I've got to say, I still can't get the continental down right. english style seems easier. and even i've just started knitting and don't take my right hand off to throw the yarn.
This video demo is by far the best lesson for continental knitting and purling I have ever seen. The angles of view make it very easy to see each step so clearly vs. other videos that are created in which you can't always see what is going on due to poor angle view of video. Great Job! Now I can proficiently knit and purl continental style...WooHoo! Thanks a million for the demo :)
Thank you for this video! I just started knitting with the throwing method. It was very slow and my hands would start hurting after just a little while. Now that I'm getting the hang of this method it's so much faster and easier. At first I was freaked out by how loose my stitches were, but maybe I was just knitting very tightly before. Thank you again.
This was the best explanation of continental style knitting I've ever seen. I've been a "thrower" all my life, and I think I'm a fairly fast knitter. I watched this video a couple of times and worked along with it. I've now been knitting "euro-style" for about half an hour, and although it's still feeling somewhat awkward, I can tell my stitching is already going as fast as it does when I hold the yarn in my right hand!
This was the best explanation of continental style knitting I've ever seen. I've been a "thrower" all my life, and I think I'm a fairly fast knitter. I watched this video a couple of times and worked along with it. I've now been knitting "euro-style" for about half an hour, and although it' i still feeling somewhat awkward, I can tell my stitching is already going as fast as it does when I hold the yarn in my right hand!
Thank you for teaching this method so clearly. It will come in very handy when knitting 2 colours as with Icelandic Knitting. But this video doesn't do justice to "throwers". Expert throwers don't hold their work in that fashion, nor have the yarn held so clumsily; I never let the yarn or needle go in either purl or knit. I move only my index finger of my right hand over the needle, while holding the right-hand needle in the crook of my hand easily, giving the work a perfect tension.!
This is the best video I have ever seen on how to knit Continental style. I am a crocheter, and have had such a difficult time training my right hand to hold the yarn while knitting English style. This video is extremely helpful! The detail and quiet voice of Ms. Beltman is so much appreciated! Great job! More from Ms. Beltman, please!
I admit, I look like I am trying to lasso the moon. BUT, I just started knitting a week ago and learned reading a book and watching videos. This continental style looks cool and so smooth. I'm am going to learn it as well. Thanks for the post.
Great video. I started crocheting and then learned knitting, but got confused with the yarn wrapping. I ended up throwing, however; I do wrap my yarn in my left hand as you do in your right. I plan on becoming proficient at continental though because it is more efficient, I just need to practice. Thanks for the great, clear instruction!
This is probably the best continental knitting video I've ever seen. I've been having such a hard time trying to convert over. I want to knit faster and I feel continental will help me do that, but I just couldn't tension the yarn properly. I really think with practice I could master it thanks to this video!
Nice demonstration, however you make throwers look inept at knitting. Not all "English" knitters move thier whole hand around the needle like that. I hold my yarn exactly as you do for "picking" but in my right hand, only my finger moves as I wrap the yarn. I can turn my work and do all those other stitches without letting go of my positioning just as you do in continental. I think what your are seeing with people that throw their yarn like that is that they have been improperly taugh
@moosedawg71 Thank you, when she was demonstrating "English" I was thinking do people actually knit like that?? I hold it like you, wrapped around my right index finger, and yesterday my aunt who knits Continental, and my mother who can't remember how she did it when she knit in the 70's were in awe of just how fast I was knitting, and I was working on a lace project!
My hands refuse to knit Continental, I can't get good tension at all! To each their own as long as they're knitting!!!
@moosedawg71 Agreed - I only moved my hand like that when I had just started knitting. With practice, English knitting becomes just as efficient as Continental.
I don't know what I'm doing wrong...I am just learning so I want to knit several rows and master that before I move on to perling. But what it turns out is that I am knitting one row then perling the next...but I am not changing how I am doing anything!! Why is this happening??
@huntercalgary Hi Smegma, how is the dog blower doing today? Youtube is loaded with comments about you being a dog blower. You haven't found a small fraction yet. Keep looking so we can hear from you. Then I can have our team respond as usual. I don't waste my time talking to someone I don't know. Instead I have a service do it. What a cum stain loser you are.
I love this video. I normally knit in the English Method, and have carpul tunnel in both hands. Now that I've learned how to knit the Continental way, it gives my wrists a break. Thank you so much for posting this.
This is the first Continental demo I've seen with the first finger "up" that makes any sense. I knit with my yarn finger on the needle (I haven't seen any other people doing it that way here though), but get the yarn over the needle with a gentle rock of the wrist. This also lets me purl with less movement. (Just did 2 videos to demonstrate my knit/purl to a friend.)
This is a great tutorial! I have been practising for about an hour now, and already I am much faster and it is so much easier ans smoother. At first, I found it hard because my stitches were twisted the worng way (is that normal), so to put the needle in was hard, and i had to slip and re slip to un twist each stitch as I went along, which took a while.... Anyway, thanks so much!
This is a fantastic video! Unfortunately, I can't do it because of my thumb tendinitis in my left hand - I'm a left who knits righty though. I think it would be great for a righty to get a break from using their right hand all the time :-)
I've been wanting to learn Continental BIGTIME but though it has seemed to involve fewer motions, it's always looked way more titchy. Your way solves everything I haven't liked about it! I'm absolutely going to convert. I will say, your way of throwing yarn is cumbersome (sorry), but English will never have the speed potential that your Continental technique does. Thanks so much for this video! Once mastered, it's going to make my knitting SO much faster. Sheeesh. Thanks, thanks!!!
This is the clearest cleanest demo of continental I've seen. Very nice explanation of everything that each finger has to do.
absolutely the best !!! ihave been a 'thrower' for a long time but with an injury my hands get too tired ... I have ordered videos and watched but never found sucha a wonderful explaination !!! thank you so much
This video is wonderful! I've been a crocheter for about 15 years, but I started knitting about a year ago. I'm currently don't knit continental because I've never been able to figure it out. I've watched several videos but none of them helped. This video made a such a difference. I didn't know how important finger position was, none of the other videos talked about that. I'm so excited to go try this! Thank you for the video!!
TOO COOL!!! I am a crocheter. I have never finished anything knitting before Last week I found some wonderful wool at a thrift shop, and some #10 knitting needles. I decided to give knitting one...more...try. Until I heard a craftsanity podcast awhile ago, I didn't even know there were 2 kinds of knitting. I have always thrown, and never been able to get even a decent swatch.
Today, I started knitting continental by accident, and I LOVE I! This video helped tie up the loose ends..thx!!
Thanks for an awesome video! Your technique and discription are perfect, exactly what I was looking for. I really like the way you hold the yarn - works so much better, smoother, easier than the way other videos I watched. My arthritis is starting to make knitting uncomfortable - I'm looking forward to trying your method. THANKS
i learned crochet as a child, long before i picked up any knitting, and this way really did feel much more natural to me when i was first learning to knit. definitely a great idea for an crocheter who is intimidated or frustrated by learning to knit.
Thank you!-My grandmother taught me to knit this way about 53 years ago when I was 5. I have forgotten some of the important things like tension and you have made me remember what I am doing wrong with my yarn.
I can't seem to make my left hand form that position. :( My middle finger *does not* want to bend that way. Is there a different way of holding the yarn/needle? I'm also having difficulty keeping the tension with the yarn wrapped that way. Help!
