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Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

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DIY FYI: Finger Knitting

January 8, 2014 3 Comments

How to Finger Knit, a.k.a. Crochet Without a Crochet Hook

Don’t own a crochet hook or knitting needles? You can still crochet and knit! Lately, arm knitting has become quite the hot topic of discussion, and you can easily knit up a variety of accessories using a loom made of popsicle sticks and recycled paper tubes. A third way to hack knitting that I was particularly fond of as a teen is finger knitting. A group of friends and I actually started a project at one point in middle school to see if we could work together to make the world’s largest ball of finger knitting. I don’t think we got that far, but our ball of finger knitting was bigger than a basketball and weighed a TON.

How to finger knit

In knitting & crochet terms, finger knitting is basically just making a chain stitch with your fingers instead of using a needle or hook. It’s super simple. This animation shows the full process all together, and you can follow it step by step below that.

How to Finger Knit, a.k.a. Crochet Without a Crochet Hook

1. Start with a slip knot.

How to Finger Knit, a.k.a. Crochet Without a Crochet Hook

2. Put the loop of the slip knot on one of your pointer fingers. Flip the long tail of your yarn over your finger next to the slip knot loop as shown.

How to Finger Knit, a.k.a. Crochet Without a Crochet Hook

3. Pull the slip knot loop over the yarn next to it…

How to Finger Knit, a.k.a. Crochet Without a Crochet Hook

4. … and pull on the short tail (not crazy hard, though) to tighten.

How to Finger Knit, a.k.a. Crochet Without a Crochet Hook

5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 until your finger knitting is as long as you want it to be.

How to Finger Knit, a.k.a. Crochet Without a Crochet Hook

6. Finish by pulling the tail of your yarn through the open loop and tightening to secure. That’s it!

How to Finger Knit, a.k.a. Crochet Without a Crochet Hook

One side of the finger knitting will have little ridges on it, and the other will look like a series of V’s.

How to Finger Knit, a.k.a. Crochet Without a Crochet Hook

A little story about my Great Grandma and finger knitting

Writing this post just dislodged a memory of my Great Grandmother, who was an amazing knitter who lived from 1900 to 2002, when I was 14. During my ill-fated world record finger knitting attempt, when she was just about 100, I remember bringing some finger knitting on a visit to her house. I showed her what I was working on and she said of course she knew about finger knitting, though she didn’t call it that. She used to make lengths of finger knitting to tie her children’s mittens together inside their winter jackets so they didn’t loose them in the snow.

Ironically, the one finished piece of knitting I have of my great grandma’s is a single mitten my grandpa James, her youngest son, managed to loose the other of almost immediately when he was as little boy. Here’s that mitten, which I hear she whipped up in just an hour or two, colorwork and all! Based on the size of the mitten and my grandpa’s birth year of 1928, this little guy was probably knitted in the mid-1930s. This was probably knitted on a set of heavy double pointed metal needles in about a size 2, if I had to guess. Isn’t that amazing?!

A mitten knitted in the 1930s, photographed Jan. 2014.

Filed Under: Crochet, DIY FYI, Knitting, Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: 101, chain stitch, crafts, crochet, diy, diy fyi, easy, finger knitting, Knitting

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Laurie

    January 8, 2014 at 3:35 pm

    That is really awesome.

    Reply
  2. Martha

    January 27, 2014 at 3:47 pm

    So beautiful…

    Reply
    • Heidi

      January 27, 2014 at 6:25 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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handsoccupied

Helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010
🧶 Really into intarsia
Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop the latest patterns ⤵️

Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, my contribution to the new book Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town, out now! 🎃💀 
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I’m hosting a knit along (KAL) October 1-29 for anyone who’d like to knit this vest along with a group & learn a little about intarsia while we’re at it. I’ve got weekly tutorials planned to help you knit this worsted weight sweater vest, and there’s a prize package giveaway at the end for KAL participants too. Details are on my site - you know where to find the 🔗 I think. 😉
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Book by @tanisknits 
Publisher @insighteditions 
Yarn @brooklyntweed Imbue 
Find it wherever fine books are sold. 
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#handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmas #intarsia #sweatervest #knittingpattern #knittingbook #spiralhill #knitting_inspiration #knitting
Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs closet after this weekend’s quick tutorial, here are few. ✂️ The tutorial is one post back in my feed as a video.
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As you can see, I didn’t worry about the wire hangers all being perfectly uniform, but it doesn’t matter to me. Also, this closet holds a lot! Despite that, it is already at capacity. Since the hanging bags don’t appear to be recyclable, I want to reuse them as long as possible. Who knows, maybe this will be a way to limit my WIPs? 😅
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P.s. In the third photo you can see how I use this system to store the original swatches, scraps, yarn ball bands, & notes from a design project all together. 
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#handsoccupied #wips #craftstorage #yarnstorage #yarncrafts #knitting_inspiration #craftstudio #craftroom #craftcloset
How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with jus How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with just a few supplies ✂️
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When I was a librarian, we would use these hanging bags to circulate books with audiobook CDs. They came to mind when I wanted to develop a filing cabinet-like system for my differently-sized WIPs. To fit in my studio closet, a standard bedroom closet, they just needed custom hangers. 🤙🏻 
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HOW TO MAKE THE HANGERS
1. Carefully cut approx. a 9” (23 cm) length of flexible 3 mm aluminum wire.
2. Near the end of a large knitting needle or dowel, wrap the wire around it as you would a twist tie. 
3. Bend the other end into a hook shape, perpendicular to the circle shape you just created. 
4. Hang like a hanger in a closet, as shown. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration #craftcloset #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #craftroomdecor #crocheter #latchhook #knittersofinstagram #wip #wips #hangingstorage
It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! T It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! This go around, get to know two new sister yarns from @manosyarnsusa, Marla and Sami, and enter to win a skein of each to try for yourself. 
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What makes these yarns sisters is that, while dyed differently, they’re the same weight and come in intentionally coordinating color palettes. For my review, I opted for a sky-inspired combo of Sami in Natural and Marla in Nube. 🌧️ 
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Check out the full review & enter the giveaway at the link in my bio. 
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#handsoccupied #yarnreview #manosdeluruguay #knitting_inspire #crochet #yarngiveaway #knitters #yarn #crochetersofinstagram
If only knitting a whole project took 39 seconds… 😮‍💨 
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In this video, you can see how the Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern knits up - two flat panels, one with intarsia, both are blocked, and then they’re seamed. Find the pattern on @hi.ravelry & my website, just search Intarsia Flower Pillow. 🌸 
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P.S. I’m really smiling in this video while seaming the pillow, so I guess I’m proving last week’s claim that I truly enjoy that sometimes-dreaded task. 😆🫣
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