Continental Knitting Two Ways // Technique Tuesday
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- This video demonstrates my method of the Continental knitting style, plus an alternate method. The video explains the variables that can make one Continental style different from another, such as how the needles are held, how the yarn is tensioned, and how the needles are brought together when forming stitches.
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0:00 Intro
0:37 What is Continental knitting?
2:22 Tensioning the yarn
4:01 Holding the needles
6:10 Bringing the needles together
7:42 Continental knit stitch open hands
9:09 Continental knit stitch closed hands
10:13 Continental purl open hands
11:54 Continental purl closed hands
13:01 Two minutes of slo-mo knit, purl, and k1p1
14:51 Outro
If you have questions about this video, or suggestions for future videos, please let me know down in the comments or on social media.
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Thank goodness we’ve finally fired the knitting police and accepted the fact that the correct way to knit/purl is the one that works to achieve both comfort and tension.
Hear, hear! I "think" I knit Russian and continental mix. I only think.
For yourself
When teaching someone, I make it clear that there are other ways to do the deed and whichever way they find easier is the one they should use. I am only proficient in 'throwing' so can't easily teach continental. But let them know about TH-cam and how to Pause and Slow the video. I'm still having problems with continental - which is annoying for me because I'm used to being ambidextrous - and can't seem to do both hands for knitting or crocheting or a sewing needle.
@@Marny5580 I learned continental after developing tendinitis, but I still sometimes, and with certain yarns, struggle with continental - for eg., I’m currently knitting a pattern kit for a summer ‘T’ using a 100% silk yarn, and cannot control tension at all using continental, but no problem with English ‘throwing’.
So true. I wrap the yarn the reverse of most English knitting and it’s been called “weird”. No, it’s the way that’s most comfortable for me.
What a great video. I'm 81 & have been a thrower since I learned to knit at age 17. My ribbing is ugly. I've always admired those who rib continental style, but I just couldn't comfortably hold yarn in my left hand. I haven't knit during the last 2-3 yrs, but now want to try the new (to me) flexi style sock needles. So, I've decided now is the time to learn to knit continental style before my hands get too used to my old thrower style. I'd never before seen anyone demonstrate the closed hand method of holding yarn. My hands are arthritic & I can't hold my index finger up with any comfort. I've just completed 2 rows using the closed hand method . I'm still working out exactly what's comfortable, but I think this time I'll succeed. Thank you so much for this wonderful video.
I have arthritis in my hands too- I do stretches for rock climbers 😂 and it helps! I do several stretching exercises for my hands before I start fiber working and I’ve found less fatigue and less swelling in my knuckles.
I also tape my really bad knuckles up with kinesio tape- it’s a stretchy sticky tape they use in PT. There are tutorials online for different ways to tape different body parts.
It’s worked wonders for my knee after surgery, my toe that doesn’t bend and my carpal tunnel!
All my best! Don’t forget to take breaks. ❤❤
This is one of the BEST knitting/purling videos I have seen. Thank you. I love the mix of verbal instruction and just the silent slow motion segments. This has been incredibly helpful. Thanks also for time stamps.
Pointing out the difference between open and closed hand positions is so useful! Thank you very much! I’ve been watching demonstrations of people who work with open hands and I just couldn’t get it and I now see that I am naturally closed hand knitter and I got it straight away and, golly what an easy way to knit!
Me too! 😊
Ah I’m so glad to see closed hand knitting included here!
I live in a small town, left handed, closed handed, continental is what is comfortable for me. I have become self taught due to being told by a knitting instructor that I had to change the way I held my needles or I would never become a proficient knitter! I am only an intermediate knitter at best, however I continue to learn on my own with the help of TH-cam and your wonderful videos. Thank you for validating my way of holding my needles!!
What does a small town have to do with how you knit?
@@brittanyking7705 : If it's a very small town there's a good chance the local Mrs Know-It-All is going on about how she's knitting the "wrong" way. If it's a small-ish town there's a good chance that the knitting teachers all have the same technique (and may not be aware of other techniques or may, dare I say it, be prejudiced against them).
I just learned to knit after years of crocheting and after struggling to hold the yarn in my right hand i discovered continental and after struggling to copy many open hand you tube demos i finally closed my hands and also learned the norwegian purl. I almost gave up until someone wise told me there was way more than 1 or 2 or 3 ways to knit and that holding it however i was wasnt incorrect. Now i am happily trying all sorts of techniques and patterns and learning from so many great teachers. I do really enjoy your analytical and detailed videos!
