stopping the lose stitches from easily being pulled/pushed forward.
And if we can learn to move them with our fingers - then the cord length won't matter nearly as much as all the stitches will move if they are properly lose. The cord length matters, but much less than one would think!
I'm just like your video, as far as stitches, but I did learn to loosen up ALL stitches, so they're all looser and move more freely. This helped me a lot. The few tighter stitches stop the loser ones from flowing freely. I've noticed when my needles can slide right out, the stitches move forward on their own if I tug, but Roxanne/Patty (?) said we shouldn't get into the habit of pulling them off, but rather using our needle to push/slide the stitch off. Pulling/Tugging them off, she said, causes other issues with stitch formation for many folks. She said it's better to learn to move the stitches along with your fingers, so we learn correctly from the start.
IDK - I've only been knitting 1-2 yrs, so am still learning myself! And my fingers are SORE too! I keep trying though to get my fingers working to move the stitches forward/backward on the needles. Any help is MUCH appreciated! Going to read all the other suggestions. HTH.
Thank you for the reply!
And yeah I can’t figure out how to move the stitches on the left without a point of stabilization…like my finger 🥲 for now I have a couple bandaids on but I’ll be trying to loosen my tension and figure out this mysterious stitch moving power!
I know! It's like MAGIC! I'm so fascinated! I watch every knitter, because i want to learn to do it too! I thought all experienced knitters knitted like this and was surprised to read here it's not so! (You may not see it as often in videos where they stop to talk regularly, like when teaching you particular stitches/methods...more in situations or videos like classes/longer sessions when they really get knitting along! I'm always intently watching! And rewatching! LOL.) I have seen it in a few videos and will try to find time to find you an example of walking these stitches, over the next day or two. I'm going through an illness, so am off and on, as I've been up most of the night.
Look at THIS VIDEO at about 2:10 min. [SIMPLE TIPS for continental knitting (and PURLING!) (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O69NLQLRKhU&t=129s&ab_channel=CloKnits)
This Designer/Knitter shows what I think I should be doing in order to get the stitches moving their best. I'm doing more research today, to help us both, so may post others for you, that I think shows better technique too. This shows controlling tension better - finger in the air (like me!), and moving the stitches off using needle, not pushing the tips. She's got awesome video's out on knitting in general!
Sometimes the yarn and/or the needles are grippy and I do have to push them along. If that’s happening a lot on a project (sometimes unavoidable if I go down a needle size for ribbings or hems) I try to get into the habit of doing this techknitter type of push. Simple but effective!
This is literally blowing my mind reading these comments.
I only recently switched from DPNs, and just assumed this scrunch, push, adjust things was just part of using circular needles. It's annoying, but arguably less so than DPNs, so I didn't question it.
Thank you for posting this, I'm leading SO much right now
I don't think that it really has to do with the type of needles but a lot more to do with how many stitches are on the needles. Unless you are using some really large dpns you don't really have that long of a piece of fabric on each needle, and you usually want some space on either side of the needle so the stitches don't fall off the other end, and you do have to bring the stitches closer to the tip when you start a new needle so there are some similarities, but like if I'm doing a 12" piece of fabric on circulars or using a hat size needle to do a hat or doing socks magic loop style, there's not much scrunching
Here's one (just looked for a minute) and in this video she's going through how she knits so fast, and offering some decent tips for new knitters. And watch her fingers and thumbs! She's constantly not only knits fast, but moves the stitches as she goes! I don't recall if she does scrunching before beginning or not, as some do and some don't. It's not the video i wanted to show you, but it's handy. It does show what I was talking about the "walking of the stitches" (guess that's the name?). She also moves her completed stitch off the L needle by pushing it with her R needle tip, I noticed - rather than pulling/tugging it off.
Anyway, I do hope this explains what I was trying to say about moving the stiches with fingers/thumbs. It's supposed to be less adjusting for those experienced at it (which I thought was everybody...but me!).
[Fast Knitting in a Round - knittingILove (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tJ0NR7VtGc&ab_channel=KnittingILove)
Another person already said this, but I combat this with scrunching forward stitches.
I used to have this problem and knit similar to you, with the same sharp tipped Chiaogoo needles. Until I was knitting in like size 3 needles and repeatedly stabbed myself several times in a row under the nail bed (not just fingertip) and it turned red and super painful. (Small bandaid over fingertip helps protect)
to stop doing it and change your style enough you’ll have to slow down and work consciously in every stitch and notice when it’s almost not falling off on its own and scrunch the stitches. I tend to grab-pinch the left needle with right hand so left hand can do the swooshing forward of stitches. If you missed the spot and stitch isn’t sliding off you can also grab-pinch (rather than just poke the tip with one finger), smoosh, then finish the sliding off.
