Yay! Learning to knit continental style 😁

I've just had a look at various knitting methods and apparently I use the Lever knitting method, which means not taking the dominant hand off the needle at all, just looping the yarn round the needle.
I thought most knitters in the UK did that.
Apart from actresses on the TV who take their dominant hands off the needle and carefully loop the yarn round the other needle!

I’ve always knitted the continental way ( I didn’t know any different) which fits with what I have learned about some of our ancestors and their place of origin. Goes back many centuries. My Auntie taught me.

BlueBelle, I'm just curious; is there a reason why you can no longer follow a crochet pattern? Especially when you could before. I've only ever been able to follow easy ones.

nanna8

I’ve always knitted the continental way ( I didn’t know any different) which fits with what I have learned about some of our ancestors and their place of origin. Goes back many centuries. My Auntie taught me.

It does come down to how you are taught. I learnt at school and was taught the English way which 'throws' the yarn. Many Scots use the continental method, or a variation of it, particularly those on the islands. The continental way is much more efficient, particularly for stranded Fair Isle knitting, but trying to do it differently would slow me down so much, as the way I do it is second nature now.

My knitting has always been even - even when I was learning and making lots of mistakes the stitches were all the same size - but I do 'something' that unscrews interchangeable needles as I knit. I've tried to get to the bottom of that, but again, I can't. I hold the needles and move the yarn almost unconsciously now, and if I try to do it differently I get in a muddle.

TBH I’m quite happy with the U.K. way - my knitting is pretty quick and even.
But it was neither quick nor even until my mother finally persuaded me to ‘feed’ the yarn round my little finger, under the next two, and over my index finger - it speeds up knitting no end.

Not long ago I saw a young woman on the bus (evidently fairly new to knitting) very laboriously doing the in, over, through, off, bit, and was dying to show her, but didn’t, in case she saw me as an interfering old bag and gave me short shrift.

Callistemon I take my hand off the needle to wrap the wool around - I’m not a TV actress nor a novice. My knitting is pretty even, and I knit intarsia, cabling, lacy patterns. It might to be the ‘right’ way, but it works for me.

NonnaW

Callistemon I take my hand off the needle to wrap the wool around - I’m not a TV actress nor a novice. My knitting is pretty even, and I knit intarsia, cabling, lacy patterns. It might to be the ‘right’ way, but it works for me.

I take my hand off, too when knitting the UK way.

Not long ago my mother noticed this and commented on it. She said it looked strange and insisted that she doesn't do that. Yet she is the person who taught me to knit! Though I was a left-handed child who was taught to knit the right-handed way, so maybe I adapted that movement slightly without realising to one that felt easier to me.

Perhaps that is why I am finding that I knit more quickly when I knit the continental way.

Oldnproud

NonnaW

Callistemon I take my hand off the needle to wrap the wool around - I’m not a TV actress nor a novice. My knitting is pretty even, and I knit intarsia, cabling, lacy patterns. It might to be the ‘right’ way, but it works for me.

I take my hand off, too when knitting the UK way.

Not long ago my mother noticed this and commented on it. She said it looked strange and insisted that she doesn't do that. Yet she is the person who taught me to knit! Though I was a left-handed child who was taught to knit the right-handed way, so maybe I adapted that movement slightly without realising to one that felt easier to me.

Perhaps that is why I am finding that I knit more quickly when I knit the continental way.

Apologies!

I've only seen people on TV doing it that way, I'd love to see an expert doing it.

Callistemon21

Oldnproud

NonnaW

Callistemon I take my hand off the needle to wrap the wool around - I’m not a TV actress nor a novice. My knitting is pretty even, and I knit intarsia, cabling, lacy patterns. It might to be the ‘right’ way, but it works for me.

I take my hand off, too when knitting the UK way.

Not long ago my mother noticed this and commented on it. She said it looked strange and insisted that she doesn't do that. Yet she is the person who taught me to knit! Though I was a left-handed child who was taught to knit the right-handed way, so maybe I adapted that movement slightly without realising to one that felt easier to me.

Perhaps that is why I am finding that I knit more quickly when I knit the continental way.

Apologies!

I've only seen people on TV doing it that way, I'd love to see an expert doing it.

I know exactly what you mean about actors knitting like that, Callistemon. It is usually so obvious when they have just 'learnt' the movement for the role they are playing, as their action is so slow and 'deliberate' iykwim.
I'd like to think that I do it a lot faster and more naturally than they do, but I wouldn't call myself an expert

It's similar when an actor has a scene where they have to peel potatoes with a proper knife as opposed to a peeler - you can tell right away if they have never done it before in their life. 😁

I can only knit with the right hand needle under my arm. The needle barely moves. This is the way I was taught by my mother. I don't know anyone else who knits like me.

I have to buy extra long knitting needles as the normal ones are too short to stay under my arm.

I have tried knitting without the the needle under my arm but it feels like the needles are just flopping about. With it under my arm, it feels like I am more in control IYSWIM and my tension is always good.

Unfortunately, because of my way of knitting, I can't use circular needles, which is a bit frustrating.

I think it is hard to re-learn as so much of knitting, crochet etc. is muscle memory.

Continental knitting looks very satisfying when you watch the experts. I think I would struggle to 'catch'' the wool.

Finished!

Latest single bed size crochet blanket.
Pattern from Attic 24.
I thought it was for me but my Son in Law sniffled it.😄

SnAfflled !

PinkCosmos I knit like you, with the needle under my right arm. As you say, it hardly moves. That's the way I have always done it. I wonder if it is a regional thing, I was brought up in East Yorkshire.

Apparently, knitting with the needle under your arm is English knitting.

I never see anyone knitting like this - apart from myself. It is way better than having both needles flapping about. The tension is better and you can knit quickly

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rpm6h8Gm0w

Rubysong - I am from Lancashire. Maybe it is more common 'up North'.

ginny that is beautiful. Love the colours.

Lovely, ginny

I'd gone back to crocheting again but I'm going to have to go and knit a square now just to see which method I use!!

PinkCosmos, what happens if you are knitting in the round and need four needles? 🤔🤭

You can't fit four of them under your arms (can you? 🤣)

ginny, that's beautifully neat 🌟🌟🌟

I have never heard of it but I am going to give a try tomorrow. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you for the remarks about my blanket.
I should have said that hooking the wool up in continental knitting is a bit like hooking the wool in crochet.

ginny

Thank you for the remarks about my blanket.
I should have said that hooking the wool up in continental knitting is a bit like hooking the wool in crochet.

Yes, it looks very similar.

I'm just knitting a square to try to work out which method I use and think it must be quite different to most methods on YouTube and other instructions I've seen!
It's the way my mother taught me and she was an excellent, very fast knitter (much better than me).

Callistemon. Apologies! I've only seen people on TV doing it that way, I'd love to see an expert doing it.

Sorry, I was a feeling a bit touchy when I read that! My mum used to try to get me to knit the ‘proper’ way but I just can’t. I’m aware I probably look awkward when I’m knitting. I’m the same with crochet which I’ve just started learning.

NonnaW

*Callistemon. Apologies! I've only seen people on TV doing it that way, I'd love to see an expert doing it.*

Sorry, I was a feeling a bit touchy when I read that! My mum used to try to get me to knit the ‘proper’ way but I just can’t. I’m aware I probably look awkward when I’m knitting. I’m the same with crochet which I’ve just started learning.

I don't think I do either the proper way. 😲

It's odd, I couldn't have said how I hold the yarn or needles etc until I decided to knit a square yesterday to check!

I'm trying to re-learn how to hold yarn and crochet hook to give my index finger a rest so that's slowed me up.