The continental style of knitting means knitting while holding the yarn in the left hand while working the stitches. Most knitters of the community learn to knit in English style but the continental style is later adopted for its quickness, ease and just for expanding knitting skills. Even if you learn to knit in the Continental style, it is worth learning the English knitting style.
The continental knitting style can be worked with any knitting needle (single-pointed, double-pointed, fixed circular or interchangeable circulars.) The needles are held in both hands as you do for any knitting but the yarn is tensioned in the left hand (index finger). In the English style of knitting, the needles are held in both hands while the working yarn is only held in the right hand. But no matter which hand holds the thread to make stitches, you still use both hands when you knit.
In this blog, we will discuss the continental style of knitting.
What is the Continental Style of Knitting?
The Continental style of knitting hails from Europe and is sometimes called German knitting. It is also known as "left-handed knitting". The yarn is held in the left hand while it is picked or scooped by the knitting needle tip and therefore also goes by the name of picking.
The knitting style is not dependent on the project or the stitch pattern. It is simply the way the yarn is held in the left hand. Cast on the number of stitches as mentioned in a pattern or for practice 30 stitches would suffice, on any knitting needle, you prefer for the project. You can go ahead with any single pointed needle or circulars if you are knitting back and forth. For your project knitted in the round, you can choose circular or double-pointed needles.
Hold the Yarn in your Left Hand
Now hold the needles like you usually do. The needle with the cast on stitches in your left hand. The working yarn is wrapped in your left index finger. You can tension it with your middle finger or palm. Do experiment with different methods to find what's most comfortable.
The Knit Stitch
For the knit stitch, insert the right-hand needle tip through the loop of the original stitch. Make sure that the working yarn is held behind when you form new stitches.
Slide the stitch off the left-hand needle and see the knit stitch form on the right-hand needle.
You can continue this for a row or as the pattern suggests.
The Purl Stitch
For the purl stitch, first, bring the working yarn to the front of your project.
Insert your right needle tip, wrap the working yarn and pull the yarn through the stitch.
Slip the stitch you worked to the left needle to finish the purl stitch.
The purl stitch in the Continental style of knitting is much more comfortable for many knitters than the other styles.
Continental and English Knitting: What’s Better
When you begin to learn to knit, the knitting style you learn comes naturally to you. But, experimenting with different styles won’t hurt, in fact, you might find other styles working better for you.
- While English knitting has you throwing the yarn over the knitting needle tip, continental knitting has you very gently picking up the yarn with the needle tip. Each knitter has their own benefits of working with the same.
- Many knitters who have learned to crochet first, find the continental knitting style works better. It is because, like crochet, the working yarn is held in the left hand. This also works the other way if you are a master of continental style, you will find crochet easier to work with.
- Continental knitting also is suitable for left-handed knitters. With the yarn held and guided with the left hand, the knitter finds it much easier to knit.
While there is no one better than the other, generally switching or exploring new knitting styles has multiple benefits.
- The more varied movements decrease the chances of developing RSI or other related fatigue injuries.
- Changing the knitting style affects the tension and in turn your gauge. Oftentimes when nothing else like changing the needle size, type or even the yarn weight works, a changed knitting style will help you get the gauge.
- Colourwork knitting especially Fair Isle or stranded knitting will become easier and smoother when you work with both Continental and English styles at the same time. You can alternate stitches for a different hand-and-wrist action on the same project, reducing hand and arm strain if that's a problem. Many times working with two colours or two yarn threads can be made simple by working with both knitting styles. You can hold one yarn in the right hand and the other yarn in the left hand.
So whether you knit in English or Continental style, happy knitting!