That's ironic, because I was the only knitter in a family of proficient crocheters. My grandmother taught me English-style knitting as a child because I wanted to make a Dr. Who scarf, but I quickly lost interest, and found that I was never interested in crocheting despite seeing my grandmother, mother, and, eventually, my sister crocheting away in the evenings. I picked knitting back up in my late 20's and became quite good at it through the repetition of basic stitches. (I made LOTS of scarves in either garter or seed stitch. For years.) While back home visiting, I asked my mom to teach me crochet basics because I wanted to learn to crochet some jingle bell Christmas ornaments, made by her and my grandmother, which I had loved as a child. They involved single, double, and triple crochet, so I was crocheting a sampler of sorts to get those stitch techniques down before moving on to the bell. Even though I was new to crocheting, I was Really pleased with my sampler - which was looking great because managing my yarn tension had already become second nature. My mom, however, completely fixated on the way I was holding my yarn - telling me repeatedly that it was "gross". While she didn't necessarily say it in a nasty way, her criticism was repetitive even though I pointed out that if my tension was good, it didn't really matter how I held my yarn.
I wasn't transitioning correctly from one round to the next, consistently throwing my little bells off-kilter. I knew the problem was that I wasn't recognizing the correct stitch to work into, and I repeated asked her how to identify which stitch I should work into. But instead of explaining, she would just grab it from me and crochet it for me, saying, "THIS is how you do it." Which, in hindsight, may have been why I was never interested in crocheting years earlier - it would have increased her criticism and impatience with me... As a child, I didn't have a choice about being a target. But as an adult, I just very quickly decided, "Nope. Not interested anymore."
I actually didn't mean this to turn into a diatribe about my mother, but here it is. You never know when a burst of introspection will come over you, and I've learned to let them breathe. 😄😊😊
@@Stretch1003 i can totally identify. My moms a little bit the same about sewing. Shes like master level garment making, custom alterations, wizard repairs, perfect elaborate halloween costumes, quilting and shes just gosh darn good at everything but theres a good reason i chose yarn so that we can still be friends lol
I just love the diversity of knitting stlyles! Dealing with personalities is a whole different ball of yarn, haha. Regardless, It reach a few classes with my C and K crowd and I always say, don't sign up with preconceived notions about right and wrong, we are on a journey, BTW check out Portuguese knitting for an eye opener and Russian knitting as well.
@@Stretch1003 Thank God that my mother never attempted to teach me how to knit or crochet, or I would not be any good at either!
I do the same. I close fist continental knit and purl Norwegian.
"Again I'm not adept at this"
*Shows the easiest to follow closed handed continental purl I've ever seen*
Thank you 😂😊🥰
The very best explanation on video yet. THANK YOU 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
I am so thankful that you created this video❤🎉! I have been watching tutorials with very open continental styles that have me continually gathering up excess yarn and making multiple attempts to "hook" the yarn around elusive yarn that seems to get slipperier and slippier until my hands are gripping the needs like a lifeline resulting in stitches that are so tight they are impossible to pierce. 😳😭 I learned knitting as a child and I do remember that my needles used to fly and I had a more open grip. I'm 61 now so there is no muscle memory. I have watched several tutorials but was ready to give up the continental style. After watching your video, I am inspired again! I will practice this on a basket stitch sample that I'm working on. Hopefully, I can re-teach my fingers. Your method, a little closer to the needles is what I vaguely remember.😊 Thanks again!
I appreciate how you start your lesson with the fact that different ways work for different people, even if you call it "English" or "continental." I knew there were different styles of English (how I generally knit); and now I know there are also different ways of continental knitting! Thanks for the lesson.
Thank you soooo much for this, you’ve improved a closed Handed gal’s life ❤
I feel like this is how a someone who crochet first would knit like this
For some people, that is true. Others find the introduction of a second needle makes it harder, so they will adopt a different knitting style. And for those who start out knitting like this, it can make crochet easier to get started.
Ah I’m a self-taught knitter and I thought I was alone in holding the yarn with my left hand close to the work- I’m glad it’s an actual technique - now when my knit circle makes fun of my form, I can prove I’m not going rogue with my closed hand continental style! Thank you!
