Different styles/methods of knitting

[Eccie]

I think there, at time, seems to be a bit of "snobbery" attached to continental knitting. Now please don't jump all over me because I don't mean here. But I have had, on several occasions, someone come up to me whilst I was knitting, peer over my should and say " I knit CONTINENTAL" as if it were the end all be all and sign of a true knitter. I even had someone say to me to too long ago that they were a "real" knitter because they didn't "throw" their yarn.

I knit because I enjoy it, not for speed or to see how many items I can crank out. While I find the Yarn Harlot's speed impressive I also think it would be tiring and not so much fun.

Knitting style should be a matter of personal preference not a competition. I would someday like to learn COntinental but only so I can say "I tried it" but for now I am a happy ENGLISH knitter!

Well said

[knitpurlgurl]

I think there, at time, seems to be a bit of "snobbery" attached to continental knitting. Now please don't jump all over me because I don't mean here. But I have had, on several occasions, someone come up to me whilst I was knitting, peer over my should and say " I knit CONTINENTAL" as if it were the end all be all and sign of a true knitter. I even had someone say to me to too long ago that they were a "real" knitter because they didn't "throw" their yarn.

I knit because I enjoy it, not for speed or to see how many items I can crank out. While I find the Yarn Harlot's speed impressive I also think it would be tiring and not so much fun.

Knitting style should be a matter of personal preference not a competition. I would someday like to learn COntinental but only so I can say "I tried it" but for now I am a happy ENGLISH knitter!

I'm sure not ALL continental knitters are this way - but I've run into this as well. When I used to knit at 2 different yarn shops, I got comments that basically added up to me not being either a serious knitter or a good knitter because I throw. I LOVE to throw.

Bottom line: It's ALL good if we knit!!! It wouldn't matter if someone knitted with their toes to me. Knitters are like the yarns they knit with: Some are thin. Some are chunky. Some are fuzzy. Some are scratchy. Some are flashy. And some are subdued. But in the end they are all yummy!

[of troy]

first, Thank you for acknowledging there are other styles of knitting besides European. (and for the record both english and continental are European styles)

I knit combo. my purl stitches are wrapped 'differently' (the long way (clockwise) not the short way (over the top) (conterclockwise)

this results in my stitches (on rows after a purl stitch) being mounted with FRONT (leading edge of stitch) in back.


I can knit european (that is i can (and sometimes do!) purl so that my purl stitch is mounted with leading edge in front of work.

i can also purl in the norwegian style (but that style results in a standard leading edge in front stitch)

and i can (and occationally practice doing!) work purls stitches with my thumb (portugues/mid eastern/greek style)

i also knit backwards (aka true left handed)that is work stitches from RIGHT NEEDLE onto the LEFT (vs standard work stitches from LEFT NEEDLE on the the Right handed on)

What i don't do well (aver some 45 years of knitting !) is work with the yarn held in my right hand.

all my knitting is done with yarn held by left hand.

but i don't think any of this matters!
what matter is can a knitter knit?

when they want to make a stocking knit stitch, (knit flat, knit in round, worked in double knitting!) can they do it?

when they want to work a twisted stitch (on work done flat, or in the round or in double knitting) can they?

I can.

i can knit. my knitting is conventional looking --even when the process i use to work the stitches isn't!

[WandaT]

I knit Continental style. I tried English when I was first learning to knit b/c that was how I was shown. However, I've been a crocheter most of my life and even though I'm left handed, my Mom showed me how to knit right handed so I do. I hold the yarn in my left hand to crochet and when I tried it for knitting it just seemed so much more natural for me. As long as you find what's comfortable for you, what does it matter?

[mullerslanefarm]

Another Combined Continental knitter here.

It's the way Grammy taught me 40 years ago. When I picked up needles again a few years ago, trying to relearn from books, I was confoozled with the purl.

Last January I finally figured out Grammy's purl and I've been happily knitting ever since!

I want to learn English to make carrying two yarns easier to knit.

[KnittingNinja]

English knitter over here I learned from a little kit that I got for Christmas when I was... umm... 11, I think. That kit happened to teach English, and since I'm right handed I didn't really question it. I saw Continental and was quite impressed, and I tried it once, but I never really stuck to it. I guess English just feels more natural to me.

[KnittingNat]

I was knitting in combined style for 20 years and only when i discovered this site i understood there are other knitting styles. I switched to regular Continental now, because it's easier with the patterns for me (don't need to switch the decreases).