Holding yarn (cont. knitting) + crooked pinky =

[TraceMama]

slipping yarn + extreme pain! :yes2 :pout

I've been working on my very first simple knitting project and practicing continental knitting, but my yarn keeps slipping off my pinky and my hand keeps aching (carpal tunnel).

I finally figured out why --- my pinky is totally crooked (because it's been broken so many times) and curves *away* from my ring finger. To hold it close to my ring finger in order to keep the tension on the thread is absolutely impossible. :sigh

So, how else can I hold the yarn? :help

I realize the answer might be to do English knitting, but I'm not quite ready to give up continental yet. :shifty

[backtobasicsmum]

:think Hmmm...that's tricky! Could you wrap it around your ring finger instead?

[TraceMama]

I looked on youtube and found a hold that might work. :think It does wrap between the pinky and ringfinger, but it wraps around the outside of the pinky, over the ringfinger, under the middle finger and then over the index finger. :shrug3 I had a little carpal tunnel pain last night, but I'm working to adjust my hold. :shrug3 We'll see. :think

[Wonder Woman]

I wrap over my two first fingers (pointer and middle), under my ring and pinky, and then once (or even twice, with slippery yarn) around my pinky.

[allisonintx]

I don't tension the yarn at all :bag unless I'm making socks. Loose tension can be mitigated by smaller needles to achieve the same gauge.

[Wonder Woman]

top view, with the yarn wrapped around once:

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/gentlemama03/kh2.jpg

alternate view, with the yarn wrapped around twice:

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/gentlemama03/IMG_20110220_100252.jpg

(excuse the messy house, and my around-the-house-only wedding band :giggle Am I the only one who won't wear my 'real' one while I'm knitting, typing, or doing chores? It just gets in the way!)

[Punkie]

I don't wrap around my pinky at all. I go over my pointer (not wrapped around) and once around my ring finger.

[believer]

English knitting might work, but for me continental is best because I injured my right arm in a car wreck years ago and continental has less movement of that arm. Like Allison said, you can do continental without putting tension on the yarn - just let it hang and don't worry about the pinky - I sometimes do that and it works fine for me.

[Punkie]

I tried searching on swagbucks for pictures (to post here), and when I searched, this thread came up on the first page. I found the question rather than the answer. :P~

[TraceMama]

:grouphug Thank you all for the great suggestions! :) I'm still working my way out of a "right" way to do things and needed all of these possibilities today. :heart

I'll try each and every one. :yes

And :woohoo for swagbucks search! I'm going to try it now too :giggle

---------- Post added at 12:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:57 PM ----------

:think My Swagbucks search isn't turning it up. :scratch :shrug3

[Punkie]

It was a long search, something like "continental knit hold ring finger yarn" :crazy Yep, just tried it. That brings up this thread on the first page.

[Marielle]

I wrap it like Reb minus one wrap around the pinky (I do have 2 threads around my pinky I think I saw 3 on yours Reb, I might have seen it wrong). And Tracey I find my pinky naturally spreads away from my hand in order to h old onto the needles thus the slight wrapping and the position of my pointer is what tensions the yarn not my pinky.

Although as you've seen from the responses on this thread if you're relaxed/comfy and the item is coming out then your hold is great. :shrug3

eta: I was wrong, I hold it just like Reb. What I though was another line of yarn is just the shadow of her ring. Reb just call it the formal jewelry and then the cocktail ring. :giggle

[TraceMama]

(excuse the messy house, and my around-the-house-only wedding band :giggle Am I the only one who won't wear my 'real' one while I'm knitting, typing, or doing chores? It just gets in the way!)

Thanks for the pics! :heart Pretty nails! Um, what messy house? :scratch I usually take off all rings to knit or do anything else in the house. :yes

Punkie, does your yarn go under or over your middle finger before it wraps around your ring finger? :shifty

[Wonder Woman]

I'm on the phone to Punkie right now and she said it goes over her middle finger :giggle

[UltraMother]

When I knit continental, the yarn goes over my ring finger, under middle, over pointer, and then I tip my hand up to tension it a bit.

[Marielle]

Bah this is why it's hard to teach others because after a while you're not conscious of what you're doing yourself.

Upon further observation I bring the thread between my middle and pointer for then over my pointer at the final wrap. :P~

[UltraMother]

Bah this is why it's hard to teach others because after a while you're not conscious of what you're doing yourself.

Upon further observation I bring the thread between my middle and pointer for then over my pointer at the final wrap. :P~


:giggle

I had to go pick up some knitting to see what I actually did.

[mipennsn]

:giggle

I had to go pick up some knitting to see what I actually did.

Me too.

I hold the yarn between my pinky and ring, over then under pinky, over ring, under middle, over index.

My mil just wraps the yarn around her hand.

[Punkie]

Sorry! It goes under my middle finger. Over the pointer, under the middle finger, under and around my ring finger.

[melliethepooh]

You could just wrap with your left hand. That's how I purled until I figured it out.

[ArmsOfLove]

I tried to video chat you to show you how I hold it--I don't even use my pinky :shrug3 Next time we're on I'll have to show you. But try to do it today because my hair looks great :giggle

[Punkie]

But try to do it today because my hair looks great :giggle

:tu :giggle

[TraceMama]

I tried to video chat you to show you how I hold it--I don't even use my pinky :shrug3 Next time we're on I'll have to show you. But try to do it today because my hair looks great :giggle

:giggle Well, your hair will have to be awesome enough for both of us. ;) You're cracking me up! :lol

[Mama Rophe]

http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2009/09/09/how-we-knit-throwing-or-picking.aspx

Here's a few pics that show different ways to hold the yarn.

[TraceMama]

I also just have to say that I'm practically :happytears here at the help you all are giving me. :grouphug This is some kind of awesome knitting circle! :heart