I really love think i could fall in love with this way of knitting but it is definetly going to take some getting used to i am self taught, so ofcourse i took the longest and most complicated ways aroungd getting started and now it what i got used to. thank you for you videos the teach very efficiently and are easy to understand
I've knitted for about 35 years and today was the first time I knew there were different types of knitting. Never heard of continental or throw. Thanks to this video, I found out that I've been continental knitting. I saw a character on a sitcom doing the throw method (not knowing what it was called), I commented on how slow she was and the weird way she held the needles. The needles were pointed almost downward with the blunt end over her forearm. It made no sense.
I have been a "thrower" for 27 years but also have done mostly crochet due to the speed. This looks PERFECT and the way you hold the yarn is exactly how I have it for crochet! I cannot wait to speed up my knitting and actually be able to make all those patterns I shied away from before THANK YOU!
Thank you for posting this video. I was struggling with purling in the continental style and was seriously considering taking your class at the Knitters Connection in June. I'm certain I would enjoy the workshop, but it is a 4 hour drive for me. After watching your video, I can easily see that my problem was simply how I was holding my yarn. Your explanation was so clear that after a few minutes of practicing I can now purl easily and with good tension.
I am practising holding my yarn exactly like you do, because I am tired of throwing, and picking. My problem is that my working yarn keeps jumping forward to the purl position. Do you have any helpful hints for me besides practise, practise
Why do you take your hand off the needle when you are demonstrating the throwing style? I'm English and my English mum taught me to knit in the 1950s and she taught me NOT to take my hand off the needle. It's a great way for fast knitting. I see the Peruvian ladies do the same style.
I have never heard of Continental knitting before, but I am in LOVE with it! I love to knit and it looks like it makes so much more sense to do it this way! I am going right now to practice this! Great video!
I have never herd of Continental knitting before, but I am in LOVE with it! I love to knit and it looks like it makes so much more sense to do it this way! I am going right now to practice this! Great video!
I am teaching myself to knit from a traditional book and modified my knit and purl to work with my yarn in my LT hand (Continental). In my inexperience, I thought I made up this LT handed way of holding my yarn! You just showed me that my way is ligitimate (inspite of well intended corrections from strangers)! I appreaciate how clear and understandable this was! Thank you. Oh, and now I have a name for my way of doing it, grin.
@LorileeCity My apologies. I mistook the example of throwing as part of the overall instruction. Like I said in my original comment, it's one of the best (videos) I've seen for learning Cont. style.
I've been knitting for four years now and I was taught to throw. I've also been told how much better, more efficient Continental knitting is. Well, if someone is throwing like the woman in this video, then yeah, throwing will take forever. But I've never met a knitter who throw hold her yarn that way - with no tension, no special way of holding her yarn.
While it's a good video and one of the best I've seen for learning Cont. style, it's horrible for learning throwing.
@kissmyknits Yes, I totally agree, I am a crappy thrower. I have elegant thrower friends, but I can't do it. When I was a thrower over 20 years ago, I was a pit knitter. You can look that up.
So this is why this is a continental demo. RIght? I'm not intentionally trying to make throwing look bad- I just never do it. Your also judging a few seconds of it while I am juggling back and forth and trying to get words out.
I am an experienced crocheter and have started knitting, although I did not teach myself using the Continental method, I must say I find this method extremely difficult.
I can do the basic knit no problem . . . when it comes to actually doing the purl, even folloing these instructions, I still cannot do it. I'm starting to wonder if it's because I'm left handed and crochet right handed & I just can't get the hang of it either way I try with the knitting . . ?
Thank you so much! Excellent instructions. Have been wanting to learn this method for a long time and this video showed me exactly how to do it and quickly master the technique
This seems like it ought to be able to work, and I really wish I could do it as well as the demonstrator. But I still can't, I feel like I need to grow about 8 more fingers to get everything under control. =(
I really need to get this mastered. Showing the ribbing difference between english and continental shows just how much more efficient it is. A great demo, just need to get my left hand to work with me.
this is how I learned, many years ago, and while I knew there was another way to do it, I never knew what the difference was, or which way was "right"..thanks for explaining the difference and letting me know my way was ok after all!
this is how I learned, many years ago, and while I knew there was another way to do it, I never knew what the difference was, or which way was "right"..thanks for explaining the difference and letting me know my way was ok after all!
I learned knitting as a child in the 'throwing' way; (The Netherlands) Now I am learning it my kids, but I saw it is difficult for kids to handle the needle and the yarn with their right hand at the same time. To throw the yarn, one has to leave the needle hanging for a short while, with the risk that the last stich falls off the needle. Also, one has to pick up the needle again.
This continental knitting is the solution for me. Thanks for this very nice video and interesting (!) explanation.
I really enjoyed your explanation. My mother taught me this style and it's very fast and smooth. My method for tension is a little different but it works for me!
I cannot believe how much I enjoy this video, I practise and watch all the time. so good, and easy to watch. Someday I will be as good as you, it is a joy to watch and listen to you
Do not hold your pointer finger up. Search for the video called "Kelley's Speed Knitting Lesson" It really helped me with holding the tension.
I watched the "Kelley's Speed Knitting Lesson" and this helped me a lot. I am wanting to do some 2 color stranded work and wanted to be able to hold one color in my left hand and I think if I practice this, I can do it. For regular knitting though, I will probably always be a "thrower".
I am finding it very difficult to control the tension. My left hand from my thumb down my hand and up my forefinger cramps really bad. What am I doing wrong? I have my hands and fingers positioned as shown, and this really hurts.
Thank you so much! This is a very clear explanation on Continental style. With some crochet experience, this is not difficult to learn, although I'm still working on the tensioning. THANK YOU ESPECIALLY for showing how you hold the working yarn and why. I watched a few other videos while waiting for this to load and had so much trouble with purl stitches until you explained it. My knitting has never been so fast!
I need serious help!!! I started out with thirty stitches and I did a couple of rows and I continued to have thirty stitches and then, out of no where, I counted again, and I had 32 stitches. I figured it was no big deal, until two rows later, I had 35 stitches, do you have any idea what I'm doing wrong? Can you tell me how to fix this?
@tiahnapan sounds like you might be picking up stits along the way. If you're just beginning, I would suggest to go slow and figure out how you're picking up the stits that way you can learn to catch the mistakes as you go along. That's what I had to do when I started knitting.
I tried this method, and I was able to do it but I found my tension hard to keep even versus the English way I am used to knitting. But thank you for the demo :)
Until a week ago, I never realized there were different ways of knitting basic nit and purl stitches but watching knitting videos on YouTube has opened my eyes. I'm from Finland so for me continental has been the way to go since mum taught me how to knit when I was six years old. However, I never wrap the yarn around my little finger to maintain tension; it just rests in my palm while having it over my index finger. I also don't bring it to the front on purls, it resides in the back.
I learned the English way... and I am trying to learn continental, but I am finding it very difficult to control the tension... not to mention my left hand from my thumb down my hand and up my forefinger cramps really bad... what am I doing wrong? I have my hands and fingers positioned as shown - and this really hurts!
@dawn241 Do not hold your pointer finger up. Search for the video called "Kelley's Speed Knitting Lesson" It really helped me with holding the tension.
I am having the same problem. I am finding it very difficult to control the tension. My left hand from my thumb down my hand and up my forefinger cramps really bad. What am I doing wrong? I have my hands and fingers positioned as shown. Did you get an answer to your question? Since I'm having the same problem, I would like to know what I am doing wrong.
