I switched from English to Continental years ago and I still don't get why people insist continental is faster. Whatever you're comfortable with is probably faster because it's less of a struggle. And why do we need to be faster anyway? It's a hobby, not a competition.
@@ronnieh8163 yes 100% agree! especially if you are knitting colour or lacework, it’s never going to be particularly fast anyway, and certainly the difference between the two would be negligible anyhow 😂
I got kicked out of a yarn shop for being an English knitter...told never to come back until I learned to knit "right". They're out of business now, I'm still knitting.
@@RoamingwithRover dear me! Who are these horrible, horrible people that are so misguided? I pity them being so rigid and closed minded, I’m so glad you learned knitting whichever way it suited you, happy knitting
i knit continental and didn't even know there was a different way to do it. However, the idea that you "need to be faster" in a hobby that is primarily used for relaxing is absolutely bonkers to me
@@angelmonstera it is isn’t it! 😂 it does make me laugh, i think people just feel compelled to comment on it before thinking through what they’re even saying
English knitter here. Tried continental for the sake of it, felt super awkward, couldn’t keep the tension properly, went straight back to English, and was instantly happy again. It’s like people saying you should hold your crochet hook like a pencil rather than a knife or whatever. Leave people alone. If the end result is nice, who cares how you got there?
Ugh a woman in my knitting group would not stop making fun of me for knitting English, so much so that I ended up learning Continental. Which yeah, I'm faster now, but there was literally no reason for her to be eating me alive every week WHO CARES
Ignore the knitting police. 40 years ago, I learn continental from a Norwegian friend. Most people would throw the yarn on the right. I cannot count the times people said I was knitting wrong. It makes no difference how others knit, the result is the same.
That sucks! I learned English style and learned Continental later. I love Continental now and I think it's valuable to learn but when I teach people I teach them English style because it's easier to break down the process for someone whose never knitted before. If they want to learn Continental I'm happy to teach them, but I would never tell anybody they're knitting "wrong."
When someone in my proximity wants to learn to knit I always recommend face scrubs. Very quick and it covers the basics of the basics. And it’s super quick. And then I ask what they really want to knit knit. Because if you really want it you are very motivated. Which is key. That’s how I learn new techniques. I don’t look for something with brioche. I see a pretty hat with brioche and I want to knit to knit that hat so I learn brioche.
@@dorotheekschmid that’s such a good project and also YES 100x YES its all about the passion for that final result, i am the exact same. this is also how i know i am highly unlikely to ever learn entrelac because i dont think i will personally ever need that in my life 😂
the thing about switching styles is that you have to relearn how to knit, which... isn't very time effective. i'm a continental knitter because that's what i was taught in school. it's definitely quicker for me because i've knitted that way for well over a decade. it's quicker for me because it reminds me of crocheting, and i tension the yarn in the same way as i do when i knit. i've tried english, because i was hoping to find something that didn't hurt my wrists as much, but i found it so slow BECAUSE i didn't know how to do it and how to tension the yarn!!! on top of that, we knit because we think it's fun. we don't have to be quick. slow fashion is slow fashion for a reason
100% agree with everything you’ve said, it’s starting from scatch and the pay off is not really there! and as you say, it’s slow fashion (and tbh i’m not convinced anything short of speed knitting would lead to any noticeable difference in amount of things knitted anyway) 💕
I learned to knit English style, and when I restarted knitting after 20 years off, this is what I did. I saw people knitting continental in RUclips videos and had a go. It felt weird, but then halfway through a lace project, I decided the English way didn't necessarily suit me and my short fingers ( I have never been able to 'throw' properly), so my next project was a baby cardi, I decided to try continental knitting and honestly, it suits me so much better. I still use a combination in colourwork, but for me, faster? Possibly not, less frustrating? Yes.
Here's one: "You are twisting your stitches because you are wrapping your yarn wrong." I knit English combination; I wrap Knit stitches counter clockwise and purl stitches clockwise. Knowing to insert your needle between "open" stitch legs, rather than the front of the stitch is more important to preventing twisting than how you wrap the yarn.
Yes! I knit the exact same way! And you are absolutely correct, as long as you know the orientation of the stitch, you’re always able to knit through the open leg.
Also some knitters that twist their stitches do not untwist their stitches, and it is fine if they like the look of it. Remember the rule that if it is exactly what the knitter wants it isn’t wrong, it is a design element. ❤
I've only ever knitted one thing - a scarf. I knit it English style because I didn't have to pay as much attention to my work as I would have if I did it continental. I think people forget it's supposed to be enjoyable and relaxing. It's not perfect, but that's what makes me love it! You can tell it's handmade and it's amazing. I also think using a variegated yarn is a good move for beginners who get frustrated with their speed. As you work away at any project, you can see the colors changing to show your progress! I really think that helped me push through the last foot or so of the scarf.
I enjoy knitting and it us very relaxing, but if i were knitting a simple scarf with one stitch i would first get bored and then upset it looked ugly. Why do u think smth GOOD LOOKING is not relaxing and enjoyable to make?
I knit so fast as an English knitter. My tension is super even, no rowing out! I can’t for the life of me knit continentally! Glad I’m not the only one!!
I taught people to knit , I had them start a scarf on size 13 needle with super chunk yarn. This can be knitted in one day. 3- 10 hrs depending on the person.
Im from Finland and learned how to knit in school when i was 8 years old, i dont know what you call them in english, but the projects that we started with were cloths that you wipe the table with! They are small enough that you dont have to spend weeks knitting for the final product, and the tension doesnt really matter either! You could also adapt them to your knitting level and make them as complicated or simple as you want :) I really dont recommend a scarf as a first project because I personally have never finished a single scarf :D it just takes too long
@@marttasalin8208 aw i love that, it’s all about the mini practice projects!! i’m the same, i made the mistake a few years ago of knitting my family christmas presents and had to make 4 scarves… it was very slow and boring!!! 😴 put me off for life!
Fellow English knitter here: I also hate the "English knitting is slower!" bs because its just not true. I think we have to be a bit more careful about certain things (like how we throw) in order to prevent joint issues, but continental knitters have their own problems in those areas too. I'm a pretty fast knitter, and I've been to stitch n b**** stuff where continental knitters commented on how fast my knitting was "especially considering you throw your yarn" and every time it just baffles me. I'm not even trying to knit fast, I'm just used to it and know how to do it quickly and safely.
so so true 💕 it’s simply not true! and it’s frustrating when people comment on it constantly, it’s like focus on the actual project please!! the knitting style is none of your business!
