Just curious

dturner · 02-28-2009, 10:32 PM

I noticed that AH1OZ had a poll posted asking us how we knit --English vs. continental. I have read that both right- and left- handers can knit either way since both hands are used. I've always been curious whether more left-handers knit continentally, and more English knitters are right-handed. So, which way do you knit, and are you right- or left-handed? I generally knit English style, and I am right-handed. I can knit continentally, but I haven't mastered the purl in continental yet!
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Jan in CA · 03-01-2009, 04:58 AM

I kind of an ambidextrous knitter I guess since I taught myself continental this week... I'm right handed and I used to crochet using the yarn in my left hand..

Songbirdy · 03-01-2009, 05:14 AM

I knit continental now, but knit English style for about 3 years. Interestingly enough, after watching the Irish Cottage Style videos... I knit more like that but in the Continental (left handed yarn holding) style. My style is very much a lever action. I figured it out, I'm knitting 150 sts per minute, if it is plain knitting.

I am right handed.

When I strand, I knit with both methods feeding the lesser used colour in my right hand and the more used colour/main colour with my left.

I also crochet.

thepurplegg · 03-01-2009, 08:37 AM

I knit English, but to change it up, I'm left handed. :D

Plantgoddess+ · 03-01-2009, 02:17 PM

I'm also left handed and I knit English. I crocheted left handed with the hook in my left and yarn in my right and holding the yarn in my right hand feels much more comfortable to me.

Woodi · 03-01-2009, 02:17 PM

I am right handed, and have been knitting 'Irish cottage style' for years, thinking I was knitting English-style. I learned from my Irish Grandma, guess that explains it.

I wonder how many knitters never stopped to ponder such questions.

YarnKitten · 03-01-2009, 03:49 PM

I hold the yarn in my right hand and I'm right handed. I've tried it the other way, but I can't seem to convince the needles to catch the yarn. :P

My mother is a born left hander, forced ambidextrous (schooling made her use her right hand when she was younger) and she knits with the yarn in her right hand, too.

RuthieinMaryland · 03-01-2009, 06:36 PM

Hi!

I'm right-handed and switched to Conti knitting about a year and a half ago and absolutely LOVE IT! It's so "efficient" and the motions can be smoothed out to the point that it's like floating along.

I, too, had some difficulty with the Conti purl, until I saw this ...
videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuRLF...eature=related

Once I reviewed this video I was off and flying! It was well worth that initial feeling of awkwardness when learning the new method!

Try it and see!

Ruthie

dturner · 03-03-2009, 03:01 AM

Thanks for all your replies ! Thanks so much, Ruthie, for the video suggestion. It does do a great job of showing how to purl conti!