It’s called Norwegian style. Check out Arno and Carlos videos
I’ve attempted the open hand method of continental knitting and it just does not work for me. The closed hands, needles loosely held, with yarn tensioned from my pinky finger, work for me.
I knit mixing Continental and English.
@@barbarapinto2305 My mom was Norwegian and taught me, it's different for sure and hard to break the habit having learned at 6yrs old. Wen Scott is right, do what's comfortable and tension achievable.
@@barbarapinto2305oh interesting. My mom who’s Swedish taught me. I always thought I was knitting wrong. Now I know it’s just another style
THANK YOU for this excellent tutorial! The pace is comfortable, the explanations are clear & concise, the camera angle is illustrative, the animated titles are helpful (particularly in the K1P1 section) and occasionally funny, and the slowed-down moments are sooooo helpful. I particularly appreciate how much a "do what's right for you" approach is highlighted, and bless you for showing both open and closed handed techniques. Bravo, and thanks!!!
Ironically, practicing all of these and other techniques seems to have made me a better knitter in my style of preference which is very closed english style is that is how to describe it. It's still considered throwing but all of my movement is in the left hand and I can get going along at a nice clip like a little knitting machine. I practice others just to keep the communication between my brain and hands open. This video was very helpful in fine tuning for me, thanks Roxanne. I also appreciate how you publish the time sequences, so very helpful.
As a long time crocheter the Norwegian style (subset of Continental) is what works for me. I use a closed hand style of holding the needle and *always* keep the working yarn behind the needles. Thus the purl the way I learned (via Arne&Carlos) is almost a mirror of what you show. I’m glad I found a way that works for me because flipping the yarn back and forth was giving me fits.
Glad you mentioned this.
ooh i will look into that! love arne and carlos 🥰
@@welpppppppppppppp ... So simple, and less strain on the hands... ie, no finger in the air! lol
Recently discovered Norwegian purling and I LOVE IT!!!
I’m a closed hand continental knitter and don’t purl in the way shown or the way Arne and Carlos do it. I wrap the yarn the other way so the movement is really small. To keep 1x1 ribbing neater I can do this with the yarn in back.
As an English style knitter, I've learned to "throw" very quickly, using my index finger to speedily throw the yarn over the needle, and while knitting it's very satisfying but purling still slows me down somewhat. I might try tensioning your way. The tension problem was what kept me from mastering the Continental style, but I'm going to give it another try. Thank you so much for this great tutorial!
Same here. I have to keep letting the yarn go to re tension it and can’t get a proper flow. Also not sure that my right index finger is up for all that work! Fun to try and to gain another skill though.
Interesting, bc it’s the purls that I’m fast with and slow with the knits. I knit the same way except I use my left thumb to kinda push the right needle up a bit so it’s closer to the yarn as I throw it.
I have been an avid crocheter for 41 years. I have always wanted to learn how to knit. After multiple attempts at different styles I found continental worked best for me. Knitting remained "clumsy" for me though. My issue was the purl stitch....frustrated I gave up and returned to crocheting afghans. My fave project. You nailed it for me at 10:13 continental purl open hand 🙌🏽! I did it....tried your method and I got it. Thank you so much ❤️. Love your channel.
After watching a number of videos over the past month or two trying to learn continental this was the first video that made it all click. Thank you so much for this!
Thank you. I first learned to knit from my English mother who knit arm pit style. It has been fascinating to learn more about that method from your podcasts over the years and. gives me greater insight to how that English culture contributed to how my mother was raised to be a worker bee. After a few short years a friend taught me how to knit continental - which evolved into combo knitting. But nowadays my preferred method is to purl Norwegian style - although according to Arne and Carlos it is not Norwegian because I have my left pointer finger raised. I have too much arthritis to have my hands in the closed style for very long.
At last, an easy to follow video, best I've seen personally. Thank you so much, I'm going to give it a try.😊
I knit Continental using the picking style, kind of a open and close method but that’s what I love about knitting, find what works for you. If I hadn’t moved from English style to Continental I don’t think I would have continued knitting, the purling was an issue and prior to knitting I was crocheting so it was easier to adapt to the Continental style. Thank you for video!