I was born in Germany and of course I learned the continental style of knitting. After we moved to Australia my next door neighbour and later good friend was a knitter too to both our delight. Many hours spent over my collection of knitting magazines I brought over and knitting together. That was also the time I found out there are different styles how to knit. I thought her style looked more labourous, she thought mine looked more industrial, efficient, faster. It wasn't. I also remember my son putting my name down in school to teach knitting with the girls. Well, that didn't work out, I was told: " but my nanny doesn't knit that way ". I also found it hard to make anything from the Australian or English patterns, as I always had a graph and written instructions of a knitting pattern as well as a drawn up pattern of the pieces with measurements. It has changed now, however I mostly knit socks now, or beanies and fingerless gloves for the home less.
that’s really interesting! is english knitting the prevalent style in australia? it’s fascinating the differences, even a few years ago i did a vintage (english pattern) which was about 50 years old and i struggled with only the written instructions with no further frame of reference 😂 i muddled through but i agree, i need it all!
@@issyknits Australia is home to many cultures, I believe the English style is probably more common. I was also amazed that I couldn't buy a " Spiel " of 5 open ended needles to knit beanies or socks, how I was used to knit in rounds, there were only 4 needles in a pack, so I had to buy two packs to have the fifth. Hardly any circular twin pin needles to be found. All changed now. Some department stores now like Myer and Target have completely deleted their craft sections and on line wool shopping is more prevalent. I used to love feeling the wool, looking at all the shades of colours. And it is soooo expensive, now.
@@christelgrimmer4478i find the same here in the UK about finding yarn in the shops, it’s so hard to see the shades so it’s always a gamble as to whether it’s actually what you want 😅
So my experience is maybe an outlier, but knitting socks is actually pretty difficult for me physically. I'm a mechanic with big clunky fingers that are always torn up and calloused, and fingering weight yarn snags on them constantly because it's so light. I'm always shaking my hands to get it off haha. The little needles are a bit of a challenge too. That said, I've found ways to mitigate these things and I do still love making socks. Just thought I'd offer my two cents
thank you that’s a really interesting perspective and hadn’t thought about that! i know i am particularly suited to mini circulars because i have small hands and others dont love them as much, how do you prefer to knit them? i’ve heard flexi needles are a great sock alternative but never tried them myself!
@@issyknits I use a little interchangeable set that I like a lot. I use a longer needle in my left hand to stabilize what I'm about to work into, and the shorter one in my right. Through trial and error I adopted a sort of awkward continental style where I use just the tips of my fingers. Looks weird but it works!
When I started 2 years ago, I just did a swatch about 15cm wide and 20cm long practicing different stitchs (knit, purl, 1x1 rib). Then I went straight to knitting a sweater because it's the reason why I wanted to knit. Not for a beanie, not for a scarf but for sweaters. I'm glad I did that 😊
Really enjoyed this thank you. As someone who has knitted for 45 years the online knitting world has been eye-opening, and you are a breath of fresh air. My first project was at the age of 10 when I knitted a scarf for my cat, Sooty. I was so proud as I tied it round her neck and watched as she climbed the garden fence, snagging the scarf on it, and hanging herself! No harm done, but I learnt then that scarves and cats don't mix 😂. I hadn't even heard of continental knitting until going online and am a proud English knitter. Funnily enough I am left handed but was taught to knit right handed by my left handed mum, who was also taught to knit right handed by her left handed mum😅. My dear old granny was from the time when you weren't allowed to write (or knit) left handed. I tried teaching myself to knit left handed but that is just not going to happen as I am now menopausal and can barely remember my own name some days 😂. I am just about to try a pair of socks for the first time so will watch your sock video with interest. Thanks again, you have brightened my afternoon ❤
thank you so much that’s so kind 💕 i gasped when i read about the cat 😂 so glad she was ok! i similarly realised knitting and cats didn’t mix through making mine a jumper which they absolutely despised, sadly i was 28 at the time and cant blame being a child 😂😂 that’s so interesting about the knitting and glad to meet a fellow proud english knitter! goes to show that it’s whatever you have practised will be the most comfortable 💕
My opinion is that people are hard wired to knit one way or the other. Whichever way comes naturally to them is fastest for them. I am a Continental knitter. For me it’s fastest and easiest, but I’ve never understood why people who hold the yarn in the right hand want to switch. I can knit English style well enough but I cannot purl English style. And it always feels awkward to knit that way for me. My advice is stick with what works best for you. As for first projects, wool squares are great for beginners, they can become many things (folded into toys, folded and seemed for little purses or eyeglass cases, folded and seamed into wrist warmers, felted into coasters or potholders, etc). But dish and facecloths are not great beginner projects because beginners have tension issues-usually too tight, and tension is a nightmare with cotton yarn.
@@Janknitz1 that’s really interesting and i definitely agree with you! it’s whatever works best, and if it’s not working then it’s good to know there are other options! the same reasons why some tutorials click with us and others are hard to comprehend - all personal preference. that’s a good point re tension in earlier projects, it needs to be very forgiving!
I got myself a lovely wooden interchangeable set only to realize I do prefer knitting with stainless steel needles, i love the feel and although I had a lot of moments when my stitches just rolled off them, it tought me how to fix that, so I am no longer scared of dropping stitches. Also since I like big projects I did buy the one set of my fav circular needles 4 times now. So i have multiple of same sizes and I can tranfer on 4 sets if I want to quickly try a sweater on, without puting it on a yarn - absulutely hate that and then transfering back on needles
ah yes i would equally struggle to commit to which material! i agree about the stitches on yarn, especially for a sweater it is soooo long and frustrating 😅
Thank God, finally someone coming out with how rude it is for knitters to tell other knitters what style to use. I am both an English and Continental knitter, " now". I was just an English knitter for ever, very fast, very efficient and had a good even tension. Then I had to learn continental knitting to "save" my right shoulder, it was injured and I couldn't do that repetitive movement in my R hand while it healed. I didn't want to give up knitting. It took me 2 years to Master continental, now I switch between them to keep my R shoulder healthy. Same speed, same tension, I can change in mid project and not see the difference. But the C style is NOT better, just different.
that’s so interesting! people are so wedded to the idea it’s so much faster they just can’t accept it when we say it’s actually not! 😂 ultimately it’s just unnecessary isn’t it!
The "continental is faster" thing is flat out false. The fastest knitters in the world (both past and present) use what we would now call "flicking" where the working yarn is tensioned in the right hand. For example, look here on youtube for Hazel Tindall speed knitting. There's also historic videos of shetland island knitters knitting at a pace of several hundred stitches per minute, again using flicking. I think the confusion comes from people being imprecise about naming things. Flicking and throwing are both techniques in the category of English knitting. I think it's pretty well established that continental is in fact faster and more efficient than throwing because throwing generally involves letting go of the needles and/or the yarn and is usually bigger motions. But people tend to lump all english techniques in with throwing and say that continental is the fastest.
you’re so right, i didn’t even realise that some english knitters were so fast but it’s a great fact to have in my arsenal! i am a thrower so can’t claim the speed of a flicker but it’s certainly encourage me to try!
I learnt as a child in the 1970’s (Australia) from my mum and have always thrown the yarn. When I decided to take up crochet during covid, I worked out how to hold the yarn the same way I do for knitting. I’m sure experienced crocheters think I’m strange, but it feels right for me and I have good tension. ❤
@@sarahmccooey2561 oh that’s amazing i didn’t realise you could do that for crochet - probably why me and crochet have not gotten along so far 😂 i will look that up and give it a try!