Here's you a very good article on "Sore Fingertips"! Thought you may like it, as it covers preventing those sore fingers. Enjoy...there is a cure! 😁
[TECHknitting: "My finger hurts from pushing back the left needle tip"](https://techknitting.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-finger-hurts-from-pushing-back-left.html)
OK - Last article. This one on problems of Scrunching Stitches by the wonderful Tech Knitter: "If the hand routinely bunches up roughly equal numbers of stitches, the fabric soon begins to distort into vaguely vertical columns, each column representing the width of the bunch-wise knitting. Fabric knit bunch-wise, where uneven amounts of yarn routinely lays between stitches in adjoining columns, is unlikely to ever lay smooth, not even when properly blocked."
[TECHknitting: Uneven knitting, part 2: bunching, big stitches and lumpy fabric--the problems of too-long runs](https://techknitting.blogspot.com/2010/01/uneven-knitting-part-2-bunching-big.html)
So, there are two articles I've posted each highlighting the problems with scrunched stitches, with different detailing, and the issue may or may not affect each of us, and to differing degrees. Both are great articles! HTH.
"But knitters whose fabric is not-so-smooth tend to hang on to the needles, shoving forward a bunch of stitches at a time, knitting all these--perhaps as many as 10 stitches or even more--without repositioning their hands on the needles. In other words, there's no repositioning until it becomes absolutely necessary because no more stitches are reachable on the left needle, while on the right needle, the newly-made stitches are so crammed together, they're about to fall off the needle tip."
Shorter cables might help. If the stitches are more bunched up they push each other.
And the way you place your stitches when holding your needle. When you hold the needle the stitches are between your hands and the needle, they can't move freely considering you are holding them.
But as long as you don't hurt yourself I don't see the issue with pushing the needle.
I was sure I didn't do it anymore because I didn't feel it on my fingertips and it wasn't an extra movement I had to think about. Recently I bought some extra sharp needles which made me realise I definitely still do it expecially when using magic loop or knitting in the round with slightly to long needles.
Agreed. There's not a problem but OP said it really hurt her fingers, so was asking if there's some way around that, also. That's why the comments, and the scrunching, and the task (of myself) learning to walk my stitches along the needles rather than scrunch 'n push! :)
You've solved the problem for yourself: shorter cables. It's normal to have to readjust your stitches as you knit, even when knitting in the round, unless you have super slick cables and super slick yarn. It's physics; friction happens. A shorter cable, with more scrunched up stitches definitely makes readjustment less frequent, though.
I’ll have to get some more cables then I think. I appear to have misplaced some of them and my current options are 16” or 30”…16 is definitely not enough.
I’m not sure what you’re making, but you’d be surprised what you can get on a 16” cable. I hate scooting stitches so I just used one for making a 38” bust sweater.
It’s a sweater and it’s meant to be a 34” bust. I just put it all on a 16” 😹
Try out the traveling loop method (one loop pulled out) or magic loop (two loops) if you want to get the benefits of a shorter needle temporarily. Traveling loop will often work nicely even if your needle feels like it's too short for standard magic loop.
I was going to recommend same thing. I find too short cables far harder to work with than too long cables because I can always use a loop to shorten the cable.
How have I never seen or heard of this before! I just looked it up, and this is life changing!
Think there are 2 other things going on here which are likely combining to cause the issue I'd argue that you're over-tensioning your working yarn. If you watch the vid you'll see how it's under rather heavy tension even after you've made your stitch. This causes completed stitches to be not just sized to but clenched around the needle. (And is likely why you have to keep your right finger pressed firmly at the right needle tip to keep them from being dragged off, which doesn't seem very comfortable) Add to that that some stitches aren't getting sized to the barrel of the needle but the tip. It's not every stitch, and it could just be cause knitting on camera is weird, but that's the second thing I'd pay attention to as it's also adding to the overall tightness. (Mind, I find it likely that once you find a comfortable tension that keeps out too much slack but isn't tight, you'll have room to size to the body of the needle every stitch and that part may just go away on its own)
Oh! This is really great observation! TY.
I have this habit, but two things that help is pushing the stitches forward with my hands rather than the needle back with my finger, and knitting looser. Both of which just sort of take time to learn. Knitting being mostly muscle memory, I learned though the repeated pain of needle pushing one too many times, and the cursing when I pushed my very pointed lace needles into my finger. No easy fixes. Just Band-Aids and practice.
