Help with learning to knit Continental style?

Question

I'm a fairly good knitter (intermediate, I'd say) but I only know how to knit English style (where I hold the yarn in my right hand and wrap it around). When I knit for hours and hours, my arm gets quite tired from the exaggerated movement, and I'd love to learn to knit Continental style. I've looked at some websites, but I just can't seem to get the hang of it. It just feels unnatural to me!

Can anyone recommend good websites, books, videos, etc. - or does anyone have any tips on how to do this? Thanks!

Answer 1

I am not sure I know what you mean with this.

My Mum used to knit with the needle held tight under her right armpit and the left needle really close to the point. She only used her forefinger to wrap the wool around the needle. Maybe you should just try to concentrate on making your movements smaller

Answer 2

It will seem unnatural for a while.  Try Youtube for Continental knitting videos that you can replay for free.  If you want a DVD, there are several on the market that will enable you to play the video on a larger screen TV.  Get something that can take abuse like dishcloth cotton or good old Red Heart and start with something small until you're more comfortable.  (Although I learned and started a sweater immediately, but I was young and foolish back then!  Continental is GREAT for highly textured stitches because it's so easy to switch between knit and purl.  That's why I wanted to learn it, to do a sweater with a lot of texture and ribbing.)

Of course, the best way is probably to find someone locally who knits continental and ask them to help you.  That's how I learned after about twenty years of "English" style knitting.  There's also another English style called "flicking" - just what it sounds like, instead of moving the whole arm to wrap the stitch, you sort of "flick" the yarn over the needle tip.  I have an English neighbor who knits that way, but I haven't sat and watched her enough to get up the courage to try it!  I'm happy with the two styles I can do now, and I drive other knitters in my guild crazy with my speed.

btw, knowing how to knit both ways is great for two-colored knitting like Fair Isle.  My Continental knitting is looser than my English, so I hold the background color in my right hand (English) and the design color(s) in my left hand (Continental).  That way the floats on the wrong side of the knitting stay nice and loose and the design stitches don't pucker.

Answer 3

You just have to be patient, and do not give up.  I'm actually the opposite of you.  I have been knitting continental style all my life, and cannot seem to switch to any other method.  I wanted to learn the english way, because my two young daughters were learning to knit at a summer camp and that's how they were thought.  I wanted to be able to help them practice, but my way was very different.  While I have learned the other way, it is not comfortable to me, so I do not actually knit that way.  My only suggestion would be to work on scarves only (and fairy skinny ones) with only knits and purls until you feel comfortable.  I think shorter rows and the constant repetition will give you faster results.

Answer 4

You can go to http://www.diynetwork.com and go to knitting and they show a lot of different styles of knitting. also on diy network they have a show called knitty gritty that show a lot of different techniques.

Answer 5

Here is a link for you. Have fun.

Answer 6

Go to a site call www.philosopherswool.com click on the video for fair isle knitting. She shows you how to knit with both hands and has some interesting twists to two handed knitting. If you watch the video she shows both types pf knitting.

Answer 7

ROTFLOL!!!! I can empathize with you.  I knit English style for over 35 years when I made the switch to Continental.  It takes time to retrain your brain as well as your hands.  It took me 6 months to be fully comfortable in Continental, and another couple of years to become fully proficient.  THEN I was taught to knit and purl back backwards <G>, which is left handed English style <G>.  It will feel unnatural for a while just keep on working at it.  In the long run, knowing how to knit both ways is a great gift if you get into knitting in colorwork.