The Knit Stitch Continental Method

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Continental knitters hold the yarn in their left hand, which allows the knitter to simply scoop, or “pick”, the yarn with the right needle. The primary challenge with the Continental style is its corresponding purl stitch, which requires agility and practice to execute comfortably.

One note: Most Continental knitters do not employ the left middle finger as I do, but knit off of the index finger. I do this partly because I find purling easier from this position, but I encourage you to explore and do whatever works for you.

However you execute it, holding the yarn in the left hand has one distinct advantage: an efficiency of movement between knit and purl stitches, as evident in the Ribbing and Seed stitch videos.


Categories: knit stitch, getting started