I had to do the reverse. I’m a crocheter who couldn’t knit for over forty years. I’d learned English throwing style from mother and never felt natural, always uneven and dropped stitches everywhere etc. never managed to stick at it long enough to make anything. It wasn’t until I switched to continental and held the tension yarn in my left hand as I did for crochet that I could make any improvement. I still have to cast on English style though! Can’t make the cross over……
I learned to knit "English" style, yarn in the right hand. Somewhere early on I read about (this was waaay before the internet, folks, practically in the paleolithic) "Continental" knitting, yarn in the left hand. I tried it, I liked it, I found it was faster. For me. Being able to knit with both hands came in handy when doing color work. HOWEVER, if you've ever watched Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (a.k.a. the Yarn Harlot) knit, she uses something she calls lever-action knitting, holding her yarn in the right hand and flicking it over the needle, and she is lightning fast. And there are knitters who hold speed records who brace their right needle on a knitting belt and flick the yarn with the right hand. So "Continental is faster" doesn't hold true in general, only for individuals who find it fits their hands better.
i hadn’t been very familiar with lever knitting before but since these comments i am really keen to try it out! i so agree its all about how it fits in your hand, i think some people don’t believe that and think you just need to keep pushing the continental, but its true!
I knit continental because I learned to crochet first, am left handed and could continue tensioning the the yarn with my left hand as when I crochet. Agree about the first project, mine was a beanie:)
Wonderful vid!! I agree with ev-er-y-thing!!! Especially about socks!! When I meet new people, especially, and they find out I am a knitter, the first thing they say is “Oo, do you knit socks?” So even the non-knitting world thinks socks are hard and use it as a skill level litmus test, of sorts!! And I learnt on dpns, but have long since switched to 9” circs, but I have a friend who still uses dpns because she thinks she looks bad a$$ when she knits with them 😂
yay great minds!! 💕💕 that’s so interesting, it’s definitely one of those weird things that people think! i still think knitting on dpns is pretty badass to be fair, mainly because i struggle with them so much 😂😂
As a knitter for a zillion years and now in my 70s the only change I have made is circular needs have been my life saver because with arthritic hands and wonky fingers means I can continue knitting. Love your podcast.
I switched to continental knitting a few years back as it was easier on my thumb & now knit norwegian style but wouldn't dream of telling anyone how to knit. I have interchangeable needles but I like to knit several weights of yarns so for me it's worth it, if you only knit one weight it's just not worth spending the money. My knitting philosophy is you do you.
Totally agree. I've been a knitter for 36 years now, taught myself with help of a book (this was before the internet was much of anything). The book set I bought, which I think is still on the market, was by Boye, and it came with some knitting supplies. That's where I learned to knit English, which is more comfortable for me because I started crocheting as a small child, and I'm used to my left hand being passive. I have repeatedly tried Continental knitting - I can't adjust my tension no matter what I try, and my stitches are way too tight. I prefer to have separate needles for everything. It may be expensive, but actually, I was originally only able to afford whatever needles I needed for each project, so that's what I did. Lastly, after 35 years of knitting, last year, I finally officially learned to make socks! I always saw how fiddly the patterns and tutorials looked and it was scary, until a coworker learned that I could knit and asked for a pair of boot socks - which can be expensive to buy, but not to make. I liked her and didn't want to say no. Instead, I told myself, it's time to learn how to do socks. And I now have most of the basic, "vanilla" sock pattern memorized! I do have a couple of pairs of shorty socks I made for myself from no pattern for which the cuffs are too stretchy, but live and learn. I also prefer the 9" circular needles. At 59, I have no trouble with the sock or fingering weight yarns and 2.25mm needles. Between the RUclips tutorials and very good patterns with pictures one can get on the internet, there's no reason to fear ANY patterns, even if you are a beginner. I was watching a crochet tutorial for beginners earlier today even though I've been a crocheter for 54 years - I just liked their teaching style so much! No one should shy away from anything just because of what others say -- that's their opinion. Something that may be hard for them may be easy for you, and something that they may like, you may hate, and vice-versa. If you want to try something, at least try it! I'm trying to learn Tunisian crochet because that's something I've never really tried yet.
thanks for sharing and so glad my thoughts resonate with you! i so agree that there is nothing to fear with patterns as always a way through it with tutorials and resources, and it’s the best way to learn (even if you make a total mess of it all first try 😅) i’ve never figured out crochet but im inspired to pick it up, tunisian crochet is very intriguing indeed!
The best way to learn knitting ist when mother and grandmother knits and show their results and are present for the kids to show and give the ideas and practical support to try.
My journey...so far...I started with a washcloth, learning knit & purl stitches; then a hat, learning decreases; then socks! I LOVE them. Now, I moving to sweaters/tops. Haven't knit a scarf yet!
I started with english and taught myself continental soon after because I was reading about it being slightly better for stress injuries. It definitely helped to have made the switch early, I think. I will say that learning both english and continental was extremely good for my stranded knitting. Other than that, there's no 'best way' to knit and every style is great if it works for you! I also will admit that I'm a big interchangeable advocate. But I also just like to have all of the options available to me all the time. It's also really nice to be able to switch cables or needles easily within the same project. I generally think that, if you've been knitting for a bit and find that you really love it, it's worth getting a set.
I am not great at knitting but anyway decided to knit a blanket... and bought super long circular needles for it. Worked perfect. Until I got bored and didn't want to continue with the blanket. My mother (who is in her 70's and have knitted her whole life) said she'd take over. She promptly got rid of the circular needles and went with four "regular" needles instead. Like, ok. Guess we all go with what we're comfortable with. She also do socks using those weird double ended small needles that I just think will fall out all the time. (and yes, those are the reason I am intimidated about the thought of knitting socks...)
i feel this a lot - boredom is the reason i have a lot of long term wips that haven’t been touched in months 😂😅 she sounds very talented! i also avoid double pointed needles where i can but one day will conquer them 💪
I thought socks had to be knit using DPNs also. But I found a pattern written for circulars (and magic loop) using worsted yarn. It was a match made in heaven and I’ve been knitting socks ever since-usually two at a time, now!