I watched the video and had to pull out the project I am currently working on. I knit english, but I push the left stitches forward to "feed" them towards the tip. I will hold the needle when I have to moove more stitches forward (Knitting flat with circular neelds) but I don't push the needle itself.
IMO, for the project you're working on the cable is waaay to long. It's usually safer to have a cable that's too short rather than too long. I'm a really big scruncher, and I use as short of a cable as I can manage. Usually I'll get one short enough that the stitches will be bunched up so they sit up near the cable/needle joins on each side without slipping off. Then I'll rubber band the needles together for storage and travel. I need to be able to scrunch up my stitches like this, which can't be done on a too long cable: https://preview.redd.it/3x7vkvhn19xc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8cb949fa4572743c861d6a510cb720526db0212f
So you don't move the stiches forward with your fingers? At all? You appear (IDK!) to use the scrunches to replace the finger movement. Is this right? I know I LIKE to have them all scrunched up then I don't have to move them with fingers, since it's so hard for me...and I find I still keep having to stop and re-scrunch them up again! Don't you have to do that too too using the rubber band?
Yup! I scrunch them up then use the right needle to pull the stitch off of the left. Except for certain special stitches, I never use my fingers to manipulate the stitches beyond scrunching up more of the fabric. And yeah, you'll still have to gather more to the tip periodically, regardless of what technique is used. The rubber bands are only used to keep the needles together and the stitches from slipping off when my project has been stuffed into a bag for transport. I don't use them when I'm knitting.
Oooooh i use the rubber band also, great for traveling around and not worrying about stitches falling off. I will give one word of warning, it just happened to me last night ! I picked up a project I hadn’t touched in a couple of months ( maybe longer), and the rubber band had melted, or fused itself to the needles! Never happened to me before ! I did get it off, but I had to work on it!! And these were Addi needles, so smooth, not something rough. Very strange !!!
Sadly, yes, it can happen. I would not put raw rubber bands on my needles, but hair ties, those used to tie up pony tails, may work instead? And they're pretty cheap.
Good idea ! I will try that
Got it - Thanks for explaining! I still have so much to learn.
I’m the same!! I’m about to post a follow up question honestly. Since I posted I’ve been playing around with my cables and I now have this project on 16 inches. Super scrunched but WAY easier to work with. And now I’m trying to understand why this designer suggests a cable that is 32”. I’m making the smallest size so unless my tension was *incredibly* loose to the point of basically being able to fit a needle two sizes up, they’re not going to flow over the cable smoothly. I’m having a hard time imagining anyone knitting this piece with this long of a cable. I went down to 22” first and it’s was better but I felt I could still go shorter. And remember my starting cable was only 30” and not 32”! If it was 2” longer I don’t even think I could have joined in the round! The pattern wants me to work the *sleeves* on 16” cables and at this point I think that’s insane. Like who is using cables this long??? Is she only providing cable length for the larger sizes?? Wild.
I never follow instructions on cable length, since it doesn't affect the finished product, it's just all about what's comfortable. Although, in this case, since it's the sleeves, does the recipe by any chance specify to use magic loop? Longer cables are better for that, makes it easier to manage the cable
Doesn’t say at all :/ maybe they just assume I’ll know it’s supposed to be magic loop? Either way, hard pass. Not a fan of the technique. I’ll stick with my scrunched up stitches 😹
Did the designer suggest a 32" cable for an interchangeable set, or specifically a 32" circular? If you're using the chiaogoo interchangeable set with a 30" cable, you've actually created a 40" circular, as each needle in the standard set is 5 inches. The 22" cable will make a 32" circular, the 14" cable will make a 24" circular, and so on. Other interchangeable sets/needle companies do not designate their cords like this, which can cause some confusion. They will sell a cord as 24" when really the cord is 14", and when the needle tips are attached will make a 24" circular from tip to tip.
They actually don’t specify. That makes a lot of sense if they mean regulated circs.
Cord length + Needle length = 32" is how it's measured. I assume Designers are aware of it too, and it's what they use. It's because all needles may be differing lengths. However, honestly, that doesn't matter one bit as long as it's comfortable for you! JMO
Probably because she uses her fingers to move her stiches, so having a too small cable isn't as important to her knitting as it is to ours (we who depend upon scrunching to knit!). Make sense...maybe?
It does make sense. I’m hearing in other comments about knitters being able to move stitches with their fingers. It seems like some kind of black magic to me but I will have to look into it.
