Now that I’ve been knitting for a month, I was really curious to see if I coud finally teach myself how to knit Continental. All of the local shops teach how to knit the English/Throw method, but after watching my friend Katy knit the other way, I really wanted to try it out. It is amusing because almost all of the local knitters that I have met knit English, but so many people online knit Continental. I wonder if it a geographic thing and follows along with certain regions of the country.
Tonight, with my Booga Bag in hand, I watched the “Getting Started” episode of Knitty Gritty that I had saved on the TiVo – and when they covered how to do the knit stitch … I DID IT! I’ve now done about 5 rounds Continental, and it is so smoooooooth. Plus I love knitting in the round while watching TV or talking on the phone. This is just great! I’m so excited!
16 replies on “I’ve Gone Continental!”
I knit English style and I’ve looked at instructions for Continental but it looks so confusing! Is Continental really much faster than English?
You really crack me up! I love how you just try everything! I taught myself how to knit, and I knit continental. I think part of it is because I learned to crochet first. Personally, I think it is a lot faster.
At first I didn’t think it would be faster, but it does seem to be. Plus it was easier to talk on the phone and knit at the same time.
Dell, I take after my mother – we both tend to just dive right in! Having video instruction for continental helped – I could not visualize it from the books, even though I crocheted first too. I think if I was doing a rib stitch, I might just have to go back to English. I don’t know how to purl yet doing Continental!
Okay, what IS knitting “continental” and how can I tell which way I knit????
Isn’t it great when you learn a new thing about something that you love doing? Congrats! 🙂
I really want to learn how to knit.. a girl knits in my sociology class (huge auditorium)
america’s next top model is on tonight incase anyone missed it on wednesday =)
I don’t know if you noticed the other day when we were knitting in Twisted Yarns, but I knit Continental. I think I mentioned this video from Philosopher’s Wool — I *love* her demonstrations of how to knit both English and Continental.
Oh (and this is what I get for not reading all the comments before I comment myself!), I just noticed you said you didn’t know how to purl Continental. If you haven’t figured it out in the next couple of weeks, catch me at the Twisted Yarns Sit-n-Knit, and I’ll show you. It’s actually *much* easier to do ribbing in Continental, because you can move the yarn in one step with pulling the old stitch off, so it’s definitely something you want to learn!
Thank you so much, Sara! I did remember that you were knitting Continental, as was the woman that taught the sock class (Lynnanne? Is that right?) – I had to run by there today, and she showed me how to purl Continental, and then also how she purls Continental – the Norwegian Purl, I think she said. It was SO COOL!!! I’m about to start a practice swatch right now so I can get better at it!
I’m planning on being at the Wednesday Sit-n-Knit next week – will you be there?
Z, you are knitting Continental if you hold the yarn in your left hand and use the needle to pull it through. You are knitting English (aka Throw) if you hold the working yarn in your right hand and throw it around the needle. The link that Sara had in her comment has some great videos!
I picked up a little “learn to knit” kit just tonight. I’ve been wanting to learn, so you’ll have to tell me about all the good yarn/knitting/crochet places in Houston!
I think “Lynnanne” is correct! I’m terrible at names, though. I find the Norwegian purl interesting, but I don’t use it; it tends to make the purls looser than the knits, and the way that I purl (it’s too hard to describe, but I can show you the next time we run into each other) keeps the tension the same, plus it’s easy to go back and forth, so I’ll stick with my method.
I don’t know if I can make Wednesday’s Sit-n-Knit or not, but I’ll try!
I guess I knit English. I finally am doing something with the circular needles I bought ages ago. Finishing a bib in rounds. 🙂
How exciting!! I’m thrilled for you and even more determined now to finally learn it myself (Continental knitting and purling). I have all the resources (Lynn Anne! LOL!) and just haven’t taken the plunge yet.
How’s that booga bag coming btw? Pics Pics!! 😀
There are times when knowing both Continental and English methods are handy, like when you knit with two colors-one in each hand. (the Next Big Step!) 🙂
I just taught myself to knit on Friday, it is now Monday, and I have not been able to put down my project! It is so much fun! I took it with my to Starbucks for my weekly gathering with my boyfriends friends, and they all looked at me weird. They all thought I wasn’t “girly” enough to knit!? I was like…”eh????”