Honestly I understand people wanting to knit faster because *I want to knit faster lol!* NOT because I want to pump things out as quickly as possible. It's more about improving the experience of knitting for me. I make almost everything in fingering weight yarn and i'm also plus size, and I just happen to be a very slow knitter, so it takes me FOREVER to finish a single sweater. I'm talking about like a year. And I don't know about you, but a year of working on the same thing gets very very boring. And i've realised that if I work on something for too long, I hit a wall where I just don't want to work on it anymore. And then it just languishes in my WIP basket for even longer. I have a cardigan that has literally only 4 inches of sleeve and some buttons before it's done and I'm desperate to wear it, but I have to FORCE myself to work on it because after a year i'm so done with this pattern. I wish I could knit faster so that i could actually finish things before I hit that point of boredom and nails on chalkboard knitting. I also wish I could knit faster because despite my best efforts it seems I can't keep the bloody moths away from my wool, so i'd prefer if it didn't sit around waiting to be moth food because it's taking me a year to do one sweater. That said, I knit continental and do so very comfortably, so god knows it isn't some magical cure for slow knitting 😂 Also, i'm surprised people are being pressured to knit continental. I was always under the impression that it's the less popular knitting style. Every time I look up a tutorial, it's usually demonstrated with English style knitting, and I have to explicitely look for 'knitting technique continental style' in the search bar. I do think there's probably some truth to continental style being faster compared to standard throwing, because there's less motion involved in making a single stitch, but yeah, it does depend on the individual person, and their comfort level/experience with either form of knitting. A slow knitter is gonna be a slow knitter even if they knit Continental (ask me how I know, lol). A fast knitter is gonna be a fast knitter even if they knit English Style. But honestly, if you found someone who could knit both equally competently and had equal amounts of comfort or experience with both, I bet they'd be slightly faster with their continental style. But that assumes they don't flick instead of throw (both still being English style, flicking having less motion and generally being faster), or that they care about speed at all. And most people dont meet these very specific qualifications anyway!
I am a crocheter that wants to get better at knitting! I know the basics but have never made anything besides swatches. All the videos I watched knit English style and it feels super awkward to me. I haven’t tried continental but I’ve heard that it can sometimes be easier for crocheters to learn because we’re already used to holding the yarn with the left hand so maybe I should try that! I don’t care about speed at all I just want to work on my tension which is atrocious lol
yes definitely try continental, lots of crocheters say it is a lot more comfortable to them 💕 i hope you love it! i’m the opposite being that i knit english and cant crochet to save my life 😂 but going to try tensioning the yarn in my right hand with crochet and see how it goes!
Thank you Issy! I love that you have taken time to debunk these myths. I 100 percent agree on all points. I also think ‘flicking’ as a version of English knitting (rather than ‘throwing’) is worth a mention too. PS your green jumper is gorgeous.
thank you so much! 💕 yes definitley, i have never tried flicking and wasn’t super aware of it until the comments but definitely important to note that english knitting covers both (and i am now very keen to try flicking!)
I started out knitting English style. Years later I learned to crochet, which I could do throwing but it wasn't very comfy at all and I eventually made myself switch to tensioning with my left hand. Much better! I made the switch to continental knitting sometime after that and I generally prefer it now, especially when I have a pattern with a lot of alternating between knit and purl stitches e.g. ribbing, seed stitch. But if I'm doing cables (and I've done a lot of cables) I find I have more control and am much less likely to drop stitches if I use English style. I did some slip stitch colorwork in stockinette and on circular needles recently and I opted to do left-handed continental for every return pass instead of turning the work and purling. I'm not left-handed but I did get very good at this technique and I don't think I could have done it by throwing. 😅
that’s so interesting to see the transition over time! i can definitely see the appeal of a more fluid motion with alternating knit and purl stitches!! 😅
totally agree that a scarf is not the best choice for a first time knitter! My fave project for my students is a dishcloth or two or six. Lots of scope for trying out different stitiches, nice and small so a good quick turnaround, and you can use up any random bit of leftover yarn!
I think everyone needs to find what is comfortable for them and what they enjoy. I learned the basics of how to knit with English style and long needles when I was little, it was always uncomfortable for me. So I decided to crochet. It was great but I always wanted to knit. When I learned about continental style and circular needles my life changed 😅. I love making socks. Vanilla socks are like a confort knit for me now that I know what I enjoy to do. I knit them with magic loop, two at the same time and with after thought heel.
Sock knitting: I love my DPNs and often knit socks on 4 DPNs with the 5th as a working needle. However, I also learned to knit socks (and other narrow projects in the round) on two circulars, one long circular with Magic Loop, and those teeny weeny 9" circs (a bit hard on the hands, but excellent for taking on a flight because the agents checking your carry-on can't even see what's basically two toothpicks on a string), so I'd know all the ways and could pick a method. For example, I like a plain vanilla sock on DPNs, but a fingerless mitt with a fancy pattern on the back and a plain palm works better on two circs so there's no awkwardness with trying to divide a fancy pattern onto two of the four DPNs or jam them onto a single one. Oh, for your first sock, trust the directions for turning the heel, whatever kind of heel the sock has. The directions sound weird, and yes, you're turning a corner in three dimensions, but once you've completed the heel it will all make sense.
i love that, nice to have the variety of options! me and dpns haven’t gotten along yet but we will get there…. super agree about turning the heel, it’s definitely a “trust the process” moment 😂
1. My first project was a hat, and I'm glad of it because I immediately learned to knit in the round with circular needles. It can also be handy for people who aren't as comfortable purling, or who want a stockinette pattern without the edges curling up on them, to have their first work be in the round. Plus you learn increases and decreases! 2. The easiest/fastest style of knitting is whichever you already have muscle memory built up for. If I were teaching a brand-new knitter, I'd probably be inclined to nudge them toward continental (which is how I knit) because I do think it's a more economical motion, but I'd make them aware of both ways and ultimately emphasize that as long as the yarn goes where it's meant to, they should get it there in whatever way is most comfortable and logical to them. (As an aside though, I do wonder if new knitters who struggle with purling are more often knitting English-style, because as a continental knitter I actually find purling to be an *easier* motion than the knit stitch. Thoughts on purling, English vs Continental?) 3. I love my interchangeable circulars. They bring me joy; they're pretty colors and make my inner dragon happy. Can a person have a successful knitting journey without them? Absolutely. Use whatever tools work for your crafting style, budget, and circumstances. I will say, though, that reclaiming needles from a WIP is easier when you're using interchangeable circs because you can just unscrew the needles from the cord and replace them with cord caps, and then you're ready to connect the needles to a new cord and cast on a new project. 4. The thing that intimidated me most about socks as a new knitter was the Kitchener Stitch. Then I learned how to do a knitted kitchener, and that fear went away. Again, it's all about finding the techniques that work with your own brain.
@@draughtoflethe 1. definitely agree re the hat, it builds a great base for knitting on that project alone! 2. i am so used to english that although i can see that’s the purl motion is more fluid for continental, the tension doesn’t come to me easily. i would think for beginners english purling would be easier because you can more readily see what you are doing (ie move yarn to front, wrap it around, etc) but i’m biased so hard to say! i agree you’re probably right if someone learned continental initially they would overall be a more efficient knitting, but i agree once you improve to a standard with whatever style, you’ll be fastest at that 🌟 3. i had actually never considered that for interchangeables re the cable swapping and that is a really good point! i’m jealous of that…! 4. yes kitchener is a trip in itself (and i used to always have to re look it up for every pair of socks because i kept forgetting) but once it’s ingrained, it’s magical isn’t it!!