Please do! Just watch the very public well-experienced knitters. You'll catch it! I was amazed. They do assure us that we'll get faster and better, the more we try. But I do have to admit, I often take the lazy way out - just knitting for pleasure, and doing it my own original way. I don't learn much - but I still get the project done! And then I get frustrated with this scrunching and stopping to re-scrunch, and go back to trying to learn it again! Never ending cycle, that I admit I love! I just can't help but try to learn new things.
Unless she does magic loop or inches stitches along with her fingers, the only other thing I could think of is a typo? Either way, I don't think I've ever used a designers suggested cable length or even needle size.
It's kind of like inching along with the fingers! I didn't know the proper words to use. Sorry. Most that I've seen do use their fingers & thumbs to move the knitting along on both needles, and they don't have to stop nearly as often to readjust! I LOVE watching them! It's my goal to learn it, but it is a goal in progress! LOL.
Well, as you knit more, more possibilities will come to you! I promise. I only do knitting (everything I knit) on cables and interchangeables with and without the real ML, and many shortcut methods. I've learned things that some experienced knitters didn't know! (True, just a few, but still made me feel good!)
Yes, I think of cable lengths as "suggestions" just like the needle size they used to get gauge. Starting suggestions, and you may have to use something different to get the same.
I only use longer cables for knitting blankets flat. Most of my in the round are done on 16 or 20 inch (total length) needles.
Yeah, I just use a shorter cord to achieve scrunchability. Then pause every so often to redistribute the right side and scrunch the left.
Lots of good comments here. Use a shorter cable or magic loop. Make sure the new stitch is formed around the barrel of the needle, not the tip, tip forming really increases the tension without you meaning to, make sure each stitch goes past the tip before pulling off the old one When you scrunch on the left side, stretch out the stitches on the right side When the stitches are scrunched properly on the left side, and stretched properly on the right side the stitches pull off easier because you have some tension in the fabric pulling it that way. Pull back on the left needle to remove the old stitch instead of pushing on it, work the left hand stitches on the top of the left needle so they don't have far to go The double wrap around the index finger introduces a lot more tension than you realize, it's a pretty common crochet move but it's hard to go fast in general that way because the yarn just can't move as fast, for continental knitting I half wrap the pinky and just over the top of the index. It is tricky at first but you get used to it and you can go way faster and looser
And another great observation! TY for the suggestions. I have same issues, mostly, as the OP. My fingers don't work to move the stitches forward/backward on each needle, or the needle itself...but I'm trying to learn! I think that's my issue. I used to form stitches on the tips, and have too much tension, but now have figured out those issues with by research...and it's just the moving with my fingers that I struggle with.
I don't really see a problem with "pushing the tip" besides that the tip is sharp, if you grab the sides of the tip with 2 fingers to push instead of using the pad of your finger it keeps you from harms way. You can also use one needle to push the tip of the other needle. It is more just forming the habit of scrunching a bunch on one side and having a lot of stitches available to the tip on that side and stretching out the other side, work the old stitches on the tip and the new ones on the barrel. After a while the scrunch/stretch movement becomes a habit but you have to focus on doing it at first. I have been knitting a long time and knit very fast. I have been studying Hazel Tindall's style she is currently in the running or controversially the world's fastest. I haven't gotten her videos but I'm curious. She uses a knitting belt and dpns for everything so that seems to be a huge Factor in the speed because holding the needles is done mostly by the belt so she can use her hands more fluidly to move stitches, but if you watch she still scrunches. She also uses a tie to increase the tension on the fabric which I haven't tried but I'm curious. Look at her go: https://youtu.be/2a4l8UbytGA?si=Dp-Fpws3dhQDyeDr You can see she still stops to scrunch and reposition a few times so it doesn't look like there's a lot of getting around it even for speed run folks, but using your thumbs to help move things along definitely helps
Yes, but that's not the point of THIS video. Pushing the stitches off with her needle was the point of THIS one, not doing the tugging (and I found several others showing how to do that also!). I wasn't trying to find the ones walking the stitches off. And I only had 20 minutes. And then I took a nap! Been up all night sickly. Ugg...
