Of course, speed isn’t everything; enjoyment, relaxation, and creativity come high on the list too! But there’s no doubt that the faster you finish things, the more fun it is.
1 Are you sitting comfortably? If you’re too comfortable, squashed down into the sofa with your knees higher than your bottom, you won’t be in a good position for knitting. Sitting upright, with enough elbow room to wield the needles, will get you knitting comfortably.
2 Do you have the right needles? Short needles, long needles, circular needles; wood, plastic, or aluminum. Some people love the bendiness of bamboo; others find that the stitches spring more quickly along rigid needles. Try using different types of needles until you find what works best for you.
3 Some of the world’s fastest knitters use long needles and tuck the right needle under the arm, so that the right hand is free to shuttle the yarn around the needle. Try it and see if it speeds up your knitting.
4 Knitting in the round can be also be quicker because you don’t waste time turning the work and because the finishing is minimal.
5 New needles can slow you down. Give them a lick of furniture polish and a good rub with a soft cloth to break them in.
6 The nylon strand joining the tips of a circular needle can be irritatingly curly and springy. Smooth it out by dropping it into hot water, then pulling it through a dry cloth.
7 Try out different yarns. You might assume that the thicker the yarn, the quicker it will be to finish your knitting. While in some ways this is true because the stitches are big, actually making the stitches is slower. You’ll pick up speed and form the stitches more quickly with a medium-weight, springy wool or wool-mix yarn.
8 Always take the yarn from the center of the ball. You might have to fish for this end, but once the yarn is flowing freely, you don’t feel the weight of the ball of yarn, so your knitting will speed up.
9 Keep practicing until those first jerky movements flow together. Once you’re on auto-knit, the work will just grow.
10 Finally, your knitting will never grow if you leave it in a bag behind the sofa. Carry it with you! Don’t be shy, knit everywhere; then it’ll soon be finished.