Learning to knit all over again....

It doesn't look like much, and this is a rubbish pic done on my partner's laptop camera; but to me it's a bit of a miracle. This is the first bit of knitting I have ever done using the 'lever arch' or 'Irish cottage' method. I have always been a 'thrower'. Over the years I've learned not to actually drop the right hand needle or yarn - I kind of support that right hand needle with my other fingers and in my lap, depending on the project and developed a simple finger wrap for tension. It's worked for me pretty well. But, every now and then I think I'd really like to go faster. My Mum used the english 'lever arch' method where you hold the right hand needle like a pencil. I never had patience with it. My hands always felt stiff and reluctant, and I didn't seem to be able to make the yarn loop over the needle enough. But, I've been messing about with it again, and tonight, suddenly, it all came right. It's very interesting and exciting. The tension in this is way way tighter than my usual knitting, which is weird, but bound to come in handy once I get good control of it. And I can finally feel, despite the newness of it, that this is going to be much much faster. Which is good, as christmas is coming!