I was never allowed to do continental, because that's how the Germans would knit. It was a way to distinguish if a woman was on the right side or the wrong side. I know it's been 80 years since the war started and yet I still feel reluctant. I remember my grandmother hitting me awfully hard on the hand when knitting continental as a little girl. It seems so much faster, but also more complicated to where and how you put your needle in the stitch.
My German grandma (who married my American grandpa after WWII and moved to Kansas) taught me to knit continental. At the time I had no idea there was any other way to do it! I was very confused when I saw other people knitting differently. I think continental style is also easier because I learned to crochet first. My grandma died 20 years ago and I still think of her every time I knit. I'm so glad she shared that with me.
I’m turning 70 this year and have been knitting “English” for at least 55 years. Two days ago I watched this video and today I’m halfway done a 2x2 rib on a pair of mittens in the round continental! Thank you for a very clear well explained tutorial.
I've watched probably 10 videos trying to get this style down, but yours was the one that finally did the trick. The "roll back, roll forward" motion is what was missing. Once I started rolling the rest just clicked. Thank you!
This was a great presentation on Continental knitting. Would love to see a purl tutorial video just like this with the same detailed instructions! Thanks so much.👍I'm new to knitting; this style is an easy transition if you crochet.
Jessica, until I watched your videos (several times 😊) I was unable to knit Continental Style with any kind of comfort or fluidness. Suddenly it made sense to me and I am knitting and purling away! Thank you so much!!
Thanks for this tutorial! I am teaching myself continental for my colorwork (to switch between w/ english). But, as an english style knitter, I have to say I disagree with you about continental knitters being able to knit for longer without their hands getting sore! I think this just goes for whatever your hands are most used to ;)
I’m new to knitting (I’ve only done a gauge swatch so far…) and this is by far the BEST tutorial on this. Thank you very much. My hands were hurting the way I was knitting before.
I have watched a couple of videos on how to do Continental style knitting yours is the best I have seen so I think I can seen so I will try again ! Thank you
Thank you so much for this very easy to follow video. I have also knitted for over 55 years and I picked this up in no time. Why didn’t I know about this years ago? I will be practising this on circular knitting needles today!
Wow! That's fast! I don't know why I'm so reluctant to switch to continental. I feel so stubborn. I think it is because my tension is really even with English, I've been doing it since I was 6 years old, and I don't mind purling. I can't understand why some people dislike purling so much and can only guess it must be hard to do in continental style. But that's only a guess. This is a great tutorial and if I ever work up the courage, I'll rewatch this one to learn.
I get why you are stubborn…I have always knit evenly English style also but after watching this video I tried it and it’s fast and easy! Once I learned I was able to hold 2 colors and knit color work. I couldn’t do it without continental in one hand and English with other hand/color. (Also after Jessica’s tutorial!) Pearling is different but easy to get used to. Give it a try! Thank you Jessica!
Thank you for this. It really helped me with a hat that I am knitting in stranded color work. Would you please demonstrate the purl stitch in continental in the round as in when doing a 2 x 2 rib for the brim of a hat.
Thank you so much. I was getting awful cramping in my left pinky, didn't realize that I was trying to grip the yarn but the second you said that it clicked into place!
I was talking to a yarn shop owner today who suggested this style of knitting instead of the regular. I’ve been crocheting for years, and every time I’ve tried knitting, I just can’t get the hang of it. This does loom a lot easier since I already hold the yard as shown in the video. I’m definitely going to try this.
Thank you for this video. You’ve shown clearly how simple it really is.I have knitted all my life but never been able to grasp continental style. No excuses now.
Thanks for the tutorial. I’ve been knitting English for 20 yrs but now I’m doing my first Fair Isle sweater and I want to carry MC with my left hand and CCs with my right to get better tension. Oy vey. This is harder than I thought but I’m going to knit the whole body Continental if it kills me and hopefully by the time I get to the yoke, I’ll be a pro.
I learned the Continental style right from the beginning (as a child from my grandmother), so it is my natural style of knitting. I find it also really fast and comfortable, and the English style appears to me quite complicated with the whole throwing and stuff. But I think it's mostly personal preference and what you are used to do, switching is surely not easy. I think you could have shown purling also, just to cover both the basic stitches. I am moving my index finger downwards when I purl, wonder if you do that as well.