Ah thank you so much! I've been crocheting for years and when I was taught how to knit I was told I was wrong by holding the yarn in my left hand. I tried learning how to hold it with my right but no luck there. I'm so glad to know there's nothing wrong with knitting the way I do. :)
Ah, I just felt a lightbulb go off in my head. You pick it using a sideways movement. Now it makes sense. I'm more of an English gal, but one reason why is because I'd previously been trying to snag the yarn (when attempting continental) from an up/down position and getting frustrated when it slipped away from me. Great vid on teaching this method.
My mom, who has won awards for her knitting in Ireland, tried to teach me how to knit the "American" way. This was 2 years after I taught myself how to crochet. Boy was that hard!!! However, after watching this video, it seems so much easier to switch a crochet hook for 2 or more knitting needles. Thank you so much!!!!!
(I just wish some of the camera wasn't all over the place, which caused it to be out of focus while demonstrating.)
Thank you!-My grandmother taught me to knit this way about 53 years ago when I was 5. I have forgotten some of the important things like tension and you have made me remember what I am doing wrong with my yarn.
RE: Continental...Finally someone that actually explains and gives specific instructions on how to hold the yarn so it's efficient (as you put it). Most videos just say this is a knit and this is a purl. I'm an english knitter just checking out other ways.
been getting pain in my right hand of late so was looking for an alternative to save my aching joints, this is very clear to see whats going on.. nobody teaches this way in england that i know of !!! I do not throw my yarn quite like that that is extream overwork on the right hand but see what your trying to demostrate here... good vid thanks
Great video! This is the best I have seen & you teach so similar to bethintx1, who teaches crocheting, step by step & close-ups. Anyone who wants to learn crocheting, I strongly recommend Bethintx1, I learned from her & I was a beginner, this video is great for knitting. I have looked so much. Another good one is knittingtipsbyjudy & knittinghelp. I like this one. Thanks Lorilee!
This video really helped a lot. I crochet and finally learned to knit using this video. I hold my yarn a bit different - pretty much the same way I crochet - but it seems to be working out well regardless.
began knitting in dec. using throwing method; love it, but i see the advantages in knitting continental. what a wonderful video you have made for us. really made it gel for me when you said, .."i'm aiming right here..." thanks.
I think you have to carry that working yarn around the baby finger and on top of the other fingers, I was putting it under like I do in english knitting
I really love this video, as I have said before. I have been practising and yes you do get alot looser knitting. Another problem I have is the working yarn falling off my baby finger when I start knitting and that drives me nuts, so I am trying to figure out a way to hold that yarn, because when you keep changing ways in a project you can tell when you look at your work. I am practising on toys etc, so it really doesnt matter much, how it looks.
Yes I wish you could sit next to me for a while to. I really thought I would have more problem with the pearl stitch than the knit stitch. I'm off to practise some more, as it does save my hands and I can knit longer. When I get sore I just switch back to english throwing. Thankyou for the quick response.
this is a very good video, the best. But I have two questions. I am a thrower and have arthritis and have been trying to learn continental. When I knit, the finger used for a landing pad needs a thimble or something. Am I correct in thinking that pulling that knit stitch out before you slide it off causes wacky tension. Also do you have some tips for sliding the stitches along the needle, I find that I always have to stop, push up the stitches and retention my yarn. best video award
@marlib7 FIrst, thank you. You should be able to scoop the stitch without scratching the landing pad with your needle. Aim for the strand a little lower. Then, for tension, ALWAYS put your right forefinger on the completed stitch, which will also help with your thimble problem. Wishing I could sit next to you for a while, because I can tell you are really working at it. I have to push every inch worth of knitting, but get I get fast it, especially with the looser stitches. Good luck!
Thank you for posting this video. It is the clearest one I've seen on continental. I learned English, but recently switched and like continental better. I had an advantage though--I didn't really do English all that well!
I tried doing this with normal length needles, but man, is that a hassle! I think I'll by some short needles with a wire like those you're using~ I'm a crocheter, though not a very good one :P
Thank you for this video. I am a self-taught knitter from an old, very old pattern book from the 40's and this is the way it explained how to knit. I always wondered why other knitters said I held my needles "strangely". Now, I know. They are "throwers" and I am not, LOL. And now I have a named method to describe how I knit. I also have always been able to knit a project more quickly than others knitting similar projects. Apparently, this Continental Method answers that, too! Thanks, again!
I just started knitting 2 days ago and I've had to pull apart my work about 30 times because I just could not get it right. I tried the Continental style and regular style and my stitches are always too tight, I can barely move my needles. It's like dancing with 2 left feet! :-(
@gypsyqueen64 it just takes time to learn the correct tension, you've been knitting 2 days and your work it too tight? i knit for about 5 years with my work too tight haha. just continue to remind yourself to loosen up and try knitting a piece really really loose just to practice the feeling of it, move your hands a little lower on your needles and just keep breathing and relaxing as you knit. =]
I've been trying to learn how to knit continental for ages but just can't get the hang of it. It doesn't help that I knit left handed and righty tutorials get confusing...
@L2Belt I've been trying to figure it out but my problem is that I knit from the right needle onto the left which would have me holding the yarn across my right hand correct?
@MariaVana What I am saying is to give it a try as pictured. Both hands have work to do. You don't HAVE to flip everything around because you are left handed. The plus side to learning like this is being able to get help as you need it because no one would be put off or confused by your work. Make sense? Good luck either way.
@L2Belt ok i tried... and i failed haha. i've been really trying to knit right-handed but it seems the only thing my right hand can do is push my work forward. I'm actually right handed but my dad taught me how to knit when i was 6 and i was sitting across from him mirroring what he did. i guess i'm sticking to throwing for now but thanks for the advice and great video =]
Thanks for a great video. I knit continental, but I do my purls just a tad different. I can't seem to use my left pointer finger to bring the yarn around. I figure whatever works for me is good. :) I also go down several needle sizes when I start a new project swatch.
This video really helped. I tried continental before and had the problem like at 2:48- 2:52 but I kept practicing and my hand has gotten use to holding everything and I use my middle finger for the back part of the loop to make it easier.
This is fantastic. I have always disliked knitting because I found it awkward, I always preferred crochet, but this continental technique is great. It is so much like crochet that I might just take up knitting.
This is ABSOLUTELY THE BEST demo for knitting I have been to, and I have looked at a lot. I was wanting to learn this type of knitting and had not found it.
@merrywheel Thanks. I'll be teaching this in person at UK Knit Camp, University of Sterling, Scotland, and at Stitches Midwest, Chicago, IL, both in August 2011. Lorilee.
I tought my friend's ma how to knit... she started continetal... i didnt even teach her how to do continetal... she is doing good on knitting. so it is sweet.
I am a crocheter~ And yes, this style looks alot easier than traditional knitting~ I always have trouble keeping constant pressure and movements with the traditional knitting I was taught XP
I think I'll try this method to see how I like it and how my work looks. My hand does get tired when I knit for long periods so I like the prospect of learning a different technique.
beautiful video. I have watched alot of continental videos on Youtube, this one is very helpful, close ups, and very explanatory. Thank you very much. I watch this video often for reminders and help.
