How to Purl Continental - The EASY Way (and faster, too!)

[silkvelvet4444]

Hi, I tought myself how to do the continental style knitting using the German Knitting video here on YouTube, and spent a week or so training to do this. I found the purling a lot harder to master, but I'm gratified that what I do is exactly what you've demonstrated, only mirrored. Also, I found the stitches aren't twisted at all. A suggestion to peeps who want to master this method: knit a tube and only do one stitch, till you master it... why? no turning the work. It really helps

[ketcs2005]

i think it seems harder

[addistubbs]

This would've been great if it wasn't so blurry and if you slowed down for at least one or two more stitches.

[TheLibbyWu]

can you do the video slower please? Thanks!!!!

[Gabyyagual]

how do you start it

[pnq8787]

thanks

[premiertremere]

That's a combination purl by the way. If you like how fast that is you should look up combination style knitting... the knit stitch is done basically opposite to that but is plucked through quickly. People think that combination twists the stitches but i've never had this problem in my flatwork. When knitting in the round however, it twists every friggin last stitch. Anywho goodwork!

[jimmersgal]

Thanks for this video. I really like the fact there are other choices in performing a purl stitch. I'm a continental knitter and my left fingers moves back and forth, but I will most definitely try your method. Keep up the good work! It's good sharing other methods and choices!

[ZebeezLikeCheese]

i. still. dont. get it. OMG

[TheLibbyWu]

@ZebeezLikeCheese I sooooooooo agree with you. I just started to knit a few weeks ago.

[srs515890]

I'm not concerned with which style you are using, it just makes more sense to me and is much easier when continental purling. I searched for a method that would involve less turning and twisting of the needles and the yarn and you have shown me.... Thank you so much

[amylittletank]

You can see on your knit side that you've got a row of twisted stitches on the rows you've purled this way. I like this look in 1/1 ribbing, which gives it a cabley look, but I wouldn't want it in my stockinette. As other folks have posted, you can adjust by knitting into the backs of your stitches on your knitting rows, but this variation takes me slightly longer - I imagine, speedwise, it would be a wash overall. If you don't mind the twisted stitches, tho, I can see this would be faster.

[DawnChs]

Thank you for this, this is how I've been doing it, and thought I was doing something wrong. I learned to knit American style, throwing my yarn, but since I've learned the continental way, my knitting is so much faster! Love your tutes!

[MsKathy07]

Thanks. I think the first purl stitch you did was the Norwegian purl. I learned to purl in the continental method using a different approach. I think Elizabeth Zimmerman purls the way you do (if you see her on one of her DVD's....)

[Becizzle]

Oops someone already said that.

[Becizzle]

The stitches are twisted when you do it this way which then means you have to knit through the back of the loop on your knit rows. Kinda hard to unlearn the way you knit just to get quicker purling. Thanks for trying though.

[03chic]

Hi! I am a beginner. Can you explain what you mean by this purl method twisting the stitches. And how do we knit into the back of each loop on the right side. Sorry - I don't know what you mean. Also can you do a video on the easy way to do continental knitting? Thanks!

[jennlikesyarn]

@03chic I'll try! Basically, when you purl this way, it wraps the stitch a bit differently, so the stitch itself becomes wound in another direction. So when you knit back, you have to do it in the back loop. It's not a big change, and it still moves quickly! I'm getting a new camera for Christmas, so I'll be working on a lot of tutorials in the new year. I'll try to remember the continental tutorials :D

[infodim1]

What does continental mean

[jennlikesyarn]

@infodim1 Hi! Continental knitting just means you hold the yarn in your left hand and scoop the right-hand needle (as opposed to holding the yarn in your right hand and "throwing" it around the needle).

[infodim1]

What does continental mean?

[MsKathy07]

@infodim1 Continental stitching means that you knit with the working yarn in your left hand . Sometimes its called English knitting.

[demelzabunny1]

You wouldn't switch needles to do the English or throwing technique; the needles would be held in exactly the same way. The difference is the yarn is held in the right hand instead of the left, and the right hand "wraps" the yarn around the stitch to be knitted or purled.

