Finger Knitting

Project Discipline: Fiber Arts
​Ages: All ages
Difficulty level: easy
Supplies: any yarn, your fingers, scissors

Who needs fancy knitting needles when you can just use your fingers?! Let's get started with the how-to, and then we'll set you free to make your own knitted creations!  This activity produced by Lauren Bailey, 4-H Leader and fiber art extraordinaire in Kodiak, Alaska.

First thing's first! ​Find the free end of your yarn. 
 
Pinch the end of the yarn between your thumb and pointer finger. The tail should be facing the back. 

​Take the end connected to your ball and weave the yarn in-between your fingers working towards your pinky. Under 1, Over 2, Under 3, Over 4

​Weave back towards your thumb. Under 4, Over 3, Under 2, Over 1. 

​Repeat so that there are two rows of yarn on your fingers

Next you are going to pull the bottom loops up and over the top loops, beginning with your pointer finger (Finger 1)

​Repeat for all your fingers. Drop the yarn being held by your thumb. It won’t go anywhere! Weave in between your fingers like before. Repeat pulling the bottom loop up and over the top. Keep repeating until your piece is as long as you want or you run out of yarn. 

When you are ready to finish, cut the yarn leaving a tail about 8 inches long. 

​Bring the tail under the loop on Finger 1 from top to bottom.

​Pull the loop off of your finger.

​Repeat with the rest of your loops. When all the loops are off of your fingers, pull the end tight. This will keep your loops from going anywhere. Your finger knitting is complete!

There are tons of things you can make with finger knitting.  Now that you know the basics, do a quick search on finger knitting projects, and see what patterns you can find.  A quick Pinterest search brought up some ideas shared below, and the photo up top has a link to some other great ideas.

Remember, practice makes perfect! Show us your creation on the Alaska 4-H Facebook page!