@asteriede I think it's awful that someone downrated this post; I hope my thumb's up cancels it out. How arrogant and ignorant to assume that English knitting is not just as fast and efficient as Continental! I just don't think people are familiar with all of the ways to hold the yarn in both methods.
I'm sorry but Ms. Ackerman isn't quite representing English knitting properly... Just as she comments that left-handed throwing isn't a legitimate Continental, I propose that right-handed throwing by moving the entire hand rather than the forefinger is just as illegitimate an English style.
Also...Continental purling is so convoluted and the tension is almost always off.
I've said many times in this thread- I'm a klutz at English knitting. I have friends who knit English most elegantly. Knitting the way you like is best- to each his own. Enjoy.
You can read more about it elsewhere, but there are left handed throwers, and it is not continental style. Whatever gets the job done is great- all "legitimate", as you say.
There are knitters who knit without turning the piece. They knit continential in one direction and then throw from the left coming back. This eliminates turning and is good for picture knitting because they bobbins won't get all tangled. I am trying to develop this "double" style of knitting. I love continental; it feels natural for me, and I can knit much faster.
Use what you prefer. After catching on, most continental knitters prefer steel for speed, and use plastic or wood when they want to slow things down or add a bit of yarn-grip.
This is the first time I have watched a video on on continental knitting and really understood how to catch the yarn it is awesome! Thank you so much!
Love your video. I saw your others demonstrating increases and decreases, but help! I have a hard time doing P2tbl. can you demonstrate that? Also P2 tog seems hard.. Keep up the tutorials. !
P2tog is harder. There is no great harm to stretching those stitches out a bit before you go into them to p2tog. Visualize the small gap under each stitch and turn that into the roadway for your needle tips to travel. Good luck.
this is a bit difficult because i am so used to throwing, i can see that it is much more efficent when i get the hang of it, but when i change the row, i get tripped up again. i'm working on it though :)
I'm replying in general for those who wrap differently. It's important to realize there are many ways to do this. Whatever is best for you is the right way for you. This video is the right way for me. From the numbers, many agree, but many don,t, and that's totally fine.
Thanks for this video. I'm a new knitter and this is going to help me a lot.
vanessalouro 1 week ago
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patrickz1981 1 week ago
I had no idea that I was a "continental knitter" and I've been knitting for 20 years! I thought I was just knitting!
patrickz1981 1 week ago
I've got to say, I still can't get the continental down right. english style seems easier. and even i've just started knitting and don't take my right hand off to throw the yarn.
TheJCrewz 2 weeks ago
6 hours of make this happen and there is STILL no tention.
DanandDonna1 2 weeks ago
This video demo is by far the best lesson for continental knitting and purling I have ever seen. The angles of view make it very easy to see each step so clearly vs. other videos that are created in which you can't always see what is going on due to poor angle view of video. Great Job! Now I can proficiently knit and purl continental style...WooHoo! Thanks a million for the demo :)
bearysweeetlady64 3 weeks ago in playlist More videos from ackwood
Very helpful. I have to keep practicing. Thx Happy New Year!
craftymom7 3 weeks ago
every1 throws diffrently. for instance i dont take my whole hand off of my right needle 2 throw, i actually enjoy englis
calmingwaters1981 1 month ago
No matter how hard I try, I cannot knit continental style. There are too many fingers to keep track of.
zengrenouille 1 month ago
Thank you for this video! I just started knitting with the throwing method. It was very slow and my hands would start hurting after just a little while. Now that I'm getting the hang of this method it's so much faster and easier. At first I was freaked out by how loose my stitches were, but maybe I was just knitting very tightly before. Thank you again.
nikki8907 1 month ago
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This was the best explanation of continental style knitting I've ever seen. I've been a "thrower" all my life, and I think I'm a fairly fast knitter. I watched this video a couple of times and worked along with it. I've now been knitting "euro-style" for about half an hour, and although it's still feeling somewhat awkward, I can tell my stitching is already going as fast as it does when I hold the yarn in my right hand!
krismordecai 1 month ago
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This was the best explanation of continental style knitting I've ever seen. I've been a "thrower" all my life, and I think I'm a fairly fast knitter. I watched this video a couple of times and worked along with it. I've now been knitting "euro-style" for about half an hour, and although it' i still feeling somewhat awkward, I can tell my stitching is already going as fast as it does when I hold the yarn in my right hand!
krismordecai 1 month ago
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bwdiaz 1 month ago
I keep watching, I have to just practice more,
sweetdrk1 1 month ago
Thank you for teaching this method so clearly. It will come in very handy when knitting 2 colours as with Icelandic Knitting. But this video doesn't do justice to "throwers". Expert throwers don't hold their work in that fashion, nor have the yarn held so clumsily; I never let the yarn or needle go in either purl or knit. I move only my index finger of my right hand over the needle, while holding the right-hand needle in the crook of my hand easily, giving the work a perfect tension.!
DrDonnaG 1 month ago 4
This is the best video I have ever seen on how to knit Continental style. I am a crocheter, and have had such a difficult time training my right hand to hold the yarn while knitting English style. This video is extremely helpful! The detail and quiet voice of Ms. Beltman is so much appreciated! Great job! More from Ms. Beltman, please!
VenusStarCrochet 1 month ago
thank you *_*
DeimosOne 1 month ago
I admit, I look like I am trying to lasso the moon. BUT, I just started knitting a week ago and learned reading a book and watching videos. This continental style looks cool and so smooth. I'm am going to learn it as well. Thanks for the post.
cjrluvsdnr 1 month ago
very clear instructions. this is the site to visit for "how to's."
Katecg5 2 months ago
love it! I finally understand how to do continental!
HarschAssociates 2 months ago
Great video. I started crocheting and then learned knitting, but got confused with the yarn wrapping. I ended up throwing, however; I do wrap my yarn in my left hand as you do in your right. I plan on becoming proficient at continental though because it is more efficient, I just need to practice. Thanks for the great, clear instruction!
dlk6g 2 months ago
This is probably the best continental knitting video I've ever seen. I've been having such a hard time trying to convert over. I want to knit faster and I feel continental will help me do that, but I just couldn't tension the yarn properly. I really think with practice I could master it thanks to this video!
leinlaa 3 months ago
well explained
psruby7 3 months ago
I just started learning how to knit, and this video was very informational. Thank you!
yoshitoJuarez 4 months ago
Nice demonstration, however you make throwers look inept at knitting. Not all "English" knitters move thier whole hand around the needle like that. I hold my yarn exactly as you do for "picking" but in my right hand, only my finger moves as I wrap the yarn. I can turn my work and do all those other stitches without letting go of my positioning just as you do in continental. I think what your are seeing with people that throw their yarn like that is that they have been improperly taugh
moosedawg71 4 months ago 15
@moosedawg71 Thank you, when she was demonstrating "English" I was thinking do people actually knit like that?? I hold it like you, wrapped around my right index finger, and yesterday my aunt who knits Continental, and my mother who can't remember how she did it when she knit in the 70's were in awe of just how fast I was knitting, and I was working on a lace project!
My hands refuse to knit Continental, I can't get good tension at all! To each their own as long as they're knitting!!!
Leguizombie07 4 months ago
@moosedawg71 Agreed - I only moved my hand like that when I had just started knitting. With practice, English knitting becomes just as efficient as Continental.
maykicksass 4 months ago
@moosedawg71 : PRECISELY. I am an English knitter, too, and I DON'T look like I'm trying to lasso the moon!!!