Thank you SO much for showing this in such detail and in slow motion, multiple times so I could follow you without feeling lost and confuzzled!! I think this one video will finally have me knitting confidently after years of trying. Thank you thank you!!! (Definitely subscribing now, after watching one video! 😊)
Thanks, I always called this German knitting as my Mom's best friend was German and she knitted like this so fast that one's eye could not follow each stitch and her tension was like a machine
I'm 72 yrs old and have actually decided to stick to the English style knitting... I learned when I was only about 8 or 10 yrs old. So after knitting for 60+ yrs using English style, I found it difficult to change to continental ... knitting...
Great tutorial! Thank you so much for this!! Would love to see purling as well. The only suggestion I have is if you could please use a lighter yarn as it's difficult to see with a dark yarn against a dark table. Maybe it was just me and my poor eyesight. Thank you.
I have always been a "thrower", but due to arthritis and hand surgery, I am trying to learn Continental. It appears that you use the middle finger of your left hand when doing knit stitches. I am having a great deal of trouble with the tension and the rhythm. The yarn on my index finger seems to get longer as I work and therefore, the lefthand rocking motion doesn't work. Do you have any advice for me? Thank you!
I can do both ways. As an experienced knitter one way is no faster than the other. But I do prefer the overall look of my work done in thrown style, especially stockinette. It‘s just a personal preference.
Im a crocheter that only knows basic knitting because i pursued crochet more than knitting, but i just realized this whole time the way i hold the knit that i thought its just something I improvise for easier knitting, I DIDNT KNOW IT WAS CONTINENTAL THE WHOLE TIME AND ITS ACTUALLY A TECHNIQUE😭😭 i just realized while watching this just now.
So as a biginner just to check with you please are you saying that you should start with the left hand on top and it should be behind the right at the end ? Thank you
I've been knitting continental for years but I don't hold the left needle with my middle finger as the guide. I do realize it's a good way to guide the yarn into the stitch but I let the middle finger sort of hang down onto my garment. It's kind of hard to change a way of doing something but I just may try to change it to where I use the middle finger as a guide.
I knit continental the way I tension my yarn is wrap around once an uner my knuckles and I hook my yarn and wrap around the knitting needle and so on so forth I didn’t start knitting till after I was done camping with my family
Ok o can't knit stockinette if you don't teach me to purl as well 😂 I think you meant garter for knitting it all. Thanks for the good audio description though. So helpful for my vision loss
I initially learned American style, but never could get the hang of it, when I changed to continental it was so much easier. however, I don't understand how you move the yarn up on your left hand. I always have to push the needle down at the end of the stitch with the right hand. can you tell me how you raise you yarn continuously with your left hand. land you.
I have so much trouble with my tension being too tight but the yarn just slips through my fingers too easily whitly trying to do continental. Looks like I'll have to try wrapping the yarn around more fingers maybe?
It looks like your left tall finger helps move the working stitch over to the right needle and your left thumb holds the left stitches back enough, then pushes the next stitch up to be worked . Is that right?
I live in England I have been knitting all my life. I NEVER hold the wool like you do. The wool is wrapped round the right hand kneedle with my right hand.
Yes! You can freely do so. Knit however you like. When I knit colorwork, I knit Continental with my dominant color and English with my background color.
I am a tight knitter using the Eastern European way of knitting. I tried the Continental way, which forced me to knit looser. But my work is twice as big! At least my knitting in the EE or Russian style is even. Oy!
I don’t understand how you’re “picking up” the stitch. Mine immediately slides off again, yours looks like it’s almost glued to your needle! I just don’t get it 😭
I learned continental as a child. I was curious about how you hold your yarn. Though you show everything, I think you should explain the direction of the yarn when you wrap around your pinkie finger. Is it wrapped clockwise or counterclickwise?
Watch again at about 1 minute, it’s very clear which way the pinkie is wrapped. Clockwise can be confusing because it depends on perspective like right & left, but from her perspective facing her pinkie from the palm side it looks like clockwise to me. Good luck! 🍀
Thanks, Donna, I watched it again from the start and got it now. I missed it the first couple times because I didnt go back far enough to rewatch it.The yarn starts by going over her pinkie when the palm is up, goes between the pinkie and ring finger and then clockeose around the back of the pinkie and up to the palm again.