This is what I encourage crocheters to do! Try continental style first! I didn’t learn how to tension my yarn in my right hand. Then I learned crochet and enjoyed that, then learning continental was a breeze.
I am a crocheter who could never make peace with knitting (dropping loops is so scary) I feel like this style is gonna make more sense for my hands
I could never continental style. I'm an open hand English style (dominant left handed) but I'm so happy to stumble upon your tutorial. THANK YOU!
Some knitting techniques, like English vs continental or knitting on the flat vs knitting in the round suggest there is some really interesting knitting history to be discovered. At present the origin of knitting seems to consist of a lot of vague statements and hand-waving.
And then, even within the one technique family, as it were, there are differences, like all the different ways of casting on. There's a raft of ways of increasing the number of stitches. I appreciate the fact that you aren't trying to tell everyone that there is only one "right" way to do things.
I will be 64 in a couple of days and decided it was time to change my knitting technique to continental and you video has helped me the best. I'm just working on the knitting until I feel more comfortable then I will start the purling.. thank you Rox
Dear Roxanne! After years of fretting over which way I want to knit, I watched this video. Bam, it all clicked into place in my brain! In just one day, after many, I got control over my purling finger and now it s a fluid motion for me thanks to you. I’ve watched numerous videos and gave up because I’m a very proficient English knitter. My hand an finger movements are at a minimum but I wanted to understand why continental knitters feel the way they do about it. Now I get it! I firmly believe that the style one will like the best is the one first taught. As an older person, change requires great effort sometimes. I’m happy say you helped me get over the the hump. I teach crochet and knitting once a year at a retreat. This fall I’m scheduled to teach Russian knitting and was hesitant to have traditional continental knitters in my class, but know I’m more confident. Thank you
I'm so glad things finally clicked for you. I was a thrower for more than 20 years before I gradually shifted (over the course of 4 years) to Continental. I still use my original method in some situations, but because it didn't work well for knitting in the round (I keep a long straight needle anchored when I throw), I needed to add another style to my repertoire.
So happy to see you differentiate between open and closed! I didn’t realize I was doing closed and, watching tutorials, a lot of them show open (which is SO HARD for me). So for that, thank you so much!
⁹
YES! Open is so unnatural for me
Thank you for this encouraging how-to on continental knitting and showing everyone that there are different ways of doing it..whatever is most comfortable for the knitter! I was taught the English style and have tried switching to continental by watching other videos that show the picking method which I found frustrating. I like your method so much better using an anchor! I will give it a try again. Doing swatches would be a good way for me to practice before tackling an actual project. I think you were brave learning how to knit continental the first time by knitting a sock! Thank you so much for a wonderful demo! I especially appreciated when you knitted in slow motion, thus clearly showing exactly what you are doing, every step of the way!
That's the first time I see continental knitting explained so I can actually understand it! Thank you! :-)
I've been knitting for decades. first throwing, then flicking. I decided last week to learn the continental method, and started searching TH-cam for guidance. Tension has been a problem so far. Yours is the BEST video I've found, so thank you so much! I especially appreciate the slowed down parts that allowed me to see exactly what your fingers were doing. I'll be watching this video again. 😀
I love how detailed this whole video is. I personally am a closed knitter so it really shocked me that someone would demonstrate multiple styles of the continental methods… Thanks so much!
Great tutorial, after learning the British method 60 years ago (and because my right hand doesn’t leave the needle, it’s my right index finger doing the work, I can knit like flash lightning). I decided to look at continental because apart from my curiosity it seemed very efficient and so thought I’d see if I liked it better. Yours is the 4th tutorial I’ve watched and by far the absolute best. You are clear, succinct and the slo-mo spots helpful in cementing hand and wool placement for the best efficiency. Thank you so much 🌹❤️
Thanks so much for the explanation and demonstration of both techniques of continental knitting. The explanation of the placement of the needles when inserting into the stitch was also very helpful. The slo-mo really helped. I now have a mantra to repeat to myself with each stitch.
I’ve been looking at many knitting videos, most of them with open hands technique and I’ve been struggling so much as I knit with closed hands and I figured I was doing it wrong 🙃 thanks for explaining that I’m indeed normal haha, I’ve been trying the open hand techniques and it’s as natural for me as closed is for you 😂 fun fact, I don’t tension my yarn by wrapping it around any finger but rather keep the tension by tensioning my ring and little finger against my palm with the yarn in between.