Primaknittermom 3 months ago
@moosedawg71 i agree!!
calmingwaters1981 1 month ago
I don't know what I'm doing wrong...I am just learning so I want to knit several rows and master that before I move on to perling. But what it turns out is that I am knitting one row then perling the next...but I am not changing how I am doing anything!! Why is this happening??
jemmindify 4 months ago
The purl stitch was a little too fast for me.
virginiaomalley 4 months ago
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@huntercalgary Hi Smegma, how is the dog blower doing today? Youtube is loaded with comments about you being a dog blower. You haven't found a small fraction yet. Keep looking so we can hear from you. Then I can have our team respond as usual. I don't waste my time talking to someone I don't know. Instead I have a service do it. What a cum stain loser you are.
Hoontasan 5 months ago
wow, this finally makes sense. i'll try it. i learned how to knit with the english method.
kzpopori 5 months ago
BRILLIANT !
mymthegreyful 5 months ago
I love this video. I normally knit in the English Method, and have carpul tunnel in both hands. Now that I've learned how to knit the Continental way, it gives my wrists a break. Thank you so much for posting this.
Kerry S. Nashville
kittyskullz 5 months ago
This is the first Continental demo I've seen with the first finger "up" that makes any sense. I knit with my yarn finger on the needle (I haven't seen any other people doing it that way here though), but get the yarn over the needle with a gentle rock of the wrist. This also lets me purl with less movement. (Just did 2 videos to demonstrate my knit/purl to a friend.)
stamboulknits 5 months ago
As someone who mainly crochets, this is a fantastic tutorial!! Will certainly hae a go
andiacreations 6 months ago
This is a great tutorial! I have been practising for about an hour now, and already I am much faster and it is so much easier ans smoother. At first, I found it hard because my stitches were twisted the worng way (is that normal), so to put the needle in was hard, and i had to slip and re slip to un twist each stitch as I went along, which took a while.... Anyway, thanks so much!
KloCreations 6 months ago
looks great hope I can do it.
magnolan 6 months ago
This is a fantastic video! Unfortunately, I can't do it because of my thumb tendinitis in my left hand - I'm a left who knits righty though. I think it would be great for a righty to get a break from using their right hand all the time :-)
jrpwhatever 6 months ago
Thank you. This is beautifully clear. I'll be trying this method with my Fan-stitch wrap I'm about to start.
JustJeanette 6 months ago
How do you start? You already have work done, so this makes it difficult when you do not start at the beginning for a new person. SCravatt
MatthewCravatt 6 months ago
I've been wanting to learn Continental BIGTIME but though it has seemed to involve fewer motions, it's always looked way more titchy. Your way solves everything I haven't liked about it! I'm absolutely going to convert. I will say, your way of throwing yarn is cumbersome (sorry), but English will never have the speed potential that your Continental technique does. Thanks so much for this video! Once mastered, it's going to make my knitting SO much faster. Sheeesh. Thanks, thanks!!!
Doowicky 6 months ago
I think....I understand. :D
Oraicia 7 months ago
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This is the clearest cleanest demo of continental I've seen. Very nice explanation of everything that each finger has to do.
absolutely the best !!! ihave been a 'thrower' for a long time but with an injury my hands get too tired ... I have ordered videos and watched but never found sucha a wonderful explaination !!! thank you so much
ninja5411 7 months ago
Curious why continental knitters always presume that non-continental knitters MUST be "throwers."
sandrajn 7 months ago
This video is wonderful! I've been a crocheter for about 15 years, but I started knitting about a year ago. I'm currently don't knit continental because I've never been able to figure it out. I've watched several videos but none of them helped. This video made a such a difference. I didn't know how important finger position was, none of the other videos talked about that. I'm so excited to go try this! Thank you for the video!!
jekkalynn 7 months ago
TOO COOL!!! I am a crocheter. I have never finished anything knitting before Last week I found some wonderful wool at a thrift shop, and some #10 knitting needles. I decided to give knitting one...more...try. Until I heard a craftsanity podcast awhile ago, I didn't even know there were 2 kinds of knitting. I have always thrown, and never been able to get even a decent swatch.
Today, I started knitting continental by accident, and I LOVE I! This video helped tie up the loose ends..thx!!
franstuff 7 months ago
Thanks for an awesome video! Your technique and discription are perfect, exactly what I was looking for. I really like the way you hold the yarn - works so much better, smoother, easier than the way other videos I watched. My arthritis is starting to make knitting uncomfortable - I'm looking forward to trying your method. THANKS
HUGS arlene
frankyg604 8 months ago
i learned crochet as a child, long before i picked up any knitting, and this way really did feel much more natural to me when i was first learning to knit. definitely a great idea for an crocheter who is intimidated or frustrated by learning to knit.
kittycatknows 8 months ago
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Thank you!-My grandmother taught me to knit this way about 53 years ago when I was 5. I have forgotten some of the important things like tension and you have made me remember what I am doing wrong with my yarn.
Mrpapadow 8 months ago
I'm a crocheter and this makes more sense to me...
Kiddalee 8 months ago
I could never knit the continental way coz of the yarn position, this tutorial looks wonderful, I will try it.
Tubeaholic2011 8 months ago
Just wonderful, thank you. Its very clear tutorial... Can't wait to start.
MsPittston 9 months ago
I can't seem to make my left hand form that position. :( My middle finger *does not* want to bend that way. Is there a different way of holding the yarn/needle? I'm also having difficulty keeping the tension with the yarn wrapped that way. Help!
VerisDaemon 9 months ago
I prefer the "Thrower" method, probobly because I'm right handed and I feel like it goes faster.
HuffleSlytherin1 9 months ago
I love this. I have always knitted continental, but have always fought with the yarn. This has sped up my knitting so much thank you.
melissagray152 9 months ago
I really love think i could fall in love with this way of knitting but it is definetly going to take some getting used to i am self taught, so ofcourse i took the longest and most complicated ways aroungd getting started and now it what i got used to. thank you for you videos the teach very efficiently and are easy to understand
itsmemanduh 10 months ago
This has got to be the BEST demo I have ever seen!!! Thank you for making it look simple!
pinkshabbyroses1 10 months ago
I've knitted for about 35 years and today was the first time I knew there were different types of knitting. Never heard of continental or throw. Thanks to this video, I found out that I've been continental knitting. I saw a character on a sitcom doing the throw method (not knowing what it was called), I commented on how slow she was and the weird way she held the needles. The needles were pointed almost downward with the blunt end over her forearm. It made no sense.