Continental knitting is just a generic term for a knitting style where you hold your yarn in the hand that doesn't hold your working needle. Depending where you are from on the "Continent" there are variations. And lot of people develop their own personal ways to knit. There is no wright and wrong, as long as it works for you ( from a continental knitter )
It is easy to show on already big knitted cloth, when doing the first row, IT IS TERRIBLE I CANNOT GET MT FIRST KNIT TO JUST FUCKING STAY ON MY DAMN KNIT NEEDLE. YES I am pissed bc I've been trying to learn knitting for 2 weeks now!
If you only i could see in the video if your putting the needle in the front or in the back loop and if only the video was short and sweet to the point. Onto diffrent videos instead
I cannot see what you're doing at all!! You need much more visual contrast between the colour of yarn and the background!! Much better lighting too...this video is so so so so so so dark!!
I was never allowed to do continental, because that's how the Germans would knit. It was a way to distinguish if a woman was on the right side or the wrong side. I know it's been 80 years since the war started and yet I still feel reluctant. I remember my grandmother hitting me awfully hard on the hand when knitting continental as a little girl. It seems so much faster, but also more complicated to where and how you put your needle in the stitch.
I'm un awe that it has almost been 100 years
People before were so wierd
Thank you for sharing this snippet of history. Women’s stories from that time are now more prevalent in published historical stories.
Thank you so much for sharing your memories. This has made me very emotional.
My German grandma (who married my American grandpa after WWII and moved to Kansas) taught me to knit continental. At the time I had no idea there was any other way to do it! I was very confused when I saw other people knitting differently. I think continental style is also easier because I learned to crochet first.
My grandma died 20 years ago and I still think of her every time I knit. I'm so glad she shared that with me.
I’m turning 70 this year and have been knitting “English” for at least 55 years. Two days ago I watched this video and today I’m halfway done a 2x2 rib on a pair of mittens in the round continental! Thank you for a very clear well explained tutorial.
I never knew I did this until watching this. I moved from crochet to knitting and ig this just picked up with me
The fact that I easily learned the magic ring in seconds. Yet, this is crinkling my brain somehow
I've watched probably 10 videos trying to get this style down, but yours was the one that finally did the trick. The "roll back, roll forward" motion is what was missing. Once I started rolling the rest just clicked. Thank you!
I just loved the toddler playing in the background. It means so much more that this beautiful project is going to keep someone warm :D
This was a great presentation on Continental knitting. Would love to see a purl tutorial video just like this with the same detailed instructions! Thanks so much.👍I'm new to knitting; this style is an easy transition if you crochet.
Jessica, until I watched your videos (several times 😊) I was unable to knit Continental Style with any kind of comfort or fluidness. Suddenly it made sense to me and I am knitting and purling away! Thank you so much!!
Thanks for this tutorial! I am teaching myself continental for my colorwork (to switch between w/ english). But, as an english style knitter, I have to say I disagree with you about continental knitters being able to knit for longer without their hands getting sore! I think this just goes for whatever your hands are most used to ;)
I’m new to knitting (I’ve only done a gauge swatch so far…) and this is by far the BEST tutorial on this. Thank you very much. My hands were hurting the way I was knitting before.
Thank you!!!!! Can you demonstrate purling?
I have watched a couple of videos on how to do Continental style knitting yours is the best I have seen so I think I can seen so I will try again ! Thank you
Thank you so much for this very easy to follow video. I have also knitted for over 55 years and I picked this up in no time. Why didn’t I know about this years ago? I will be practising this on circular knitting needles today!
Wow! That's fast! I don't know why I'm so reluctant to switch to continental. I feel so stubborn. I think it is because my tension is really even with English, I've been doing it since I was 6 years old, and I don't mind purling. I can't understand why some people dislike purling so much and can only guess it must be hard to do in continental style. But that's only a guess. This is a great tutorial and if I ever work up the courage, I'll rewatch this one to learn.
I get why you are stubborn…I have always knit evenly English style also but after watching this video I tried it and it’s fast and easy! Once I learned I was able to hold 2 colors and knit color work. I couldn’t do it without continental in one hand and English with other hand/color. (Also after Jessica’s tutorial!) Pearling is different but easy to get used to. Give it a try! Thank you Jessica!
Got It! That was fantastic teaching, thank you so much, now on to purling continental please!
Thank you for this. It really helped me with a hat that I am knitting in stranded color work. Would you please demonstrate the purl stitch in continental in the round as in when doing a 2 x 2 rib for the brim of a hat.
Thank you so much. I was getting awful cramping in my left pinky, didn't realize that I was trying to grip the yarn but the second you said that it clicked into place!