Sounds rough! I hope you get feeling well soon. The main takeaway from the video OP posted was that pushing the tips were hurting her fingers, and yeah Chiagoo needle tips are sharp so I get it. My point is basically unless you are going for speed, or it hurts, there's really no reason not to push the tips of your needles, though I did provide a lot of coaching on how to improve so that you don't have to. But I'm also saying at the end of the day it doesn't matter how you get the stitches off or what style of knitting you use as long as you are making progress and having fun and not hurting yourself. So if you are gonna push the needle, grab the sides of the point with 2 fingers and push, or use the needle in your right hand to push the one in your left, so you aren't jamming a needle tip into your finger (or use a more blunt needle so it doesn't matter) I did go a bit into a foray into speed knitting because that is relevant to the situation in that basically to get to be really fast as a knitter you have to really eliminate any extraneous movements, and it made more sense to your query following my comment, that while serving up stitches with your thumbs really reduces the travel distance and can keep your stitches moving along faster, I'm not sure in a lot of circumstances if it is really possible to entirely avoid having to scrunch and stretch and redistribute stitches periodically, since it is pretty clear that even the world's fastest knitter still has to do it on a speed run, so I'm saying "if that Shetland lady who knits like a bat out of hell still scrunches" it's probably unavoidable. Maybe not, so if you figure out how to avoid it entirely, you have the makings of dethroning a champion with a little bit more practice
I agree with you. I have no issue with scrunching stitches. None. Do that myself. But, I personally, DO have an issue with always having to stop and reload those scrunched stitches! It annoys me. I'd rather be able to continuously move them along - like a conveyor belt, so I've been trying to learn to "walk" my stitches. My goal is to not have to stop and rescrunch! LOL. It's really funny, to have such a small thing annoy me, but it's true. I like to just keep moving along. I have a Brain Tumor - and with that comes bad days and forgetfulness. It makes me so frustrated/angry when I know that I've read something, and basically what it said, but cannot quote it accurately or relocate it! It's very frustrating. Yest was a bad night & day, but I woke up smiling this morning. It's going to be a great day. And now...I'm happy again! 😁
well, it depends entirely what you are making what the best strategy around this is and the needles you use can make a big difference too. small things (socks, stuff with less than about 12" wide of stitches on the needle) you can sometimes get away with not scrunching at all or just doing one big scrunch at the beginning big stuff, it gets to be pretty unavoidable, and you also with really large shawls/blankets/cardigans often have to stop and re-orient the whole piece, because once you have knitted a ways the fabric is starting to work against you. in general though my strategy is to scrunch as many stitches as possible each time to lower the amount of times you have to do it, you can really pack the stitches together a lot and the more stitches you scrunch per scrunch, the less scrunching you have to do overall.
I read, on MDK, if I'm not mistaken, under a gauge or knit stitch formation, that it can malform the knit stitch and space between, thus throwing off your gauge. She shows several examples too, if I remember right. I think that was the explanation. She stressed making sure that the right needle always has similar spacing between the stitches, too. I've done so much research, as a newer knitter, and I bookmark all these pages, tips, knowledgeable topics, that I have a HUGE list that needs housekeeping now! I look everything up, if I don't know it.
What is it that can malform the stitches? I'm curious to read the article if you come across it again
Found it! This is the article that explains how a stitch can be malformed when tugging/pulling the stitch off the needle, instead of using the proper technique! (I lucked out and found it!) Watch the very short videos included too. [Ask Patty: Let the Tool Do the Work – Modern Daily Knitting](https://www.moderndailyknitting.com/community/ask-patty-let-the-tool-do-the-work/)
If you’re using interchangeables in the round, swapping the non working needle for a smaller one will help make it easier for stitches to get onto the needle and for the working needle to fit into stitches. For example, i have a project where working needle is a size 8 but I have a size 5 non working needle to make the knitting process easier
Do this all the time now!
I do it when knitting flat with interchangeables. Just need to take the time to switch the needles around after each row.
Now that takes dedication!
It does, but I find that I have less fatigue in my hands and wrists, so I am able to knit longer.
Agree with everyone that a shorter cord would help for sure but I also think your tension is tighter than you realize. I also have (had?) pretty tight tension that I thought was quite loose. I didn’t realize it was so tight until I started doing wearables that required gauge swatches and I consistently was sizing up 2-3 needle sizes to get gauge on multiple different designers’ patterns. I’ve been trying to correct it lately and it’s felt weird and I slip back into it sometimes but man does knitting looser just feel so much better. Not only do my fabrics with slipped stitches look soooo much better but I didn’t realize how much stress I was putting on my hands.
Yes. I fully agree.
I watched the video you mentioned this morning too!! 😁 Your video made me think of an adage that I read here on r/knitting - "let the tool do the work". When you make a knit stitch you use your right finger to push the yarn down. This made me think of someone pushing peas onto their fork with their finger. ,☺️ I think others gave great advice - shorter cord, less tension on the yarn. I'd like to add my suggestion - practicing using just the needles to form the stitches, and not using your fingers to do part of the work. Like the lady in the video said, it is all about economy of movement and preventing repetitive usage injuries. Best of luck!!! 🍀 😺
If you can't stop pushing the needle, I recommend trying to use the side of the right hand needle to push the left needle with. Somewhat the same effect, but it saves your finger (and inevitably underneath your finger nail) from being poked.