FilmNoirFan1 10 months ago
I have been a "thrower" for 27 years but also have done mostly crochet due to the speed. This looks PERFECT and the way you hold the yarn is exactly how I have it for crochet! I cannot wait to speed up my knitting and actually be able to make all those patterns I shied away from before THANK YOU!
ldsbusha 10 months ago
Thank you for posting this video. I was struggling with purling in the continental style and was seriously considering taking your class at the Knitters Connection in June. I'm certain I would enjoy the workshop, but it is a 4 hour drive for me. After watching your video, I can easily see that my problem was simply how I was holding my yarn. Your explanation was so clear that after a few minutes of practicing I can now purl easily and with good tension.
yarnisgood 10 months ago
Hi Lorilee
I am practising holding my yarn exactly like you do, because I am tired of throwing, and picking. My problem is that my working yarn keeps jumping forward to the purl position. Do you have any helpful hints for me besides practise, practise
thanks
laurie - marlib7 on ravelry
marlib7 10 months ago
Why do you take your hand off the needle when you are demonstrating the throwing style? I'm English and my English mum taught me to knit in the 1950s and she taught me NOT to take my hand off the needle. It's a great way for fast knitting. I see the Peruvian ladies do the same style.
sscrapyparcss 10 months ago
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I have never heard of Continental knitting before, but I am in LOVE with it! I love to knit and it looks like it makes so much more sense to do it this way! I am going right now to practice this! Great video!
justducky48 10 months ago
I have never herd of Continental knitting before, but I am in LOVE with it! I love to knit and it looks like it makes so much more sense to do it this way! I am going right now to practice this! Great video!
justducky48 10 months ago
This is how I knit, and I never knew what it was. XD
Feadrahchan 11 months ago
I am teaching myself to knit from a traditional book and modified my knit and purl to work with my yarn in my LT hand (Continental). In my inexperience, I thought I made up this LT handed way of holding my yarn! You just showed me that my way is ligitimate (inspite of well intended corrections from strangers)! I appreaciate how clear and understandable this was! Thank you. Oh, and now I have a name for my way of doing it, grin.
TheTurtletatter 11 months ago
I'm a crocheter. American/English knitting makes no sense to me. Continental seems the way to go.
DCFunBud 11 months ago
@LorileeCity My apologies. I mistook the example of throwing as part of the overall instruction. Like I said in my original comment, it's one of the best (videos) I've seen for learning Cont. style.
kissmyknits 11 months ago
I've been knitting for four years now and I was taught to throw. I've also been told how much better, more efficient Continental knitting is. Well, if someone is throwing like the woman in this video, then yeah, throwing will take forever. But I've never met a knitter who throw hold her yarn that way - with no tension, no special way of holding her yarn.
While it's a good video and one of the best I've seen for learning Cont. style, it's horrible for learning throwing.
kissmyknits 11 months ago
@kissmyknits Yes, I totally agree, I am a crappy thrower. I have elegant thrower friends, but I can't do it. When I was a thrower over 20 years ago, I was a pit knitter. You can look that up.
So this is why this is a continental demo. RIght? I'm not intentionally trying to make throwing look bad- I just never do it. Your also judging a few seconds of it while I am juggling back and forth and trying to get words out.
Happy wishes to you however you knit!
LorileeCity 11 months ago
I am an experienced crocheter and have started knitting, although I did not teach myself using the Continental method, I must say I find this method extremely difficult.
culshafer1 11 months ago
I can do the basic knit no problem . . . when it comes to actually doing the purl, even folloing these instructions, I still cannot do it. I'm starting to wonder if it's because I'm left handed and crochet right handed & I just can't get the hang of it either way I try with the knitting . . ?
BabyOrcaLover 1 year ago
Thank you so much! Excellent instructions. Have been wanting to learn this method for a long time and this video showed me exactly how to do it and quickly master the technique
calikokus 1 year ago
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very helpful. i can speed my knit. thank you.
re2ggina 1 year ago
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re2ggina 1 year ago
This is an excellent demonstration of Continental-Style knitting!
tarheelredhorse 1 year ago
This seems like it ought to be able to work, and I really wish I could do it as well as the demonstrator. But I still can't, I feel like I need to grow about 8 more fingers to get everything under control. =(
evenstar785 1 year ago
I really need to get this mastered. Showing the ribbing difference between english and continental shows just how much more efficient it is. A great demo, just need to get my left hand to work with me.
SabalonGlitz 1 year ago
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this is how I learned, many years ago, and while I knew there was another way to do it, I never knew what the difference was, or which way was "right"..thanks for explaining the difference and letting me know my way was ok after all!
cinderloowho 1 year ago
this is how I learned, many years ago, and while I knew there was another way to do it, I never knew what the difference was, or which way was "right"..thanks for explaining the difference and letting me know my way was ok after all!
cinderloowho 1 year ago
Awesome video. Amazing way to speed up knitting. Instructor's vocabulary is excellent for explaining.
brennaughfey 1 year ago
Thank you so much for posting this helpful video.
My right arm was getting so tired from the excess movement of the American way and I felt it was needful to change.
alzorama 1 year ago
I learned knitting as a child in the 'throwing' way; (The Netherlands) Now I am learning it my kids, but I saw it is difficult for kids to handle the needle and the yarn with their right hand at the same time. To throw the yarn, one has to leave the needle hanging for a short while, with the risk that the last stich falls off the needle. Also, one has to pick up the needle again.
This continental knitting is the solution for me. Thanks for this very nice video and interesting (!) explanation.
mgpmul 1 year ago
I really enjoyed your explanation. My mother taught me this style and it's very fast and smooth. My method for tension is a little different but it works for me!
indymom929 1 year ago
"Lots of Americans are throwers"...a snobby a video !!
niotazeable 1 year ago
Love the demo. Finally someone explains how to tension the yarn that works.
vdub67ism 1 year ago 15
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vdub67ism 1 year ago
Hi I have figured out knitting, but it seems like it's much easier to split the yarn this way. any tips?
waterlily716 1 year ago
I'm finding this hard to use because I have to slip a stitch at the end... but this video is very detailed and clear :) Thanks
18luck 1 year ago
I cannot believe how much I enjoy this video, I practise and watch all the time. so good, and easy to watch. Someday I will be as good as you, it is a joy to watch and listen to you
marlib7 1 year ago
Hi There this explanation is very clear and interesting
I am looking for a tutoring to teach me how to make transverse knitting or
Dolman sleeves, starting from one side
I would be very grateful
Thank you very much for your time!
maritate 1 year ago
thanks whoever replied to me
tiahnapan 1 year ago
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@angieladner
Yes, I got the following reply:
Do not hold your pointer finger up. Search for the video called "Kelley's Speed Knitting Lesson" It really helped me with holding the tension.
I watched the "Kelley's Speed Knitting Lesson" and this helped me a lot. I am wanting to do some 2 color stranded work and wanted to be able to hold one color in my left hand and I think if I practice this, I can do it. For regular knitting though, I will probably always be a "thrower".
dawn241 1 year ago
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RyuShimazu 1 year ago
I am finding it very difficult to control the tension. My left hand from my thumb down my hand and up my forefinger cramps really bad. What am I doing wrong? I have my hands and fingers positioned as shown, and this really hurts.
AngieLadner 1 year ago
Thank you so much! This is a very clear explanation on Continental style. With some crochet experience, this is not difficult to learn, although I'm still working on the tensioning. THANK YOU ESPECIALLY for showing how you hold the working yarn and why. I watched a few other videos while waiting for this to load and had so much trouble with purl stitches until you explained it. My knitting has never been so fast!
stockingsnholdups 1 year ago
I need serious help!!! I started out with thirty stitches and I did a couple of rows and I continued to have thirty stitches and then, out of no where, I counted again, and I had 32 stitches. I figured it was no big deal, until two rows later, I had 35 stitches, do you have any idea what I'm doing wrong? Can you tell me how to fix this?
tiahnapan 1 year ago
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KaySkywalker 1 year ago
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@tiahnapan sounds like you might be picking up stits along the way. If you're just beginning, I would suggest to go slow and figure out how you're picking up the stits that way you can learn to catch the mistakes as you go along. That's what I had to do when I started knitting.