I was talking to a yarn shop owner today who suggested this style of knitting instead of the regular. I’ve been crocheting for years, and every time I’ve tried knitting, I just can’t get the hang of it. This does loom a lot easier since I already hold the yard as shown in the video. I’m definitely going to try this.
Thank you for this video. You’ve shown clearly how simple it really is.I have knitted all my life but never been able to grasp continental style. No excuses now.
I absolutely loved your video! You made it VERY easy to follow, and I got the hang of it in a very short time…..thank you so much.
Thanks for the tutorial. I’ve been knitting English for 20 yrs but now I’m doing my first Fair Isle sweater and I want to carry MC with my left hand and CCs with my right to get better tension. Oy vey. This is harder than I thought but I’m going to knit the whole body Continental if it kills me and hopefully by the time I get to the yoke, I’ll be a pro.
Very interesting video. Can you show purling the Continental style?
Your knitting skill is so admirable. It may take so much time and attention for you to acquire this level of skill. Thank you for sharing.
As a Danish person this was how I learned to knit :) I did not know there was other ways :)
This is the single best continental knitting tutorial I have ever watched!!!❤❤❤
I learned the Continental style right from the beginning (as a child from my grandmother), so it is my natural style of knitting. I find it also really fast and comfortable, and the English style appears to me quite complicated with the whole throwing and stuff. But I think it's mostly personal preference and what you are used to do, switching is surely not easy. I think you could have shown purling also, just to cover both the basic stitches. I am moving my index finger downwards when I purl, wonder if you do that as well.
Thank you SO much for showing this in such detail and in slow motion, multiple times so I could follow you without feeling lost and confuzzled!! I think this one video will finally have me knitting confidently after years of trying. Thank you thank you!!! (Definitely subscribing now, after watching one video! 😊)
This was a great video 💐
Great tutorial and beautiful filming!!!
Will you be publishing more videos? Specifically how to do continental while purling and switching between knit and purling.
Thanks, I always called this German knitting as my Mom's best friend was German and she knitted like this so fast that one's eye could not follow each stitch and her tension was like a machine
How about purling using the continental style? Is it the same way ?
Yaaaahhh deciding to learn while working a brioche project is not the right choice. Lol I’ll be back on the next project lol
This video was super helpful! Thanks so much!
Great video...it looks like you may be pushing your stitches with your left middle finger?
I'm 72 yrs old and have actually decided to stick to the English style knitting... I learned when I was only about 8 or 10 yrs old. So after knitting for 60+ yrs using English style, I found it difficult to change to continental ... knitting...
The sweater you are wearing: I love the cuffs! What pattern is that?
yay! soooo easy! thank you. is there a video of purl continental knitting?
Great tutorial! Thank you so much for this!! Would love to see purling as well. The only suggestion I have is if you could please use a lighter yarn as it's difficult to see with a dark yarn against a dark table. Maybe it was just me and my poor eyesight. Thank you.
This is how my Mexican grandmother taught me. I had no idea there was an English way until I came to the US
I have always been a "thrower", but due to arthritis and hand surgery, I am trying to learn Continental. It appears that you use the middle finger of your left hand when doing knit stitches. I am having a great deal of trouble with the tension and the rhythm. The yarn on my index finger seems to get longer as I work and therefore, the lefthand rocking motion doesn't work. Do you have any advice for me?
Thank you!
This was really helpful! Thank you!🧶
Crocheters, you are already there. 😁
I can do both ways. As an experienced knitter one way is no faster than the other. But I do prefer the overall look of my work done in thrown style, especially stockinette. It‘s just a personal preference.
So how to join circular needles when doing continental.
Im a crocheter that only knows basic knitting because i pursued crochet more than knitting, but i just realized this whole time the way i hold the knit that i thought its just something I improvise for easier knitting, I DIDNT KNOW IT WAS CONTINENTAL THE WHOLE TIME AND ITS ACTUALLY A TECHNIQUE😭😭 i just realized while watching this just now.
How about purling using the continental style?
So as a biginner just to check with you please are you saying that you should start with the left hand on top and it should be behind the right at the end ? Thank you
Fantastic. Thank you very much
Thanks for showing it more slowly. It doesn't work for me unfortunately, but I have to use it sometimes when working with two colours.
So helpful, thanks!
It seems that no matter how I hold the yarn it gets very loose over my index finger, so I have to constantly adjust it. Any suggestions?
So I'll have no problem learning to knit this way as for me in my mind, I crochet the exact same way.