On the needle kit, I would definitely purchase interchangeable ones but not the kit! Having the different lengths of cable for each needle size is super helpful. I bought the tips as I needed, and I now have every 0.5 mm from 3-5.5. I never use 6 mm or up!
I don’t think continental is better or faster than English, but what I will say is having started out with crochet, continental was an easier transition because of which hand the yarn is held in.
I agree with the scarf opinion: start smaller like a washcloth or hand towel or even a garment that is made of rectangles (like a sleeveless cardigan or tee with one seam up the back). And YES! KNIT HOW YOU LIKE! I started with English and I taught myself Continental. I’m now learning Norwegian style. It’s about learning new things for me. On interchangeable circulars we differ…I got a set after buying just one pair of fixed circulars and it saved me a TON of $$. Then I just added cords as I had more WIPs 😂 Finally SOCK KNITTING ROCKS! I don’t think it’s for early beginners, but I wish I hadn’t let them intimidate me.l for 5+ years. I felt like a total badass when I fished my first sock and like I could conquer the universe when I finished the second (making a pair). Go get some of that energy for yourself! And if you’re worried about it, start with a pattern for a worsted weight. You can do a sock in a day or a pair in a weekend!
I'm a beginner knitter (restarted in the last month but dabbled a few years ago) bought myself a set of interchangeables mainly because I'm determined to stick at it and the cost of those means I have to haha. My first projects were socks on short circulars. Did one sock on dpns and felt like I was wrestling a hedgehog 😂 so far I've knit a toddler jumper. A kind of failed ranunculus 🤦🏻♀️ working on a chunky cardigan and a few pairs of socks. Great video!
One minor benefit to continental is less chance of joint pain - I know a woman who had joint surgery in both thumbs after knitting English style. She asked me to teach her continental so she could return to knitting again. (Disclaimer: continental can also result in joint issues, but it seems to be less common than in English! Both types need to practice good hand care.)
When I learned to knit as a kid, I was taught English style. Of course I never knit much then, but when I picked it back up in my 30’s I decided to learn continental style. I love it but I would like to learn, I think it’s called flicking? My main reason I like these 2 methods is that there is less motion so less chance of repetitive use issues.
I have used to be a continental knitter for years but English knitting style gives you neater loops than continental, because you only push the needle in and then out of a loop, while in continental style needle does a twist to grab the yarn. So now I still hold yarn in the left hand but I throw it over the needle just like in English style so I don‘t have to do any unnecessary movements with the needle. So I am somewhere in btw now xD Now to the needle kits. I wouldn‘t recommend any beginner to go for such a thing. These kits are expensive and all needles are made from the same material. However not every yarn goes well with for example wooden needles. So here you go, you have an extremely expensive kit you don’t use sitting in the drawer. On my example, the lace or fingering weight yarn I use doesn‘t go well with wooden needles, so I use steel ones. On the other hand thicker yarns I go for work better with the wooden needles. So I got 2mm-5mm steel needles and 5mm-12 mm needles made out of wood. I also found out that aluminium with mat surface are the best, but unfortunately I don‘t find them anywhere to buy (these have been passed down to me from a friend). So yeah, I am def. Team „No Kits for beginners“.
ah that’s really interesting, taking the best of both styles! 🙌 that’s a really good point about the materials too as i agree, i prefer metal for my thinner yarns but for my aran weight i’m happiest with my wood versions 💕
When it comes to sock knitting, I’ve got really big and weird feet and most patterns don’t work for my foot shape. MAKE A GAUGE SWATCH!!!! It’s a lifesaver! And also for some reason cuff down ones don’t fit right but toe up ones do, sometimes you’ve just got to try different things! I’m now doing my first knit pattern test and learning colour work so I’m excited to combine my knowledge and make colour work socks 😍😍😍
Thank you, stellar advice! I knit English, and learned the Magic Loop to knit socks from online videos. The biggest problem was when they turned the work and started knitting it was continental which for me was confusing because I couldn't figure out where the working should be...long story. Finally, I listened to a video by Margaret Olander, and her method of teaching how to use the M. Loop worked by comparing knitting in the round to knitting with the M. Loop! Also, kudos to knit your socks without a pattern!
I started as a beginner with the yarn in the right hand, the throwing method . Then as an adult I read about continental knitting and circular needles. Tried both at the same time. After 30 min I came to the conclusion that as a women with big breasts it is way easier with circular needles and continental is way easier because the tension is better because you do not need to take your hands of the work and also better for my shoulders. In the end it is also a lot faster because you can keep the yarn going close to the stitches instead of moving your hand from the work pick up the yarn and fold it around. Takes a lot more extra time in general
@@brammetjedejong8619 glad it has worked out for you and really interesting to hear! there are different methods to keep the yarn close to the needles with english including flicking so it can be very fast too but each to their own and ultimately if one gives you back pain then it’s definitely not a great one for you! 🙏
But I (a continentL knitter) have now seen really fast throwers on RUclips who get really nice tension. I tried the throwin style, but I didn't get it. I think you are amazing because you could switch🎉
I do continental knitting because I’m a crocheter. Holding the yarn in my left hand is more comfortable. I spent a month trying out all of the different styles of knitting. I do continental knitting and Norwegian purling. Hearing crafters talking about which way is the best was irritating but it looks like the new generation of knitters are on the “who cares 🤷♀️” train. I’m on there too 🙋♀️
I knit continental because my mom knits continental. My mom knits continental because my grandma knit continental. Im sure the person who taught her also knit continental. So for me its just the way its been passed down through the generations
Knit 🧶 English if you want to. I am a continental. I really don’t understand why people have this thing for speed in knitting 🧶 to me it’s about the Hobby no matter how long it takes
Totally agree about knitting styles. I learned how to knit English as a child and now as an adult am advanced in crochet and tried to learn continental because i thought i would be able to pick it up since I'm used to tensioning yarn in my left hand for crochet... I am way faster in English!
I agree about not doing a scarf for a first project for everything you said. After I got the hang of a knit stitch, my first project was making a bunch of Christmas stocking ornaments. It was perfect because I got to practice the same skills over and over and see the differences between ornaments and they improved. I also got to try color work before I learned enough to be intimidated by it. They didn't take long to make, so I had the satisfaction of completing something, even if it was wonky. I even tried out different styles of knitting (English, continental, Norwegian) to figure out what I liked best (because someone told me English was the wrong way 🙄).
i love that, such a fun project! mine was very similar but halloween decorations 💕 classic comments about the english knitting, it’s a rite of passage for us at this stage 😂
Hi there! I just subscribed to your channel because my wife is a constant knitter. I admire her craft and it is refreshing to see a young woman like yourself being as passionate about it as well. I’m sure from now on we will love to watch together what you come up with. Btw. I’m a whittler and woodworker. We both loved the sweater you were wearing!
oh thank you so much that is so kind!! 💕 those are really interesting crafts that i’ve never tried, would love to one day. thank you it’s the first sweater i ever made!