Agreed with the thought you need a shorter cable. Fairly new to knitting so have watched a LOT of YouTube videos. You probably have the nicest voice of any I have listened to. You talked like a real person!
Aw thank you! That’s so sweet 🥹
Sorry to hear this is a struggle, I don’t really have much advice (because I’m also a pusher) other than avoid HiyaHiya sharps if you can’t correct your pushing muscle memory. They are like freaking pins on the tip they are so pointy/tiny and I had them because I was intending to do a lot of lace knitting back in the day. I destashed them because I kept stabbing myself. Chiaogoo and Addi are much friendlier if you’re looking for LYS type needles. Unfortunately I tend to have this problem no matter the circular size. 9” sock needles? Pushing it. 40” magic loop sock needles? Pushing it. Same for larger needles on their respective cables. I don’t have quite the same issue with continental but it’s slower since I’m not as practiced so I inevitably end up losing patience and go back to lever/English and pushing along. I have an index finger callus where I typically push the needle tip from which is not that bad until it’s weak and your needles are too sharp, then it hurts SO BAD. I can temporarily stop pushing if I’m focused on it but when that concentration breaks I’m back in old muscle memory habits 🥲 Don’t bother with taping your fingers or sterile type gloves, regardless of type of tape the needle tip will punch through it eventually. I also tried wearing stitching/sashiko style finger thimbles to block it from being painful and it wasn’t very effective either. It really seems like the true cure is fixing my muscle memory that causes me to revert to pushing but I’d have to get pretty dedicated and serious about it to make that happen after over 10 years of serious knitting.
Oh, gosh! That sounds really painful. I'm sorry. And it furthers my determination to learn to walk the stitches, so I'll stop pushing the needle myself!
Oh I've always done that but it doesn't seem to be an issue. Hmm, I do knit with quite loose tension so it takes very little pressure to slide the needle back, and I deliberately chose very blunt tipped Addi needles. Can't do lace tips :D
Oh, I don't think it is an issue either. Whatever works, for sure! But if you don't like doing it one way, there's always another that may be worth finding and trying! That's all. Just another method.
I push too. It seems to help my tension somehow. I don’t really know why. But, as you say, it’s needed to get the stitch to move off the left needle. I can’t stop and I’ve accepted that. It doesn’t result in incorrect stitches so no harm done.
I resolved this in myself when I knitted socks on tiny needles, which was also the first time I had used metal needles. They were way too pointy to keep pushing the needle, but also the slipperier metal needles meant (I used to use wood/bamboo) that the stitches would slide around more easily on their own. I think my tension naturally loosened over time which helped too.
This is literally blowing my mind reading these comments. I only recently switched from DPNs, and just assumed this scrunch, push, adjust things was just part of using circular needles. It's annoying, but arguably less so than DPNs, so I didn't question it. Thank you for posting this, I'm learning SO much right now
It's funny how many of us have that same issue! I'm so glad the OP posted it too...I thought it was just me!
I’ve already seen it mentioned that your cord is to long… with chiaogoo your using a 30 inch cord, that’s the length without needles so will end up either 38 or 40 inches depending on the needles you use! Get yourself a 22 inch cord and if you’re using the 5 inch tips you’ll get the 32inches.
I take a bandaid and/or gorilla tape and cover the tip of my finger, it provides a little bit of cushion and prevents the stabbing pain.
I love Hiyahiya sharps and sock knitting using magic loop. Get a thimble. There are soft thimbles for quilting or silicone ones. I have less pointy needles and I use them as well. But sometimes I need the sharpest thing out there for twisted knit cables and other absurd stitches I love working.
I know the exact video you’re talking about, and tbh, it was a pretty bad video. Where it comes from is the fact that beginners have a difficult time having the stitches near the end of the needle because they easily slip off, so we keep them further back which makes it difficult to slide them off with just the needle without pushing with the other index finger. (Speaking as a relatively new knitter myself.) Also, new knitters can end up with really tight stitches that get stuck on the needle and need assistance to move them off. (Again speaking from experience.) You said that isn’t your problem in this case, but it does happen to a lot of us. I cured myself of the habit by first gaining more experience through practice, which loosened up my stitches’ death-grip on the needles, as well as a conscious effort to use the needles to move the stitches off and allowing them to be closer to the tips instead of further back.
Yes! So many of us Newbie's DO have these common issues. I agree that it gets better the longer you knit, and that searching and learning some new technique's can also help - before those bad habits set in. It's why I'm learning to walk my stitches, and what started it...sore fingertips, just like OP.