I've been knitting continental for years but I don't hold the left needle with my middle finger as the guide. I do realize it's a good way to guide the yarn into the stitch but I let the middle finger sort of hang down onto my garment. It's kind of hard to change a way of doing something but I just may try to change it to where I use the middle finger as a guide.
I knit continental the way I tension my yarn is wrap around once an uner my knuckles and I hook my yarn and wrap around the knitting needle and so on so forth I didn’t start knitting till after I was done camping with my family
Ok o can't knit stockinette if you don't teach me to purl as well 😂 I think you meant garter for knitting it all. Thanks for the good audio description though. So helpful for my vision loss
I initially learned American style, but never could get the hang of it, when I changed to continental it was so much easier. however, I don't understand how you move the yarn up on your left hand. I always have to push the needle down at the end of the stitch with the right hand. can you tell me how you raise you yarn continuously with your left hand. land you.
I have so much trouble with my tension being too tight but the yarn just slips through my fingers too easily whitly trying to do continental. Looks like I'll have to try wrapping the yarn around more fingers maybe?
It is a goal of mine to learn this method. Thank you for sharing. Do you have a preference of metal needles vs bamboo?
It looks like your left tall finger helps move the working stitch over to the right needle and your left thumb holds the left stitches back enough, then pushes the next stitch up to be worked . Is that right?
I just can't keep it around the needle to pull it through
I live in England I have been knitting all my life. I NEVER hold the wool like you do. The wool is wrapped round the right hand kneedle with my right hand.
Does it matter which hand you use for this? Cuz I'm right handed and it's so hard to do this with my left hand lol
Great presentation. Recommend lighter color yarn against a lighter background for easier viewing.
This may be an obscure question, is it possible to swap between knitting continental style and purpling english style within the same piece?
Yes! You can freely do so. Knit however you like. When I knit colorwork, I knit Continental with my dominant color and English with my background color.
I am a tight knitter using the Eastern European way of knitting. I tried the Continental way, which forced me to knit looser. But my work is twice as big! At least my knitting in the EE or Russian style is even. Oy!
the needle/yarn motion seems very similar to crochet in this method
Before you said your 3 year old, I was thinking "oke cute, she must have a pet bird or something"
I tried to do this but my left hand muscles feels overworked.
I don’t understand how you’re “picking up” the stitch. Mine immediately slides off again, yours looks like it’s almost glued to your needle! I just don’t get it 😭
No wrapping around the pinkie needed! Just hold the yarn between fore- and middle fingers.
I learned continental as a child. I was curious about how you hold your yarn. Though you show everything, I think you should explain the direction of the yarn when you wrap around your pinkie finger. Is it wrapped clockwise or counterclickwise?
Watch again at about 1 minute, it’s very clear which way the pinkie is wrapped. Clockwise can be confusing because it depends on perspective like right & left, but from her perspective facing her pinkie from the palm side it looks like clockwise to me. Good luck! 🍀
Thanks, Donna, I watched it again from the start and got it now. I missed it the first couple times because I didnt go back far enough to rewatch it.The yarn starts by going over her pinkie when the palm is up, goes between the pinkie and ring finger and then clockeose around the back of the pinkie and up to the palm again.
Continental knitting is just a generic term for a knitting style where you hold your yarn in the hand that doesn't hold your working needle. Depending where you are from on the "Continent" there are variations. And lot of people develop their own personal ways to knit. There is no wright and wrong, as long as it works for you ( from a continental knitter )
It would be nice if it was closer.
It is easy to show on already big knitted cloth, when doing the first row, IT IS TERRIBLE I CANNOT GET MT FIRST KNIT TO JUST FUCKING STAY ON MY DAMN KNIT NEEDLE. YES I am pissed bc I've been trying to learn knitting for 2 weeks now!
its not working
So you’re actually snagging the yarn under your middle finger…
If you only i could see in the video if your putting the needle in the front or in the back loop and if only the video was short and sweet to the point. Onto diffrent videos instead
I wish it was thicker, lighter colored yarn. It’s hard to see.
Thanks... The toddler noise was too distracting for me though.
Too fast
I cannot see what you're doing at all!! You need much more visual contrast between the colour of yarn and the background!! Much better lighting too...this video is so so so so so so dark!!
Instead of showing off maybe slow down and actually show how to do it.
You can slow this down yourself in the settings.
I was having a bad day when I made that comment. Thank you for not being harsh back. And, my apologies.