KaySkywalker 1 year ago
This is an EXCELLENT video. THANK YOU for sharing this.
jonlbs7 1 year ago
I tried this method, and I was able to do it but I found my tension hard to keep even versus the English way I am used to knitting. But thank you for the demo :)
isis416 1 year ago
@isis416 What's the English way? Is it the throwing way? Or different?
mgpmul 1 year ago
@mgpmul What she calls throwing is actually called English Knitting.
isis416 1 year ago
Until a week ago, I never realized there were different ways of knitting basic nit and purl stitches but watching knitting videos on YouTube has opened my eyes. I'm from Finland so for me continental has been the way to go since mum taught me how to knit when I was six years old. However, I never wrap the yarn around my little finger to maintain tension; it just rests in my palm while having it over my index finger. I also don't bring it to the front on purls, it resides in the back.
Fritha71 1 year ago
I learned the English way... and I am trying to learn continental, but I am finding it very difficult to control the tension... not to mention my left hand from my thumb down my hand and up my forefinger cramps really bad... what am I doing wrong? I have my hands and fingers positioned as shown - and this really hurts!
dawn241 1 year ago
@dawn241 Do not hold your pointer finger up. Search for the video called "Kelley's Speed Knitting Lesson" It really helped me with holding the tension.
Bethintx1 1 year ago
@Bethintx1 Then watch close up on the video "Learn to Speed Knit!"
Bethintx1 1 year ago
@dawn241
I am having the same problem. I am finding it very difficult to control the tension. My left hand from my thumb down my hand and up my forefinger cramps really bad. What am I doing wrong? I have my hands and fingers positioned as shown. Did you get an answer to your question? Since I'm having the same problem, I would like to know what I am doing wrong.
AngieLadner 1 year ago
Ah thank you so much! I've been crocheting for years and when I was taught how to knit I was told I was wrong by holding the yarn in my left hand. I tried learning how to hold it with my right but no luck there. I'm so glad to know there's nothing wrong with knitting the way I do. :)
sbeezyyy 1 year ago
Ah, I just felt a lightbulb go off in my head. You pick it using a sideways movement. Now it makes sense. I'm more of an English gal, but one reason why is because I'd previously been trying to snag the yarn (when attempting continental) from an up/down position and getting frustrated when it slipped away from me. Great vid on teaching this method.
saprater25 1 year ago
Awesome vid. If you are a newbie knitter like me there is some great content at at ebeginnersknitting (.) com
happydancer62 1 year ago
My mom, who has won awards for her knitting in Ireland, tried to teach me how to knit the "American" way. This was 2 years after I taught myself how to crochet. Boy was that hard!!! However, after watching this video, it seems so much easier to switch a crochet hook for 2 or more knitting needles. Thank you so much!!!!!
(I just wish some of the camera wasn't all over the place, which caused it to be out of focus while demonstrating.)
AMHJblue 1 year ago
Thank you!-My grandmother taught me to knit this way about 53 years ago when I was 5. I have forgotten some of the important things like tension and you have made me remember what I am doing wrong with my yarn.
jskbloomers 1 year ago
RE: Continental...Finally someone that actually explains and gives specific instructions on how to hold the yarn so it's efficient (as you put it). Most videos just say this is a knit and this is a purl. I'm an english knitter just checking out other ways.
hg1bbs 1 year ago
i have never been taught this style and it is hard to learn after knitting another way for over 20 years she makes beautiful stitches!
ddlaurie01 1 year ago
This is so much faster. I'll have to learn to knit and purl this way. Hopefully, purling this way will tighten up my purl stitches when ribbing.
patricia67252 1 year ago
boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo you
txzookeepers 1 year ago
I would like to learn to knit continental style. I have to say, though, her demonstration of the throwing style is "clunky." I never knit like that.
micksmom2 1 year ago
been getting pain in my right hand of late so was looking for an alternative to save my aching joints, this is very clear to see whats going on.. nobody teaches this way in england that i know of !!! I do not throw my yarn quite like that that is extream overwork on the right hand but see what your trying to demostrate here... good vid thanks
theknittinggal 1 year ago
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EmeraldQueen206 1 year ago 3
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EmeraldQueen206 1 year ago
Great video! This is the best I have seen & you teach so similar to bethintx1, who teaches crocheting, step by step & close-ups. Anyone who wants to learn crocheting, I strongly recommend Bethintx1, I learned from her & I was a beginner, this video is great for knitting. I have looked so much. Another good one is knittingtipsbyjudy & knittinghelp. I like this one. Thanks Lorilee!
txcrafty2 1 year ago
Wunderbar!
Teewriter 1 year ago
nice! just taught myself continental knitting thanks to this video! my stitches are much tighter using this method though...odd.
thanks for posting this!
donttouchmybikini 1 year ago
This is the clearest cleanest demo of continental I've seen. Very nice explanation of everything that each finger has to do.
dmz1000 1 year ago 17
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lunagroove 1 year ago
This video really helped a lot. I crochet and finally learned to knit using this video. I hold my yarn a bit different - pretty much the same way I crochet - but it seems to be working out well regardless.
lunagroove 1 year ago
began knitting in dec. using throwing method; love it, but i see the advantages in knitting continental. what a wonderful video you have made for us. really made it gel for me when you said, .."i'm aiming right here..." thanks.
avahinson 1 year ago
Thank you for this post. When you explained about where to look, suddenly it all finally made sense!!!!
lunchtastic 1 year ago
I think you have to carry that working yarn around the baby finger and on top of the other fingers, I was putting it under like I do in english knitting
marlib7 1 year ago
omg at last someone has told me what i was doing wrong! i love it ! this just might work for me now! LOL ty ty ty
pyxiekit 1 year ago
I really love this video, as I have said before. I have been practising and yes you do get alot looser knitting. Another problem I have is the working yarn falling off my baby finger when I start knitting and that drives me nuts, so I am trying to figure out a way to hold that yarn, because when you keep changing ways in a project you can tell when you look at your work. I am practising on toys etc, so it really doesnt matter much, how it looks.
What is hard for me ---
marlib7 1 year ago
Wow! This is the best demonstration on continental knitting I've seen. Great job, thank you so much for sharing. :)
glendasue26 1 year ago
@awesomestguy1313 This would be why it's a continental tutorial, and not an English tutorial.
L2Belt 1 year ago
Yes I wish you could sit next to me for a while to. I really thought I would have more problem with the pearl stitch than the knit stitch. I'm off to practise some more, as it does save my hands and I can knit longer. When I get sore I just switch back to english throwing. Thankyou for the quick response.
laurie
marlib7 1 year ago
this is a very good video, the best. But I have two questions. I am a thrower and have arthritis and have been trying to learn continental. When I knit, the finger used for a landing pad needs a thimble or something. Am I correct in thinking that pulling that knit stitch out before you slide it off causes wacky tension. Also do you have some tips for sliding the stitches along the needle, I find that I always have to stop, push up the stitches and retention my yarn. best video award
marlib7 1 year ago
@marlib7 FIrst, thank you. You should be able to scoop the stitch without scratching the landing pad with your needle. Aim for the strand a little lower. Then, for tension, ALWAYS put your right forefinger on the completed stitch, which will also help with your thimble problem. Wishing I could sit next to you for a while, because I can tell you are really working at it. I have to push every inch worth of knitting, but get I get fast it, especially with the looser stitches. Good luck!
