Continental vs English Style knitting - Page 2

cam90066 · 02-02-2008, 01:31 PM

I'm exactly like annomalley. Cont is too loose for me given my left hand never gets a feel for the tension. (If I could work in reverse, being right handed, perhaps that'd work!) I prefer to move the yarn with my right hand than manipulate the entire needle, and whatever is hanging on it.

cam

swellest · 03-17-2008, 05:27 PM

Knit4Pie · 03-17-2008, 05:59 PM

I'm trying to learn Continental, just because it looks so quick and easy when I see others do it. I have the basic idea, but just having trouble 'hooking' the yarn to pull it through. Sometimes it goes really easy, and then between one st and the next, it just won't work properly. Purling in Continental is beyond me for the moment. I'm going to try and get the knitting down pat before attempting the purl st again.

Arielluria · 03-17-2008, 06:04 PM

I only knit Continental so I can't really answer the tightness question except to say that it seems that English knitters do seem to knit tighter. I do wish that I had learned English first because it would be nice to give a hand a break if I'm getting a cramp in it. So if you are teaching yourself still, I hear it's good to learn English first, otherwise you won't ever want to give up Continental for English. Continental also seems to be faster.

Plantgoddess+ · 03-17-2008, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by Arielluria

I only knit Continental so I can't really answer the tightness question except to say that it seems that English knitters do seem to knit tighter. I do wish that I had learned English first because it would be nice to give a hand a break if I'm getting a cramp in it. So if you are teaching yourself still, I hear it's good to learn English first, otherwise you won't ever want to give up Continental for English. Continental also seems to be faster.

Unless of course you are the Yarn Harlot. She knits english and is amazingly fast.

Arielluria · 03-17-2008, 06:21 PM

Yes, I've seen the video of her Cottage Style knitting. Mind-blowing!

campbellmom549 · 03-17-2008, 10:15 PM

I learned English first and swtiched to Continental. I find that I knit tighter in Cont. When I make a conscious effort to make sure the stitch I'm making is all the way on my right needle as opposed to right at the tip before I slide the stitch off the left needle, my stitches don't come out quite as tight.

Originally Posted by Wenda

I'm trying to learn Continental, just because it looks so quick and easy when I see others do it. I have the basic idea, but just having trouble 'hooking' the yarn to pull it through. Sometimes it goes really easy, and then between one st and the next, it just won't work properly. Purling in Continental is beyond me for the moment. I'm going to try and get the knitting down pat before attempting the purl st again.

I had a lot of trouble with this at first, too. Make sure that when you hook the yarn and bring it back through that you get a good downward angle with your right needle. It'll help hold onto the stitch.

Wanda Witch · 03-17-2008, 10:41 PM

Old Wanda Witch here hit the wrong button (thanks instead of reply), but I still DO thank everyone for their remarks regarding continental vs English knitting. After returning to knitting after many years I went back to what I knew, meaning English-style knitting but this old dog has learned a new trick. Continental knitting. I admit, the purling is still a bit of a chore and not as fast as the knitting, but IF I can master this I think anyone can. I found a video of the 'Finnish' style continental knitting I find a lot easier to manipulate. I have yet to try my new-found style of knitting on anything except my practice thingy, but intend to with the next project. Keep it up, I did and you can do it too.

Newbie2Knitting · 03-17-2008, 10:42 PM

I knit both ways. I learned English first but recently changed over to Continental. I knit looser using Continental but really prefer it over English. I do it thisway so it's almost like Irish Cottage Knitting but holding the yarn in your left hand. Pretty quick once you get used to it & there's very little movement in both the knit and the purl stitch.

higgsri · 07-13-2011, 04:52 PM

I have recently switched from English to Continental, and find Continental much looser (which is fine - my English is very tight).

The best tip I got for learning Continental (especially purl), is to wrap the yarn around your left hand so that the yarn always goes over both your middle and index fingers (assuming you use the index finger to push the yarn down), not under the middle and over the index as in crochet. This made all the difference. You can configure the rest however you like for the tension that works for you.

I'm still not comfortable using Continental for cables though: my one attempt was a disaster.