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You have a very lovely and evocative painting style, creating a muted, contemplative effect. Though working within a fairly narrow value range, you've handled it deftly, appropriately separating lights and shadows, most notably in the face and hair. And you've made an attractive selection of colors.
You've specifically asked about the hands and the knitting. Though you're working in relatively loose, impressionistic style, some attention probably needs to be brought to bear on the gesture of the hands, to indicate a bit more accurately the manner in which the knitting needle might be held -- for example, I would expect too see the index finger lying more alongside the needle, for control, and the other fingers somewhat curled underneath. Right now it appears that the needle on the viewer's right lies instead in the palm of the hand.
And yes, I think I would go to some trouble to define the knitting needles, and my instinct would be to use the edge of an appropriate-size painting knife, for two reasons: you'll have a shot at getting an extremely thin and straight line, and you will in the same stroke lay down the slightest ridge of paint, which will have a reflective quality that might in turn help create a light effect suggesting the smooth, shiny surface of the needles. By the way, on the far left end of the needle on the viewer's left, use a relatively darker color to paint the needle against that yellow background, even if the "real" needle is silver or white.
And yes, too, I think you should experiment with the lower right corner. Right now it's kind of a no-color, empty space into which the young woman appears in danger of falling. Perhaps a very small table, even with a skein of wool, another needle stuck into it, to enhance the suggestion of the knitting activity; a darker cast shadow beneath the table would then be "explainable".
There appears to be a little bit of sinking in of some of the colors, especially the red garment that she's working on. You may need to bring it back up a bit with retouch varnish, and go back in and restate some of the shadow shapes that define folds and creases in that material.
As I said, very lovely.
Steven
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