[jennlikesyarn]

@demelzabunny1 You're right. I'm not sure why it looks like I did that - I've used the throw method before!

[asredbirdy]

Oh, goody, that is the way I do it but I just worked it out myself. I was looking at another person's purl stitch and it was SOOOOOo complicated I just couldn't do it.

[JeneenDH]

I watched several other videos on Knitting and Purling, I know it has been a while since I have knitted but I was totally lost on the Purling till I came to your video. And the light bulb went off, like you my grandmother taught me to knit and crochet however, what sets us apart is it was our OMA'S that taught us. And sense obviously they are german and this is a stich that was used mainly in eastern europe I guess thats why it was so familiar to me. Thx.

[bellylaughing]

In total agreement with you about the "normal" Continental purling. I'd rather throw than purl in that other way, but love Continental knitting (I am a self taught thrower). I just finished watching Russian Purling and it looks just like what you are doing - which, by the way, is a totally logical and great way of Purling. Thank you for your very clear video. I would have never known that it's your first one. (anyone can drop a camera)

[Pdkweathers]

I taught myself how to knit out of book years ago. Throwing was the only way. Then I saw someone knit continental. I watched her for 10 minutes and went home and figured it out. I purl the way you do. Which does twist the stitches. I figured out about the knitting in the back of the loop to not twist the stitches. But for years thought I was knitting wrong. To my delight I found out I was not knitting wrong I was using the Combination method.

[gscatty]

this is SOOO much better. thanks

[InternetFad]

This is how I purl! <3 I love knowing I'm not alone!

[RoadRhythm66]

As J4zberg mentioned, this is a form of combination knitting. It's how I intuitively picked up purling at first, and I still find it handy in lace knitting if I'm mirroring the slant of my decreases on either side of the spine of a triangular shawl. It does require that you make an extra rotational movement with your right wrist, though, whereas with practice you can get regular continental purling down to a small flick with the left thumb/relevant finger to just manipulate the yarn.

[J4zberg]

This method is called "Combo Knitting" and I THINK it is from Eastern Europe. I agree that it is faster when you are doing ribs or stockinette but I get all confused when trying to do something like moss or seed or rice stitch. It also seems to me that my stockinette stitches come out a lot more even when doing this twist-untwist method. (KTBL) When I do a long area of stockinette in traditional continental I get bumpy purl rows (too large).

[Fritha71]

I've never purled the way all these instruction videos on YT teaches and I am a continental knitter. The way my mother taught me is to keep the yarn in the back of the needles, move your right needle under the yarn and under the stich in the left needle and just move the right needle a bit behind to get the yarn in your left index finger to loop around the right needle, just like with a knit stitch. The needle moves, not the yarn! To me a purl stitch is just as easy as a knit stitch...

[susanklinkhammer]

This is exactly how I purl! Hurray, someone else does too! It's fast and easy!

Susan

[daniellembaca]

way to fast..... didnt learn to purl knit from this video at all

[lilywondertwin]

If you look at the motion of your wrist how it moves it actually is worse on your wrist to do this than the Danish method. The other method you are using your hand more and not your wrist the result of the stitches if you are careful are just as good but the wrist is most important for people who have this as an issue...and all of us have to care for our wrists so we can keep doing the things we love no matter what our age.

[pegschr]

when I do this the stitch ends up twisted? 

[jennlikesyarn]

@pegschr That they will - I just updated the video description and annotations to mention that you need to knit into the back loops on your return row to un-twist them. Hope this helps!

[isawstars]

too fast :(

[csndeb]

Hi Jenni. I know you said this was your first video so I thought I'd comment instead of rating. I am trying to learn continental and unfortunately this video is way too fast for me to "get it". Could you please do another where you show how you purl slowly and at least three times?  When you demo this fast I can't even see what you were doing when I paused and continued. Thanks for trying and I always look forward to more crafty videos.

