Continental Method vs. English Method

[carla25]

Being a beginner to knitting, I am curious to know the pros and cons of each of these methods. I am being taught the English way, but want to make sure this is the method I want to use.

[suzeeq]

It's not a `brain' decision, it's how comfortable and natural you feel with a method. I'd say learn one way, and after you get some experience with it, try the other method. You don't have to do either one or the other; some of us do some combination of both for different types of knitting.

[redheadrachel]

I think English is easier to learn, so I think that starting out English is fine. It's how most peoplee start out.

I also agree with suzeeq (as usual!!! lol) that once you've learned one way, it's beneficial to at least know how to do the other type (I use both hands in Fair Isle - with one color in each hand, I use Continental for one yarn and English for the other) and if you decide that you prefer Continental, then it would be fine to go with that.

For many people, Continental is faster, so that's definitely a plus. However, when I knit Continental, the tips of my fingers hurt from pushing the pointy needle tips. I find English knitting very therapeutic, and for me, it feels know knitting is supposed to be.

[knitwit628]

It's not a `brain' decision, it's how comfortable and natural you feel with a method. I'd say learn one way, and after you get some experience with it, try the other method. You don't have to do either one or the other; some of us do some combination of both for different types of knitting.

I agree! I do english but that was what I was taught and it came easily to me. So, I feel comfortable with it. Maybe try both and see which you like better.

[PCwombat]

I knit and first learned continental. While it took me a few weeks to get how to hold the yarn down, I'm so glad I learned this method. I can knit pretty fast.

If you're learning to knit English, there's no downside to it. The first part of learning to knit is understanding how everything fits together. After you know that, you can experiment with the different styles.

[Julie]

I think it just depends on the person -- I found English incredibly hard to learn. If I hadn't found Amy's continental videos, I most likely would have quit knitting. Continental just felt sooo much more natural to me -- I caught on right away. I always tell people that learning is frustrating, that's normal -- but if it really sends you over the edge, you might want to try a method other than the one you started with...worked for me! :D

[redwitch]

I would suggest to most people that they try Continental out before they have become too accustomed to knitting English, and become equally used to both before you decide which you prefer. If you know how to knit English you might find Continental awkward from the first row and not keep trying. I certainly find Continental faster, especially for ribbing or seed stitch, where you frequently change between knit and purl.

[dakatzmeow]

learn conti before english becomes second nature. that's how i did it and i will never regret knowing how to do it both ways.

[Limey]

Hi

This is one of those subjects that comes up again and again and most people, naturally, when they see photos and videos of English knitting are more familiar with Miss Marple's method - holding the needles like a pen.

There are very few (maybe two or three) descriptions on the web of (northern) English knitting, which involves holding long needles in a totally different way, even though the wrap the remains the same.

There's a drawing here to give some idea of what I'm on about:(just scroll down the page slightly)

http://techknitting.blogspot.com/200...rth-round.html

If you look at the knitter's right hand, you'll see that the index finger is used to wrap - most women I know who knit like this, however, use the middle finger to wrap. The middle finger in the drawing looks curled under and it is - I tension the wool around my right pinky, the yarn lies across my palm and then it flows smoothly under my middle finger.

The main advantage to knitting like this, as opposed to the pen method, is that the needle is stabilised under your right arm - meaning that if you have a yarn bracelet, as in the KH shop, you can walk around with the knitting and after some practice, it's amazing how you can do a good number of stitches without looking.

There's no need to hug the needle tightly (especially if you're delicately ample) and it takes away alot of the weight from the wrists. In the drawing, the left needle is pointing directly upwards, which is a bit daft, because that needle is held in the left hand in an easy, horizontal, grip.

I'm not 100% sure but I think English knitters adapted the Shetland method of knitting with four dpns, using a belt which allowed the knitter to move around and do other jobs.

The way of knitting in the diagram was used in the horrendously noisy weaving sheds in the cotton mills of Lancashire, where it was impossible to have any conversation but using this method, it was easy to knit, while keeping an eye on the weaving looms.

Hope this might be useful to some folks.

Ellie

[Cristy]

I agree that it's mostly what you are comfortable with--I find conti much more comfortable than Eng but in my SNB, I'm the only continential knitter! I think learning both ways is a good idea--what's most important, IMHO, is that you UNDERSTAND what you are doing moreso than just going through the motions.