Yay! Learning to knit continental style 😁

Someone said babies don’t wear handknits! All young Mums I know LOVE handknits and machine knitted stuff in shops is made to look handmade. If I make anything for babies I use colours like moss green, raspberry and oatmeal but if I do baby blankets I make them from lovely vibrant colours.

When I knit socks I always do a long tail cast on which gives a lovely elastic type top to the cuff. My husband says they are the only socks that do not make his ankles swell - his BP tablets puff them up and ordinary socks dig in.

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Buffy, what is a Swedish death cleaning? 😳😆

Continental way is much faster and easier but I can only do plain rows and then revert to British style. Must look at NimbleNeedles as recommended by Fairycakes - that’s after I’ve finished my ‘Swedish Death Cleaning’ which is taking months!😬

I did then learn how to tension the yarn through my fingers, but items were still slightly longer than they should have been. It's strange, but my mum who taught me to knit, never thought to show me how to tension the yarn. I learnt about it in my 20s.

Witzend, my knitting always looks neat using the English method, but articles of clothing always end up rather long with lurch-type sleeves 😂. I once knitted a jumper for my husband and he had to roll the sleeves over when he wore it. It was great knitting for my children when they were young bc the garments would last as they grew 😁

I'll read it later, thanks Seakay

Dainty? Moi? 😁

Seakay

This thread lead me to do a little exploring and I found this interesting article:

creatingruth.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/do-you-knit-like-miss-marple/

which includes this quote from The Principles of Knitting by June Hemmons Hiatt.

“When middle-class Victorian women took up knitting as an activity to occupy quiet hours in the parlour after dinner…”, they moved away from using knitting sheaths or belts like the working-classes, and apparently liked “…the idea of holding the needle from underneath because the hand took on such an elegant position, quite like daintily raising a cup when sipping tea.”

🤣🤣🤣

Fairycakes

*Seakay*, funnily enough I was only thinking myself how graceful English knitting looks compared to the continental style. However, the continental style appears to have many benefits, such as even tension (which is what I am most interested in) and speed.

My tension is absolutely fine with the U.K. way. Whenever I’ve checked it with what the pattern says (not that I bother any more) it’s spot on.

I do ‘feed’ the yarn through my R hand, though - round little finger, under next 2, over index finger. I know my knitting was never anything like as fast or even until I finally listened to my mother and did it!

Fairycakes

*Seakay*, funnily enough I was only thinking myself how graceful English knitting looks compared to the continental style. However, the continental style appears to have many benefits, such as even tension (which is what I am most interested in) and speed.

I was always fascinated watching my German MIL knitting the continental way. She was a great knitter and did very complicated patterns like Arans with cables and different stitches galore and she worked so fast. She made it look very easy.

Thank you for the link, Seakay; I'll read it when I get a minute.

I realise that the working classes may not have been using continental style, but the reference to English knitting being elegant is what I'd agree with 😊

Seakay, funnily enough I was only thinking myself how graceful English knitting looks compared to the continental style. However, the continental style appears to have many benefits, such as even tension (which is what I am most interested in) and speed.

This thread lead me to do a little exploring and I found this interesting article:

creatingruth.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/do-you-knit-like-miss-marple/

which includes this quote from The Principles of Knitting by June Hemmons Hiatt.

“When middle-class Victorian women took up knitting as an activity to occupy quiet hours in the parlour after dinner…”, they moved away from using knitting sheaths or belts like the working-classes, and apparently liked “…the idea of holding the needle from underneath because the hand took on such an elegant position, quite like daintily raising a cup when sipping tea.”

Retired65

Just had a look at the video. I thought it was a complicated way of casting on so I think I'll keep to the way I was taught.

I cast on using the thumb method and find it gives a neat edge.

I am intriqued, didn't know there was a continental way of knitting and I've been knitting for years. Will definitely give it a go.

Retired65, you can cast on however you like. I do the long tail cast on but not the same way as in the video. I chose to stick to my own method. I also tried it with the thumb method of co and that was fine too.

Worthingpatchworker

Omg…….
I’ve only ever knitted the ‘continental’ way. It’s more fluid and it also meant learning to crochet was easier.
The right needle does all the work and the thread is deftly wound around the left hand creating appropriate tension.
Taught by my Prussian mother.

But I knit in an 'English' way, apparently, as described above, and the left hand needle doesn't move, only the right hand needle and right hand.

Omg…….
I’ve only ever knitted the ‘continental’ way. It’s more fluid and it also meant learning to crochet was easier.
The right needle does all the work and the thread is deftly wound around the left hand creating appropriate tension.
Taught by my Prussian mother.

Rosie51

Mallin Ever seen two old dears sitting in front of the tv knitting? Watch how fast they get during a car chase !!

Oh yes! Is it just me that knits faster when the yarn is running out and I want to finish the row before it realises 😂😂

I do that too, Rosie51 😂

Just had a look at the video. I thought it was a complicated way of casting on so I think I'll keep to the way I was taught.

Mallin Ever seen two old dears sitting in front of the tv knitting? Watch how fast they get during a car chase !!

Oh yes! Is it just me that knits faster when the yarn is running out and I want to finish the row before it realises 😂😂

JuBut, continental knitting is different to English knitting in that the yarn is held in the left hand and the yarn is picked through the previous stitch. With English knitting, the yarn is held in the right hand and the yarn wrapped around the tip of the right hand needle.

Mirren, I have put the link about halfway up this page. If you have any problems, let me know and I'll send you the link 😊

I have never heard of continental way of knitting before. My mother in law was left handed so just knitted the opposite way to right handed knitters.