I'm a combined continental knitter. This marvelous video helped me to learn how to easily purl (the figure 8). This will make my lace knitting easier. I do not hold the yarn up, and always knit "picking" the yarn off my finger. I am still practicing this purl, watching tension, as I find I need to tension the yarn a bit tighter or there will be slack in between purls. I was taught the combined continental method by my Great Aunt Arizona from Sweden. I say it's the fastest way to knit, but it does create some problems with intricate patterns.
I am an English style knitter because that was how I was taught when I was very young. Recently I've learned to do Norwegian Style knitting from Arne and Carlos TH-cam videos. They have several tutorials showing how to do Norwegian Style. When purling in a closed purl style stitch, they don't move the working yarn to the front of the piece. It's very challenging to do when you aren't used to it. However what I found when knitting color work with 5 DP needles, this style works so much better because you don't get the yarn tangled up in the needles. I have to practice on is tension. For some reason my tension is very loose when doing this method. It takes serious intentional practice because I know the English way so well. Thanks for all the wonderful tutorials and information you provide. It's fun and interesting to watch your videos.
I did a video on Norwegian purl many years ago. :-)
Wow, this is really good awareness for people who don't know or misunderstood continental knitting. After all, it has varieties to suit different hands. Love your videos, not many people shed light on this. Really appreciate it.
My style is kind of in between but more of the closed hand method. I find that I don't need to ankle the yarn as you do, because it's closed hand, my index has lots of room, I would lift the index to quickly wrap or tug the yarn since it's just very slight movement, same goes for purl, I find it easier to do closed hand for purling than open hand.
It's fascinating to see different styles, it's almost like our hands are different brands of knitting machines! Just like different brand of sewing machines or knitting machines tension differently, so are our hands, it's like a mini machine but naturally built in us!
I knit close-handed (and also have some dexterity issues) so watching other people show how to continental knit has never really MATCHED my knitting style - attempts have cramped, and resulted in more dropped/extra stitches than I'd ever want lol. Even though you're not a close-handed knitter, the fact that you walked through and did your best to demonstrate the differences, and explain the different ways that people hold and move their needles was EXACTLY what I needed. I just knit 20 stitches in continental without dropping or adding any of them, for the fist time! Thank you so much for your clear and detailed walk-through!
This is the best, clearest demonstration of how to knit I’ve ever found! I finally feel confident that I can learn this. Thank you.
I taught myself how to knit over a year ago and learned by watching TH-cam videos. I started out as a English knitter or thrower. I want to to become a continental Knitter. I’ve practiced and practiced. I learned to do the knit stitch but could never master The pearl stitch until now after watching your video. It’s going to take me some time to master it. My stitches are great as a thrower I can just hope they will be great as a continental knitter someday. Thank you Roxs! You’re a great teacher! I can’t wait to watch some more of your videos
Thank you for showing how you anchor the yarn on the left needle with your right finger to pull it through. Finally a technique that relieves the strain on my thumb.
Wow, I feel so important now:). My Russian grandma taught me to knit. But I now know the name of that style : "closed- hand -continental -no pinky- involved". It is so convenient, so ergonomic and so fast!
This is by far the best video I've seen on Continental knitting. Thank you so much for the clear explanation and the different examples of you just knitting.
This video finally made continental knitting click for me. Turns out I'm a closed hand-er! Thank you so much for the excellent explanation
It is great that showed different hand and needle position and movement. Ive tried continental knitting a few times and it’s just never stuck. This help me realize where I may have a problem or a simple adjustments that maybe helpful. Thank you as always for your wonderful tips.
Thank you sooo very much for this detailed description of every movement, enabling us to choose the one right for our needs. I have been knitting since I was 16, and am now 77. I decided to try continental knitting to help me speed up. Not only is it proving faster, but it is working much better for my misshapen, arthritic hands. I can not thank you enough, because I am determined to never give up my knitting!😊
This was a LOVELY and highly informative video. I loved the way you presented each style AND the slow-motion/silent knitting and purling at the end. I also really appreciated the segment that showed you being less than comfortable knitting using a method that is not the one you usually use. Hey, loads of the viewers can relate to that segment! Indeed, we are watching this video because we are working (very, very hard) to adapt to a particular method of knitting and purling (i.e., for me, going from the English method to the Continental method! YIKES!!). I fully enjoyed and appreciated the care and attention that you gave to this video. I will be watching it, I am certain, more than once. :)
I learned Eastern European Back of the loop open continental knitting. I’m very grateful for this video to double check my work
Hands-down the best demo video I've seen so far as a new knitter!
