Saturday, March 22, 2008

42 Stitches Per Minute

I knit with the English Method - in other words 'I'm a thrower' - and at a good clip I can knit 42 stitches per minute.

Why am I saying this? No reason really. Well, maybe it's because I suddenly realize I have a handful of baby hats to knit and I'm trying to get them done as fast as I can!


So how about you? Do you throw or pick? I'm curious to know how fast a Continental Knitter (a picker) can go. I think there are like speed knitting contest out there. Wonder how fast they can go?! Wonder if they all pick? Anway, I've always wanted to try switching methods just because I heard the Continental is way is faster and easier but I aways go back to throwing.

Maybe I'll still switch one day but for now, the English Method suits me just fine!

19 comments:

~*Sarah*~ said...

well :) I do some variation on continental I guess. ...almost throwing contintental I guess ;) lol

Now you've made me curious and I'll have to go sit and time myself :)

peaknits said...

I am a continental girl - I am not sure how many stitches per minute I can crank out though:) I have watched you throwers and it looks more complicated to me, more movements - I think I am two lazy to be a "thrower" when I can just lay around and "pick" all day:) I have tried it and they both work - so I vote it's a wash! hee hee

Anonymous said...

I'm a left-handed English thrower! Which surprised me when I was learning to knit a few months ago - I really thought I'd go with Continental, but I was used to holding the yarn in my right hand due to my very bad attempts at crochet. *sigh*

I can go fast with baby hats because they're so easy! Yay - easy!

knit_chick said...

I knit Continental. I've tried English, but it's awkward to me... but I love watching English knitting, especially when it's fast!

Denise said...

My mom taught me the English method (cos ya know, we're from England ;)
I can't for the life of me hold the yarn for the continental method, I just can't get it!

Annie said...

I'm sure you've got me beat (i'm slower than slow) but now I'm curious how many I can do. I was taught Continental and did just fine with it but then switched to English so that my knitting friend could help me (she's a thrower) so now I wish I could go back since it is faster...but I think it's harder when purling ?? so maybe English is the way to go. Love your pic of flying hands.

Anya said...

I'm proud to say I'm continental... in every sense of the word.

Anonymous said...

I throw but wish I could pick! It looks much faster. Alternatively, I wish I had a knitting machine... :)

kaetrn said...

i knit continental...just knitting and purling is at a good speed...but sometimes it is hard to learn new techniques...no one else i know knits continental and it is hard for them to teach me!

Auntly H said...

I learned to throw from my Grandma. Much later, I learned to pick, which I find faster (especially for things like ribbing and seed stitch). On the rare occasion I do fair aisle, I throw one color and pick the other.

Cinnamonamon said...

I have a strange throw/pick combination of continental going on over here. I'm not sure how fast I am...I'll have to time myself!

Nifty pic -- it that your karate sweater? It looks super cozy. :)

tina said...

I often wish I could knit continental, I can manage the knit but the purl sort of leaves me standing there! :) I have never timed myself, interesting!

a friend to knit with said...

oh. i throw. but i sure wish i would take the time to perfect my picking. i just feel faster throwing.
now i am curious too. :)

Anonymous said...

I knit continental, and I am pretty sure that I can knit more than 42 stitches pr minute cause I am a very fast knitter, but of course it depends on what I am knitting.

Randi~Dukes and Duchesses said...

I'll have to try continental ... it looks faster, for sure. I wonder if the tension would be as even.

Oiyi said...

I think that I will always be a thrower.

hook and needle said...

I never knew there were kinds! I am a thrower, but didn't know it until I looked at your links. I wonder if I could teach myself picking...
If I didn't have a mess of quilts to do, I'd time myself. I think I can crochet really fast though.

Ally Jay said...

I can do both English and continental. I can even do the reverse Continental where you don't have to turn the needle to purl. I think both have their merits. I'm a leftie and definitely find picking easier but I only learnt last week. In the round I can do about 80 stitches a minute picking compared to about 35- 39 throwing. Just make sure you stick to the same method for a garment coz the tension can vary, or at least it does for me.

Unknown said...

I don't do either. I just covet those of you who can. That is a pretty cool picture though. I love that.

You are definitely talented. 42 stitches.....seriously. WOW!