Thank you for this video! You are so spot on with everything you covered! 🌸 Being British, both my mother and grandmother taught me to knit and crochet like them. Over the years I have dabbled in different ways to do both, but I always revert back to how I was taught because it’s familiar and comfortable. For anyone wanting to learn how to knit socks on DPNs, I highly recommend looking up Marly Bird on RUclips. She has a multi-part video tutorial on knitting “My First Socks”. Her instructions are so clear and she knits each section of the sock with you. Bonus: Her advice to cast on both socks and work them in tandem will save everyone from experiencing “second sock syndrome”! Priceless! 🤣
Love your comment about buying interchangeable needle sets. There is a set of needles that I absolutely covet but when I checked it against the needles I already own I think I was buying two, maybe three needles (in sizes I have never used otherwise I would already have had them) for around $140 (AUD)!! I mean, as beautiful as the set is I just can’t justify that. 😊
I didn’t know I knitted English until I was looking up patterns. I’ve tried continental multiple times, especially since I can crochet Continental, but for me English is just easier. I didn’t start growing as a knitter until I embraced the way I knit. Eventually people will realize that gatekeeping or nitpicking is only going to intimidate people interested in/beginners and make them not want to learn. If you’re not fast , you’ll get there with time. Learning continental wouldn’t be worth the speed considering I’d have to start all over with muscle memory and whatnot. I’ve spent 15 ish years knitting English style. Im not the fastest, but it’s not a race! I think the more important thing about knitting needles to buy the highest quality you can afford. I’d purchased a set of cheap bamboo circular needles and didn’t realize how awful they were until I used my clover needles. I don’t have a craft store carrying my preferred brand anywhere where I live (nearest store is 1.5 hours away) so buying a set made sense to me. It comes down to personal preference for style of needles (I ONLY use wooden circular because it works best with my tension. I bought a set of interchangeable needles for the first time and I love them. I definitely wouldn’t recommend them to a beginner. I DO recommend encouraging beginners to figure out what needle material works best for them over suggesting personal preferences.
yes yes yes you’ve said this perfectly, that is exactly it! definitely agree about needle preference too, it didn’t occur to me at the time but i realise i definitely have strict rules (in my head and to my preference) about which type of needles goes with which yarn which is definitely worth mentioning!
I have tried knitting continental, since i can keep tension just fine in my left hand while crocheting. I cannot keep the tension while knitting, and its also horrid if you have any issues with wrist pain. There is not a good way of knitting continental without doing a fair bit of wrist movement, which i would like to avoid since carpal tunnel doesn't sound fun. I do a sort of lever knitting (which is sorta considered the fastest style of knitting despite it being a throwing type, which throws a wrench in the 'continental is faster' thing too) where I anchor the end of the right needle usually by just pressing it into my stomach, and this style also spawned my hatred of circular needles and people who almost evangelize about them. You can't anchor the end of a circular needle when in full use in any way, even if you tried with magic loop you end up pinching the cord at the base which is really damaging over time. You can anchor dpns, and I do not do anything in the round if it doesn't fit on dpns because I would be concerned at the lack of seams supporting the whole thing. I agree with you about socks, I never picked up the idea that they were hard and found it really weird when people kept acting like they're the pinnacle of complexity. You can literally just knit a cylinder until you get bored, do toe decreases, cut a hole for the heel, and do another toe there. I think another myth of socks (that might just be a myth to me personally lol) is that they are inherently a desirable thing to knit, and if you don't like it then you just haven't found a good pattern/fit. I think people who like handknit socks refuse to acknowledge that you just cannot get certain properties in hand knits that you can in commercial knits, and someone might want commercial socks for those reasons. I have knit a lot of different socks and my conclusion for every single one was 'this is too thick and not elastic enough', and I would've saved a lot of time and effort if everyone didn't make it seem like some sort of personal failing to think that. Now i get my small circular knits fix by making an impractical amount of mittens, instead of trying to make myself like socks with zero appeal to me
very true about the socks, not to mention that hand knitted socks are overall not that durable 😅 many of them have worn through after not many uses, or for colourwork socks it quickly ruins anything on the bottom of the sole (that’s been a lesson in not bothering to do anything intricate on the sole!) also so interesting about the anchoring knitting technique! i have been intrigued by old fashioned knitting sheaths and did want to try one out as it’s the “traditional” knitting technique of my area (according to google!)
Loved this! I’ve been knitting for just over a year now, and I felt very reassured by your advice. Is the jumper you’re wearing a Lauren Aston pattern? I love the neckline!
As a lifelong crocheter new(er) to knitting, habits die hard. I tried knitting English and couldn't do it, but continental and with the Norwegian purl have become my normal. I absolutely can knit English if need be but I feel mofe comfortable with continental. I wish all English and continental knitters the best
lovely that makes sense, i think so much of tensioning is muscle memory so makes sense to utilise your existing methods! thats why i struggle with crochet tensioning but will persevere one day (or try a method of crochet where you can throw the yarn which other comments have referenced) 💕
My first project was a series of swatches that now serve as pot holders/coasters, then a dish towel, then right into socks. I started with continental since I came from crochet. I was used to controlling tension with my left hand. I immediately started with a wood interchangeable set and a set of DPNs, but have a pointy metal set on order specifically for lace knitting. My first few days with DPNs were filled with curse words, but after a few days it was easy.
While I agree that there's no good reason to change the way you've been knitting for years, and people shouldn't be badgering you about it, the reason you're so comfortable with knitting English style is because that's how you learned. In the beginning, neither method is likely to feel comfortable because it's a new skill that's being developed, so it might be good for beginners to know which style has more benefits in the long run.
i think that’s definitely true that we grow comfortable before trying it out, and often we don’t become aware of other styles before we start. that said, i learned online and had to try multiple tutorials until one made sense to my hands (which was throwing knitting style) so while i agree in theory, in practice i think we have preferences and there isn’t truly a “better” style. maybe more efficient in isolation, but someone who knits by throwing their yarn frequently over years is still going to be faster than an infrequent or less experienced continental knitter. i think that point gets forgotten a lot!
I think Continental is easier for a crocheter to learn. If someone doesn’t crochet at all, either method would work depending on what is easier for them to understand
definitely i’ve heard that! i learned to knit first and struggle with crochet tension, the yarn position probably being the reason why. i’ve heard some people have been able to adapt their crochet position to hold the yarn in the right hand so i think i will need to give that a go!