You certainly are not dyslexic, for someone who is this is very helpful.
You're just the best. Honestly the BEST teacher ever. Thank you 👍
I’m also a crocheter who’s now learning to knit, and as I crochet closed handed I naturally went to that style when I started to learn continental. I’m quite comfortable with closed hand knitting but I HATE purling, but hadn’t been able to get the hang of tensioning properly with open style. This video has helped me so much already and I’ve only tried one row!
Have you found a trick for closed handed purling that works for you? I’m working on it, and so far the best I can do is to hold the yarn between my left index and thumb, and the needle between my other three fingers, but it feels too laborious- I’m new to continental because the efficiency appeals to me, but this new way of purling is very difficult.
I’ve tried a few ways, but my most comfortable…I’ll try and describe it as well as I can! I tension the yarn as i normally do, then I rest the left needle against 4 fingers (pinky up to index finger), and hold the yarn in front, resting against my work with my thumb (so it comes over my index finger, then under my thumb). Then I insert the right needle through the stitch, and then rotate the needle down under the yarn while also bringing the yarn over it using the thumb and index finger of my left hand. Once the yarn is wrapped over the needle I bring my left hand back down to the original position, with the yarn between it and the work, keeping the tension while i bring the yarn through the stitch and off the left needle.
I hope that makes sense!
Edit: if I’m going quick enough even just lifting my thumb off the yarn is enough to get it over the needle, then I just press it back on the yarn once I’m ready to pull it through the stitch :)
@@fayeeify I’ll give it a try- thank you so much!
I had to switch to continental after developing tendinitis. This is the best explanation ever! I developed my own way due to arthritis its like you have given me permission! So encouraging!
I’ve taken up knitting again after more than 30 years. I find the continental method to be natural for me because it feels like crocheting. However, holding my left index finger up to keep the tension has become difficult because of arthritis. Thank you for showing the closed hand technique. I’m hoping this method will help me to continue to knit for longer periods of time.
I loved it when you said, "That worked!'
This was so incredibly helpful thank you! I’m only on day 3 of learning how to knit and have been exploring options on my own to find what works best for me. As a crocheter it took about 2 minutes to know Continental style was right for me, but past that I’ve been fumbling around in the dark. Seeing the different options and what to look for when watching other videos has clarified so much. Thank you!
I'm a lifelong crocheter, yarn in left hand. Continental knitting style works perfectly for me as I've only been knitting for a very short while. Cables are my favorite!
I definitely need to practice my continental knitting, I learned English style and I'm happy with it, but continental seems much more efficient. It's just so awkward to switch styles once you've learned one.
I’m having a struggle with that, too!
Me three. I can sort of do continental with bigger needles and yarn in slow motion.
@@CarinaPiersay It's so worth the trouble. Then, if you ever do double knitting, it will be a breeze.
@Lorraine Hutter I really think I do. I get bored because English style goes so slow. I think it’s just a matter of having the patience to see it through, practice and let it evolve.
Changing styles once you have learnt one does take time and frequent short practises as you are changing or adding to a brain pattern -allow 6 weeks with regular practise. I use continental predominately as that is what my mother and grandmother did but school it was English - so it I seldom finished anything and it was in my late teens that I completed something of my own choice in my own style. English is great when frequently colour change and I now have a combination of English and continental if working in two colours.
The advantage of continental is that it is more wrist and less arm so if you having elbow/shoulder issues you can continue knitting by switching styles.
You are the Best Teacher EVER!!
I live in the US. I've never seen the working yarn in the right hand. I crochet a lot more than knit, but I enjoy both! 🙂 I see we have different ways of knitting. I totally relax my fingers.
Wow. You actually read my mind with this video. Just this morning I was looking for your old how I purl video because I decided I was finally going to figure out how to do a continental purl at least somewhat proficiently.