[YOprincess]

I love the continental style of knitting and this is how I use to purl... It works beautifully if you're doing a stocking stitch but once you move onto a pattern it doesn't work and I've worked out why! When you purl this way you half twist the stitch ~ so just be aware of that!!

[DayseasMom]

I have been purling this way for years. I do knit into the back of the stitch and the stitches do not twist. It is fast and easy. I have completed many projects using this method and it works well. It is important to check gauge with this method as it tend to be a bit tighter, but stiches are more even.

[knittynan]

This method of purling this way and then knitting into the back of the stitch is called combination knitting. It works on straight needles but you run into problems when knitting in the round.

[kwell88]

I do English style and I'm thinking about learning Continental because everything says its so much faster. I taught myself, but it's so hard trying to change my ways!! From my perspective it looks like continental would be the easy way to drop stitches and make a bunch of knots :(

[shelle93]

That's so cool, that's the way I do my purling, because I couldn't get the traditional ways.

[MaidenBklyn]

I believe this is what they call "Combination" knitting, where you purl by wrapping the yarn clockwise (as opposed to the more conventional counter-clockwise). Then, on the knit row, you have to knit through the back of the loop to untwist the stich that you just purled in the previous row.

[daor775]

Hi-thanks for showing a different way to purl the continental way. I have been trying to find an easier way to do this method and everyone has their own way. I am trying to avoid getting my carpal tunnel back so any way I can relieve the tension in my hand and fingers is a God send! Thanks Very Much

[jennlikesyarn]

@daor775 I'm so glad I could help! Just remember that it does twist your stitches (which I didn't mention in the video), so you'll have to knit into the back of each loop on the right side. Have a great weekend!

[nicolethebean85]

i just tried it this new way (which is indeed much faster), and my stitches wound up upside down - like it would look if you held a mirror underneath the needle with the last row of stitches on it. can anyone make sense of that for me? i don't know how to start the next stitch from there...

[jennlikesyarn]

@nicolethebean85 Hi! I'm so glad you're trying this method! Even though I've knit this way since I was 11, I never knew that it twisted the stitches (as someone pointed out to me in one of the comments). So to correct this, you knit into the back loop of the stitch on the back row. I'm not sure if this solves your problem, but let me know!

[marlib7]

thanks so much for your quick reply, and I am glad you to compensate for the twist. I thought I was the only one that did this, this way

[marlib7]

I also tried it this way, but if you look your purling clockwise which twists your stitch. By that I mean you must knit to match the purl. if you try some your way and the way you didnt like you will see they slant differently. I'm gonna try your way again. I have been fiddling with this to learn something easier and trying all the videos on you tube, but I did find your way was twisted...........here we go again

[marlib7]

i am trying to find an easier way to purl continental, as u said the knitting came easier. My question to u is that when u purl your way, and then turn to knit the stitches are mounted wrong for knitting. I know the purl bump is there, but i would like to know how u continental knit so i can try this. i will keep watching because i want to learn. please reply

[jennlikesyarn]

@marlib7 Hi! Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. You are absolutely right! The way I purl actually twists the stitch. The way I correct it is to knit into the back of the loop instead of in the front (through the center of the loop that's on the needle). This seems to correct things and is super fast. I hope this answers you question, but maybe I'll make another video on it :D

[iluviel]

@jennlikesyarn Thank you for the exaplanations, I only have one additional question. If you knit and purl your way (that twists the stitches), can you then still follow knitting patterns? Did you try it? How would you "knit into the back loop" (when pattern says so) when you`re actually knitting into the back loop all the time? Would knitting into the front loop fix that (so that knitting into the front loop = knitting into the back loop in the pattern)?

[jennlikesyarn]

@iluviel Hi :D Usually when a pattern calls for those specific directions and I know my stitches are twisted, I'll slip them off and put them back on the right way. TBH, it's rare I notice a difference when my stitches are twisted anyway. I hope that helps!

[SweetWaterPurl]

I have a video on my Page of this same method... I made in February... it's so easy