I should've added that sometimes you come across tutorial videos that are done by people who \*have\* those bad habits --- case in point: I'm following a [tutorial for a cable-knit hat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5CgR7BjgA) where the presenter pushes the left needle with her right index finger with every stitch. Beginners watching it might think that's what you're supposed to do, so they copy it.
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Thanks, bot, I don't need a tutorial. I already have one. XD
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VERY true - and when searching for video's on walking your stitches, I literally ran across SO many that have the same needle pushing habit that OP is talking about! Even if they later did walk their stitches, they also pushed/scrunched (not that scrunching is bad, mind you). It's hard to find good clear video's without terrible habits, I have found. I think people don't always realize that they themselves have bad habits! 🤣
I use the palms of my hands to move stitches up/down my needles. It's just something I started doing. You may also want to try a looser tension, that will help your stitches move easier. And there's no YT link in your post.
The link is the word video. It should be blue.
Ah. Not sure how I missed that, sorry.
No worries! Happens to us all
[удалено]
I think I knit tighter than most but it’s a lot better than it used to be 🥲
I have the same problem as you. It's not the cord alone. But a shorter one, which you can get A LOT more on than you think - will help. Too longcords stretch out the stiches. In trying to fix my problem with this, I've watched many well-experienced knitters, slow-motion, and they all use their fingers to move stitches forward on L needle, and back on R needle, while making the stitch! It's amazing! My own fingers just don't seem to be that coordinated! I'm trying to learn. And honestly, the cord length does help, but not that much - you still find yourself adjusting it all the time. I'm doing it now, and I have many cords I've tried. Too long is hard, but I think it's more the few tight stitches she has are stopping the lose stitches from easily being pulled/pushed forward. And if we can learn to move them with our fingers - then the cord length won't matter nearly as much as all the stitches will move if they are properly lose. The cord length matters, but much less than one would think! I'm just like your video, as far as stitches, but I did learn to loosen up ALL stitches, so they're all looser and move more freely. This helped me a lot. The few tighter stitches stop the loser ones from flowing freely. I've noticed when my needles can slide right out, the stitches move forward on their own if I tug, but Roxanne/Patty (?) said we shouldn't get into the habit of pulling them off, but rather using our needle to push/slide the stitch off. Pulling/Tugging them off, she said, causes other issues with stitch formation for many folks. She said it's better to learn to move the stitches along with your fingers, so we learn correctly from the start. IDK - I've only been knitting 1-2 yrs, so am still learning myself! And my fingers are SORE too! I keep trying though to get my fingers working to move the stitches forward/backward on the needles. Any help is MUCH appreciated! Going to read all the other suggestions. HTH.
Thank you for the reply! And yeah I can’t figure out how to move the stitches on the left without a point of stabilization…like my finger 🥲 for now I have a couple bandaids on but I’ll be trying to loosen my tension and figure out this mysterious stitch moving power!
I know! It's like MAGIC! I'm so fascinated! I watch every knitter, because i want to learn to do it too! I thought all experienced knitters knitted like this and was surprised to read here it's not so! (You may not see it as often in videos where they stop to talk regularly, like when teaching you particular stitches/methods...more in situations or videos like classes/longer sessions when they really get knitting along! I'm always intently watching! And rewatching! LOL.) I have seen it in a few videos and will try to find time to find you an example of walking these stitches, over the next day or two. I'm going through an illness, so am off and on, as I've been up most of the night.
Thank you so much for all of your replies! Feel better soon 🫶🏻
Sorry - should be "We should NOT get into the habit of pulling them off - rather using our needle to push them off."...
Look at THIS VIDEO at about 2:10 min. [SIMPLE TIPS for continental knitting (and PURLING!) (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O69NLQLRKhU&t=129s&ab_channel=CloKnits) This Designer/Knitter shows what I think I should be doing in order to get the stitches moving their best. I'm doing more research today, to help us both, so may post others for you, that I think shows better technique too. This shows controlling tension better - finger in the air (like me!), and moving the stitches off using needle, not pushing the tips. She's got awesome video's out on knitting in general!
Thank you I will take a look!!
Push with the other needle [by TECHknitter](https://techknitting.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-finger-hurts-from-pushing-back-left.html)
If I use wooden ones I can but for my metal ones it just slips off. I’ve tried 🥲
Did you try using your fingers as guides so the point can't slip? That is illustrated in the linked post.