Also a little tip for the closed hand style knit stitch, I find it helps to have the yarn coming over the last segment of the pointer finger right below (or even right on) the fingernail. I find it makes for a better angle to "pick" the working yarn off the finger if the working yarn is tensioned farther to the right, usually even beyond the tip of the left needle.
English to continental here!
This video fulfilled my dream to start continental knitting. I would always try to switch and just be fuming when my tension got tight and stitches fell off the needle.
Big game changing points for me:
- loosening and tightening pinky to let yarn through
- open vs closed style
- using your finger to hold the loop as you pull it through
Woke up this morning and was able to do a couple picks!! Thanks so much for the vid!!!
This tutorial was extremely helpful. My knitting style, in terms of how I hold my hands and yarn, is exactly like yours which made the tutorial so easy to follow. In fact, although I also crochet, I find my hands wanting to knit because it just feels more natural. What I learned most from this tutorial was to allow my hands to do what feels natural to them and to not try to force myself to knit like someone else! Thank you 🧶
omg, thank you for the camera angles and the way you explained this. This answered so many questions I had that others left unanswered.
I'm such a sucker for this kinda stuff!
I'm continental combined. I guess I have a low open grip. My left forefinger and thumb both touch the needle tip, but it's open like a circle behind there. Like you, I keep my right needle still, and keep the needles perpendicular
Exceptionally clear and concise video. Many thanks 😀
You're very welcome!
I understand your tutorial better than most I've been able to find. Now to practice! Thank you!
Great video and just the right level of detail. I keep avoiding changing to continental style but this gave me motivation to try again. Many thanks xox
Fascinating tutorials - love the way you showed the action at different speeds. 💫
Amazing tutorial
I learned to crochet in 1968, and knit in 1969, taught myself both from a book. I was told many times I was crocheting wrong, as I hold the hook knife style. Knitting never stuck with me, as it seemed too clumsy and slow. And losing stitches as a new knitter was very frustrating! I never lost any with crocheting! The closed hand method you demonstrate is very close to how I hold things with crochet. I had heard that continental was much closer to crocheting. My daughter learned to knit while at college. (I had taught her how to crochet). She learned continental, but was also taught to knit one row right handed and the next left handed. I was mind blown at how fast she can knit. Now that I am retired, I might have to try knitting again, using her method, and holding the needles closed handed, I think it will come more naturally.
I will never understand people who tell others that they are knitting or crocheting "wrong," just because the other person does it differently than they do.
Yes! We all get to knit the way that works for us 👍 I am a standard continental knitter that uses my left index finger for tension and to put the yarn around my right needle for knit or purl. Happy knitting everyone!
I find watching you knit your way is like watching a machine; I love it!
Your teaching method for continental knitting is he best I have seen, I am a thrower and have Ben knitting off and on for many years. i am a senior but want to learn this style. I will probably not become skilled because of the challenge for muscle memory but I will feel good just being able to use it probably for uncomplicated patterns. I now know that I can purl with this style. Thank you,
I have always thought I did it wrong, because of how I use my other pointer finger to hold the yarn as my needles goes through. This is the first time I've seen someone do it and thank you, I feel validated. haha. I came onto You Tube today to see how I can fix my self-taught way to be more proper, but I'm gonna stick with it, because I can go fast this way.
If you're happy with your knitting speed, it's comfortable, and you get the result you want, then you're doing it right! :-)
Thank you, this has been extremely helpful to look at alternative hand positions. Cheers.
Legitimately, this may be the most useful knitting video I've watched to date-been really struggling with my grip and tension, and this has helped more than anything else. Thank you.
I'm so glad that I found your channel! After being a crocheted for 30 years, I finally learned how to knit in August of this year. I had tried many times before & always ended up frustrated both because I had not yet discovered Continental knitting which comes much more naturally for me since I'm used to holding a hook in my right hand & tensioning the yarn with my left. My other issue was that my stitches always ended up way too tight... Because I was used to always doing my 'yarn over' clockwise in crochet, so my knitting stitches were ending up twisted. Once I figured out what I was doing wrong, I was off to the races! I've made a couple of shawls & recently finished my first pair of fingerless gloves knitted in the round & am almost done with my very first sock! I never fail to learn something new from your videos to help improve my work. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
I will echo all the other comments here to thank you for such an amazing tutorial! I've really been struggling to learn the Continental style of knitting and you broke down so many topics that I didn't know I wasn't understanding. You really helped me understand how to tension correctly by explaining that the pinky actually is control, and explaining about which needle stays still while working a stitch really helped me figure out a flow that feels comfortable!