L2Belt 1 year ago
Thank you for posting this video. It is the clearest one I've seen on continental. I learned English, but recently switched and like continental better. I had an advantage though--I didn't really do English all that well!
MorMorKat 1 year ago
I tried doing this with normal length needles, but man, is that a hassle! I think I'll by some short needles with a wire like those you're using~ I'm a crocheter, though not a very good one :P
Purly 1 year ago
I knit the OTHER way - but I think Im going to give this way I try - it looks much more INTERESTING!
akasha1304 1 year ago
Thank you for this video. I am a self-taught knitter from an old, very old pattern book from the 40's and this is the way it explained how to knit. I always wondered why other knitters said I held my needles "strangely". Now, I know. They are "throwers" and I am not, LOL. And now I have a named method to describe how I knit. I also have always been able to knit a project more quickly than others knitting similar projects. Apparently, this Continental Method answers that, too! Thanks, again!
mroewe 1 year ago 2
I just started knitting 2 days ago and I've had to pull apart my work about 30 times because I just could not get it right. I tried the Continental style and regular style and my stitches are always too tight, I can barely move my needles. It's like dancing with 2 left feet! :-(
gypsyqueen64 1 year ago
@gypsyqueen64 it just takes time to learn the correct tension, you've been knitting 2 days and your work it too tight? i knit for about 5 years with my work too tight haha. just continue to remind yourself to loosen up and try knitting a piece really really loose just to practice the feeling of it, move your hands a little lower on your needles and just keep breathing and relaxing as you knit. =]
MariaVana 1 year ago
I've been trying to learn how to knit continental for ages but just can't get the hang of it. It doesn't help that I knit left handed and righty tutorials get confusing...
MariaVana 1 year ago
@MariaVana I teach lots of lefties....just like this. You can do it. This is neither a "righty" nor a "lefty" tutorial. Give it a try.
L2Belt 1 year ago
@L2Belt I've been trying to figure it out but my problem is that I knit from the right needle onto the left which would have me holding the yarn across my right hand correct?
MariaVana 1 year ago
@MariaVana What I am saying is to give it a try as pictured. Both hands have work to do. You don't HAVE to flip everything around because you are left handed. The plus side to learning like this is being able to get help as you need it because no one would be put off or confused by your work. Make sense? Good luck either way.
L2Belt 1 year ago
@L2Belt ok i tried... and i failed haha. i've been really trying to knit right-handed but it seems the only thing my right hand can do is push my work forward. I'm actually right handed but my dad taught me how to knit when i was 6 and i was sitting across from him mirroring what he did. i guess i'm sticking to throwing for now but thanks for the advice and great video =]
MariaVana 1 year ago
Thanks for a great video. I knit continental, but I do my purls just a tad different. I can't seem to use my left pointer finger to bring the yarn around. I figure whatever works for me is good. :) I also go down several needle sizes when I start a new project swatch.
lavendarknits 1 year ago
This video really helped. I tried continental before and had the problem like at 2:48- 2:52 but I kept practicing and my hand has gotten use to holding everything and I use my middle finger for the back part of the loop to make it easier.
WaterFor3st 1 year ago
Thanks for this video! I am a "thrower" and I am definitely going to try continental again after seeing how easy it looks!
lisamr40 1 year ago
This is fantastic. I have always disliked knitting because I found it awkward, I always preferred crochet, but this continental technique is great. It is so much like crochet that I might just take up knitting.
SuzCappel 1 year ago
This is ABSOLUTELY THE BEST demo for knitting I have been to, and I have looked at a lot. I was wanting to learn this type of knitting and had not found it.
Wonderful job of explaining.
merrywheel 1 year ago
@merrywheel Thanks. I'll be teaching this in person at UK Knit Camp, University of Sterling, Scotland, and at Stitches Midwest, Chicago, IL, both in August 2011. Lorilee.
L2Belt 1 year ago
this help !!! thanks .........
MrTrisha21 1 year ago
I tought my friend's ma how to knit... she started continetal... i didnt even teach her how to do continetal... she is doing good on knitting. so it is sweet.
sarahnoreo 1 year ago
I am a crocheter~ And yes, this style looks alot easier than traditional knitting~ I always have trouble keeping constant pressure and movements with the traditional knitting I was taught XP
Purly 1 year ago
I think I'll try this method to see how I like it and how my work looks. My hand does get tired when I knit for long periods so I like the prospect of learning a different technique.
Dahna11 1 year ago
beautiful video. I have watched alot of continental videos on Youtube, this one is very helpful, close ups, and very explanatory. Thank you very much. I watch this video often for reminders and help.
katie777burt 1 year ago 2
@asteriede I think it's awful that someone downrated this post; I hope my thumb's up cancels it out. How arrogant and ignorant to assume that English knitting is not just as fast and efficient as Continental! I just don't think people are familiar with all of the ways to hold the yarn in both methods.
elPacaManca 1 year ago
I'm sorry but Ms. Ackerman isn't quite representing English knitting properly... Just as she comments that left-handed throwing isn't a legitimate Continental, I propose that right-handed throwing by moving the entire hand rather than the forefinger is just as illegitimate an English style.
Also...Continental purling is so convoluted and the tension is almost always off.
elPacaManca 1 year ago
I've said many times in this thread- I'm a klutz at English knitting. I have friends who knit English most elegantly. Knitting the way you like is best- to each his own. Enjoy.
You can read more about it elsewhere, but there are left handed throwers, and it is not continental style. Whatever gets the job done is great- all "legitimate", as you say.
L2Belt 1 year ago
There are knitters who knit without turning the piece. They knit continential in one direction and then throw from the left coming back. This eliminates turning and is good for picture knitting because they bobbins won't get all tangled. I am trying to develop this "double" style of knitting. I love continental; it feels natural for me, and I can knit much faster.
kraftymomma1979 1 year ago
I see you are using metal needles. I have plastic needles and they feel a bit sticky. Are metal needles better?
66MichelleW 1 year ago
Use what you prefer. After catching on, most continental knitters prefer steel for speed, and use plastic or wood when they want to slow things down or add a bit of yarn-grip.
L2Belt 1 year ago
This is the first time I have watched a video on on continental knitting and really understood how to catch the yarn it is awesome! Thank you so much!
llovesgirl 1 year ago 2
Love your video. I saw your others demonstrating increases and decreases, but help! I have a hard time doing P2tbl. can you demonstrate that? Also P2 tog seems hard.. Keep up the tutorials. !
mysteryladies 1 year ago
P2tog is harder. There is no great harm to stretching those stitches out a bit before you go into them to p2tog. Visualize the small gap under each stitch and turn that into the roadway for your needle tips to travel. Good luck.
L2Belt 1 year ago
Thanks for posting this video! I want to learn how to do it left handed.
joaniethirteen 1 year ago
this is a bit difficult because i am so used to throwing, i can see that it is much more efficent when i get the hang of it, but when i change the row, i get tripped up again. i'm working on it though :)
cheezymouseful 1 year ago
I've done continental since I was a child in Germany.We always wrap the yarn around the index finger not the pinky.
vmcshannon 1 year ago
So are you saying that that is how you do it in Germany, or that is how it should be done?
kathryn120 1 year ago
I'm replying in general for those who wrap differently. It's important to realize there are many ways to do this. Whatever is best for you is the right way for you. This video is the right way for me. From the numbers, many agree, but many don,t, and that's totally fine.
L2Belt 1 year ago