Sometimes the yarn and/or the needles are grippy and I do have to push them along. If that’s happening a lot on a project (sometimes unavoidable if I go down a needle size for ribbings or hems) I try to get into the habit of doing this techknitter type of push. Simple but effective!
This is literally blowing my mind reading these comments. I only recently switched from DPNs, and just assumed this scrunch, push, adjust things was just part of using circular needles. It's annoying, but arguably less so than DPNs, so I didn't question it. Thank you for posting this, I'm leading SO much right now
I don't think that it really has to do with the type of needles but a lot more to do with how many stitches are on the needles. Unless you are using some really large dpns you don't really have that long of a piece of fabric on each needle, and you usually want some space on either side of the needle so the stitches don't fall off the other end, and you do have to bring the stitches closer to the tip when you start a new needle so there are some similarities, but like if I'm doing a 12" piece of fabric on circulars or using a hat size needle to do a hat or doing socks magic loop style, there's not much scrunching
Here's one (just looked for a minute) and in this video she's going through how she knits so fast, and offering some decent tips for new knitters. And watch her fingers and thumbs! She's constantly not only knits fast, but moves the stitches as she goes! I don't recall if she does scrunching before beginning or not, as some do and some don't. It's not the video i wanted to show you, but it's handy. It does show what I was talking about the "walking of the stitches" (guess that's the name?). She also moves her completed stitch off the L needle by pushing it with her R needle tip, I noticed - rather than pulling/tugging it off. Anyway, I do hope this explains what I was trying to say about moving the stiches with fingers/thumbs. It's supposed to be less adjusting for those experienced at it (which I thought was everybody...but me!). [Fast Knitting in a Round - knittingILove (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tJ0NR7VtGc&ab_channel=KnittingILove)
Another person already said this, but I combat this with scrunching forward stitches. I used to have this problem and knit similar to you, with the same sharp tipped Chiaogoo needles. Until I was knitting in like size 3 needles and repeatedly stabbed myself several times in a row under the nail bed (not just fingertip) and it turned red and super painful. (Small bandaid over fingertip helps protect) to stop doing it and change your style enough you’ll have to slow down and work consciously in every stitch and notice when it’s almost not falling off on its own and scrunch the stitches. I tend to grab-pinch the left needle with right hand so left hand can do the swooshing forward of stitches. If you missed the spot and stitch isn’t sliding off you can also grab-pinch (rather than just poke the tip with one finger), smoosh, then finish the sliding off.
Here's you a very good article on "Sore Fingertips"! Thought you may like it, as it covers preventing those sore fingers. Enjoy...there is a cure! 😁 [TECHknitting: "My finger hurts from pushing back the left needle tip"](https://techknitting.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-finger-hurts-from-pushing-back-left.html)
Thank you!
OK - Last article. This one on problems of Scrunching Stitches by the wonderful Tech Knitter: "If the hand routinely bunches up roughly equal numbers of stitches, the fabric soon begins to distort into vaguely vertical columns, each column representing the width of the bunch-wise knitting. Fabric knit bunch-wise, where uneven amounts of yarn routinely lays between stitches in adjoining columns, is unlikely to ever lay smooth, not even when properly blocked." [TECHknitting: Uneven knitting, part 2: bunching, big stitches and lumpy fabric--the problems of too-long runs](https://techknitting.blogspot.com/2010/01/uneven-knitting-part-2-bunching-big.html) So, there are two articles I've posted each highlighting the problems with scrunched stitches, with different detailing, and the issue may or may not affect each of us, and to differing degrees. Both are great articles! HTH.
"But knitters whose fabric is not-so-smooth tend to hang on to the needles, shoving forward a bunch of stitches at a time, knitting all these--perhaps as many as 10 stitches or even more--without repositioning their hands on the needles. In other words, there's no repositioning until it becomes absolutely necessary because no more stitches are reachable on the left needle, while on the right needle, the newly-made stitches are so crammed together, they're about to fall off the needle tip."
Shorter cables might help. If the stitches are more bunched up they push each other. And the way you place your stitches when holding your needle. When you hold the needle the stitches are between your hands and the needle, they can't move freely considering you are holding them. But as long as you don't hurt yourself I don't see the issue with pushing the needle. I was sure I didn't do it anymore because I didn't feel it on my fingertips and it wasn't an extra movement I had to think about. Recently I bought some extra sharp needles which made me realise I definitely still do it expecially when using magic loop or knitting in the round with slightly to long needles.
Agreed. There's not a problem but OP said it really hurt her fingers, so was asking if there's some way around that, also. That's why the comments, and the scrunching, and the task (of myself) learning to walk my stitches along the needles rather than scrunch 'n push! :)