Thank you so much for your tutorials! God bless and keep you ❤
Thank you for a great explanation. I'm recently learning continental style , as I've hurt my arm and no longer can knit English style. I've watched many videos but yours was the only one that clicked for me. Thank you
Thank you!!!! I have been knitting off and on for the last few years but I never learned a proper way if holding the yarn which made me such a slow knitter - which made every project take FOREVER! I recently learned the open hand method shown here but the purling method made no sense to me. I just couldn't get it. But your technique for purling seems totally doable. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
Yes, I'm having a heck of a time purling with the continental hold. Knitting has become pretty quick and easy as a novice knitter, but the purling... 😳😑🤷🏼♀️
as a crocheter, i'm happy to have found this. thank you!
I love to knit but have really hurt myself knitting English for years. Thank you for this. I am trying hard to change my knitting style in order to be able to continue my much loved hobby. This is awkward for me, but determined.
I'm a crocheter so this is the most comfortable and familiar to me.
Thanks Roxanne, I am now able to knit Continental. This tutorial made that possible.
This has been the absolute most helpful video I’ve found, and I’ve watched a lot! Thank you so much
That was absolutely fantastic! You’re a brilliant teacher! I’m so sorry to admit it, but after practicing your tutorial, and playing with the techniques, I’m a confirmed closed continental knitter (say that five times fast, haha!), as it’s most comfortable for me. But you demonstrated it so beautifully!
Nothing to be sorry about! The way I knit isn't better or worse than any other method, it just happens to be what works best for me. :-)
Thank you for this video! It really helped me understand why I wasn't able to follow other tutorials I had been watching. Turns out I knit close handed. Also had a lot of other technique tips that hadn't occurred to me before.
Thank you again, Roxanne for sharing your tutorial videos!! I'm learning a lots!! ❤
Great video. I am so glad I found this. I am learning Continental for a fair isle pattern. Thank you!
I couldn’t wrap my head around the purl stitch (as a very new beginner) until this video made it click. Thank you
I'm more of an open hand continental knitter, but I do know both methods you are showing. Another way to do the purl if you're an open hand continental knitter, is when you insert your needle to do the purl stitch, the needle is pointing downward and with the yarn in front, it just naturally comes over the needle. Then you can use left your left thumb (which is right there) to just briefly to hold the yarn against the needle and roll it downward (a very quick action), which will allow you allow you to grab the yarn with your right needle and pull it through. Once you've grabbed the yarn with your right needle, the thumb releases and returns to its place on the left needle. It is very quick and it's what I learned to do when I was very young on my own. I've never see anyone else do it this way, but it is very quick and I have no trouble purling or going back and forth in rib, for instance. I can purl as fast as I can knit. I hope you will try to give it a go.
That souds quite interresting, I wish i coud see a visual of that method.
@@nicolelafontaine1720 I don't know how to do a video and put it on TH-cam or I would have done it a long time ago.
i used to use long needles and anchor the needle between my knees because i learned to knit when i was maybe 8 and my hands were too small to hold everything lol!
So I'm a closed hand Continental. ha ha Technically I've only been attempting for a week. BUT this is the first time I was able to purl across the entire needle. Thank you!
My go to method for Continental knitting is closed hand. I learned how to knit English style, but my stitches were so tight on my needles that I was wearing the paint off of them. Switching to Continental knitting loosened up my stitches and helped me to knit faster.
Super helpful video for an English knitter interested in branching out! Thanks! 😊
thank you so much for the detailed instruction! I’m a crocheter learning to knit and the English style really troubled me! Lucky I found this style which IMO suits crocheters better than English style 🌹
Thank you so much for this!! I’m an open hand crocheted, but all the videos on purling demonstrates closed hand knit/purl and the frustration had me almost throwing my project across the room and thinking I couldn’t learn continental because I could they my pointer finger to stop floating! I’m going to give it another shot and see if I can get it. Thank you for demo-ing both and pointing out the differences.
Thank you for sharing. I am a continental knitter and self taught...open handed and tensioning on my index finger. I bend/drop my index finger when purling and it works for me. We each need to find what works for us as the goal should be joy in your knitting.