Hey there, Got your capsule via RUclips suggestions. I found it very entertaining indeed. To add to your points, first time knitters are better off making wash clothes. It's fast, it's useful, you can track your progress from one to another and you don't have to wear it when it's not that good looking. Another point you made...English vs. Continental knitters. I'm Canadian and I learned knitting with English style from my auntie who knitted mittens for the Red Cross during the war. I used to throw, but now I flick and that makes all the difference in the world in my speed... Game changer! I know it's not a contest, but there are soooo many projects to make and soooo little time to make them! After all, we must sleep two or three hours a night, eh? Oh, by the way, the world's fastest knitter, according to a contest in the UK is a Scottish woman named Hazel Tindall...and she knits English style! When I started knitting, I had my mom's straight needles. Then I moved up to fixed plastic circular (which had to be put in hot water to straighten or warmed and stretched with a hairdryer), then I graduated to metal fixed circulars, so I do have many, many, many sets of each sizes and since I have multiple projects on the go, it's ok. But I agree with you that you don't have to buy a set of interchangeable needles right off the bat, since they are quite costly and that you don't know if you will warm to that activity enough to invest the equivalent of a mortgage payment on them. I have bought sets of interchangeable minis, but I do use them...that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it. Also, sock knitting is fun. I'm a leg-down kinda gal and since I have a rather strong in-step, I don't want to bother with any other heels than a flap and gusset, in which I can pick up a few more stitches on each side in order to give me the room I need. I started knitting socks because a pattern I was making (for a cardigan) was asking to knit the sleeves with DPNs. Since I had never done that before, I thought I might as well practice with some socks before hand so that my sleeves are not too wonky. And that's how I fell into the sock blackhole never to return. First with DPNs, then, with Magic Loop, and now with 9in minis. Great to have such a project in your purse at the dentist, doctor, garage or any other place you might have to wait half of forever. And your outlook on time is diametrally changed. You never wait..... you just have more time to knit. Amazing how people are nicer with you when you're more patient with them. But I digress... Soooo, that's my blurb...gotta go, my knitting isn't going to make itself! Oh, I forgot...English is not my first language...French is (I'm from Québec), so if what I wrote makes no sense, blame it on that!
@@isabellemichaud6926 thank you so much!! that’s soo fascinating about the fastest knitter, going to bank that little fact away for the next time someone tells me my english is wrong 😂 i’m also a top down sock knitter!
I'm an English knitter in America - I learned it as a kid (and I was awful!). Fast forward several years and I took up knitting again for real, still English. Fast forward more years and I decided I needed to learn continental for some reason. Took a 'lesson' in a yarn shop, failed miserably. More years later tried it again (different shop), same result. Still knitting English, and teaching myself Tunisian crochet! Maybe some day I'll try to learn Continental again, just for a challenge!
I crocheted for almost 5 years before I learned to knit, so when I picked up knitting last year, I found continental knitting to be so much easier for me since it was so similar to crochet!! I personally cannot english knit for the life of me but at the end of the day though like others have said, who tf cares how you get the finished project just so long as you're enjoying the process??
Very nice video. You have a great personality and I look forward to seeing more content from you. Thank you. ❤ I learned to knit English style, but now I knit Continental. Each style is a knitter's personal preference and crafting should be about enjoying the process. It is good to be able to do both if one so chooses. 🙂
thank you so much!! yes i agree, someone mentioned about utilising both techniques to do double handed stranded colourwork. i’d never heard of it before but definitely going to try it out!
I think I need to try knitting English again - I switched to continental a while back and you're right, it's not faster. I'm not sure which I'm more comfortable with. I do find it useful knowing both as I tend to use a mix when I do colourwork - I'll do the main colour in continental and the contrast in English, or vice versa
definitely useful skills to be able to utilise both! ultimately i think neither is truly faster overall especially when doing colourwork so keep doing you 💕
I would love a video about socks on circulars!! I’m a new knitter and have found this method is the one for me. And I’m still figuring it out. Especially the heel and toe. 😊
I knit English/flick left handed and you should see the comments I get in person... Also I've actually fallen out of love with interchangeable, and the needle tips coming off that I buy fixed circulars now.
@@spirit__fox oh i can imagine 😂😂 and that’s really interesting to hear! i had heard that could happen but have never tried them so could say for sure… another vote for the fixed circulars 🙏🙏
@@issyknits Well they can come unscrewed, especially for larger projects. With the speed thing also, the record fastest knitter was an English cottage knitter, who used a knitting sheath. I think a lot of it really is about personal preference and there are a decent amount of people who push their preference to be the way it "should be" rather than "this works for me". Then again I tend to give advice to new knitters like: Don't buy a needle set. Buy different brands and materials to figure out what you like, and buy for projects at first. I also tell people the thing about not making a scarf because scarves are a lot more fabric then you think they are. Then again I've also suggested making nothing at very first, just get used to knitting, purling, casting on and binding off. When you feel comfortable there start with a small project and add in some basic increases and decreases.
@@Paula-tf3zv It's a historic knitting tool! Essentially it's a belt mounted item that is used to support the end of a long dpn. It's a way to knit rather fast and knit on the move. Honestly it's worth looking up videos because they are super cool!
That's what happened to me at 13 when I tried knitting the first time XD... the scarf was never finished! When I picked it up again last year, I started with a scarf with a loop on one side (I just knitted flat and sew one of the ends in a loop) so that it still works as a scarf, but it's WAAAY shorter!
@@issyknits ... I saw a beautiful pattern in one of my grandma's oldish magazines, a fantastic woolen coat with cables and a hood that I hope to make one day, but I had to start somewhere easier XD... At this point I've made two sweaters (one with a big cable in the front, and rice stitch on the sleeves, and the other plain stockinette with a band of garter stitch on the sleeves), a pair of fingerless gloves, I'm making a cabled afghan for my couch (I'm 1 metre/11 skeins in, I'm not working on it because IT'S HOT RIGHT NOW, and it abundantly covers my legs while I work XD). I want to try socks and a baby blanket. Meanwhile I'm also crocheting XD... never a dull moment XD
ok so the interchangeable needle one did get me going 🤣I agree that you don't need that many different needles since you generally work with the same ones. In my opinion you've really overlooked the true benefits of interchangeable needle sets. what i really love is having the different lengths of cables! I never have to do the magic loop (which i absolutely hate) i can just change it out along the project so that i always have one that fits. this can also be so practical when you want to try it on along the way, you can just pop a really long cable in there, take of the needles and you never have to use a rogue piece of string or other contraptions for this again. Same goes for WIPs: I don't need two sets of the same needles, I can just take them of one, leave the cable and use them on another. Also: Socks were my first knit and for years I only knit socks. So hard agree on point one and four. I did do them on DPNs and still do although I would love to try the mini circular needles one day. In my experience as soon as you are a few centimetres into the sock they're not difficult to work with anymore since the weight of what you've already knit stabilizes them and they don't flop around as much. Like I said this was my first ever project and after about 5cm I didn't find it hard at all.
that’s completely understandable 😂 there are definite advantages for the interchangeables, and i’ve never had them so can’t say i wouldn’t become a convert if i did. but for me those as “nice to have”s rather than essentials, but that’s just me and my needle collection! really good to know about the dpns, i always get really stressed with my needles crossing over but probably should persevere a little and see how it goes! i did knit some nice christmas stars a few years ago with dpns but it was a very short project so didn’t have to suffer for long 😅
I bought a very cheap set of fixed circular needles when I'd been knitting for maybe a year or so and I realised I'd otherwise be buying a lot of individual pairs of needles. They worked great for me for a long time, except for one pair that had a damaged cord, and it was a little bit annoying that for most projects, the cord was either too long or too short 😅 The cable length is the main reason I eventually (approx 7 years since I started knitting!) decided to get an interchangeable set. That, and the fact that I kept finding myself wanting to use multiple pairs of the same size needles so I could have more projects on the go at once! So I would've bought additional pairs of needles anyway. In fact, I did end up buying a bunch of individual pairs of needles anyway, bc I was looking at reviews for all the different brands and so many said it was down to personal preference, so I wanted to try them all out myself before buying a set! 😅 I like that I've upgraded to nicer needles now, and i like the interchangeable feature, but for me it's a luxury not a necessity; my cheap, unbranded fixed circular set worked so well for me for so long - and it still works well for me, bc I still use it if my interchangeable pair in that needle size is already in use! But I absolutely wouldn't recommend a beginner getting an interchangeable set - they likely don't know what kind of needles they prefer yet, what needle sizes they'll end up gravitating towards, and it's a big investment, even if you do know these things. It can be nice to have, if it's what you want, but it is absolutely not necessary at all!!
@@bethgadsbycreates ahh glad you have some nice needles now!! it is a journey for sure 😅 i know what you mean about personal preference though i still buy at random - not sure if i prefer metal or wood or even more specifically recently got a pair of metal cubics and i don’t really know if my fingers can tell the difference 😂 i have one chunky pair of metal ones and they clang together so loudly i know i do NOT like those, but that’s about it…
I started w a cpl of wash cloths and then off to a scarf of my own design (still haven’t seen anything like it so pretty proud). then made a cardigan (my own again). i didn’t know how to read patterns so i winged it…it has A LOT of mistakes, but my most proudest piece i have made. it is the one i wear the most. so glad you put in WIP definition…when i was new there were videos (visual learner) that would throw out letters and not explain what it was. i had no idea what a kfp was and i had to toss the project (i didn’t realize i could have looked it up). but, thank you I haven’t ever found someone on utube in the beginning…so excited for you!
@@joannawebb8683 sounds amazing, following your heart on projects is definitely the best way to be and leads to the best pieces and more love for the craft! yes definitions are so important, i constantly have to look things up while i’m working through patterns as it’s not always consistent and very confusing 😂😭 aw thank you so much that’s so kind!!
I learned English, and I started getting a lot of pain in my right wrist. So I tried Continental. Then I got an even amount of pain in each wrist :-D So I probably just need to learn not to have such a death grip on the needles. I do find it useful when working with two different colors, to do one English and the other Continental (I didn’t come up with that idea, I read it somewhere) so I’m happy I know both. I do like using DPNs for one particular pattern of sock I’ve made where the pattern is divisible by 4, I don’t need any stitch markers. I bought a DPN kit when a local yarn store was going out of business and everything was on clearance. And then knitting kinda fell by the wayside and I’ve barely used it.
I learned English throwing and it did feel inconvenient so I tried continental. I hated it lol so I learned flicking which I love doing. I am glad I bought my interchangeable circular needle set when I did which was about a year into starting. I found I constantly wanted new needle sizes because I want to try knitting a bit of everything. I don’t have many local craft stores so I figured if i was going to be ordering needles online, might as well get them all at once lol
I think the myth is because most speed knitters are continental but I think you can optimize either style to be super fast. Like I knit continental but I’m slower than a lot of English style people bc I don’t like to have my stitches super close to the tips and I don’t hold my needle tips right next to each other
I have been knitting for 50 years and I am proficient in both methods of knitting. I learned English knitting and I still prefer it. It is actually easier on my hands. I think I pretty much adapted to a flicking-type method of English knitting and I am pretty fast- although I knit to relax, not to win a knitting speed record. I will leave that to Hazel Tindall , the world’s fastest knitter who happens to knit English. I also find that purling- with good tension -is much easier English style. I have taught knitting and most with rowing out issues are continental knitters. That all said..I 100% agree that please don’t comment on other people’s knitting styles. My grandmother held her needles like pencils, which I could never get the hang of, and she created the most beautiful garments.
My first project was a scarf that had cables and lace elements. It was a great crash course in learning a lot of knitting elements… however, it would’ve made a great cowl at half the length. If I knit a scarf now, it is because I need a mindless pattern that doesn’t change much.
thank you!! it’s called the top down sweater gossamer twist by caidree and i got it from etsy 💕 the yarn is debbie bliss merion in moss held with rowan kid silk in jelly
Thank you for your prompt reply. I've ordered the pattern and can't wait to cast on! I've subscribed to you channel and look forward to watching more of your videos.
I always suggest cotton dishcloths for first projects. Cotton yarn is CHEAP so it doesn't matter if the first effort is a DISASTER. You can try different variations of k & p and it doesn't matter if you make a mistoke. It's usually not as stretchy as wool yarn so you can work at getting a good tension and practice cast on, cast off and simple designs made with k & p such as heart, star, moon or letters. Simple graphs for all of these are all over the internet. It can also help you appreciate that knitting is NOT square. 30 stitches does NOT equal 30 rows! And at the end you have a few reusable washable dishcloths. Win-win.
I need multiple needles of the same size so I can cast on two sleeves or socks at the same time. Then I switch back and forth every few rows to make sure the two match.
I will say that you can buy interchangeable needles without the sets and they come with stoppers so you can unscrew the needles you need and leave the wips on the cord
1 - I started out knitting swatches out of a stitch dictionary. I left them as dishcloths at my old job. 2 - the fastest knitter in the world knits English style. I'm a Continental knitter since it's more comfortable for me, and I'm self taught as a crocheter and a knitter. I want to learn English style so I can do 2-handed colorwork. 3 - Yeah I keep using the same needle sizes and cable lengths, so while I do have a set... I have to keep ordering more 3.75mm, 4.5mm and 30-36" cables on top of that. You live and learn, right? 4 - Meh, socks are cake, just try to do them both at the same time. Otherwise, you might get one done and never get to the other! Or is that just me?
wow i’d never heard of two handed colourwork and just looked it up after your comment - game changer!!! i definitely need to try this (albeit my continental tension leaves a lot to be desired 😂) i have not yet done two at a time socks but i have so much respect for it… one day 🙏
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I switched from English to Continental years ago and I still don't get why people insist continental is faster. Whatever you're comfortable with is probably faster because it's less of a struggle. And why do we need to be faster anyway? It's a hobby, not a competition.
I agree about being fast. Unless it is your income source, knit at your pace. I'm not fast and am fine with that.
@@ronnieh8163 yes 100% agree! especially if you are knitting colour or lacework, it’s never going to be particularly fast anyway, and certainly the difference between the two would be negligible anyhow 😂
It's way faster - but for me. That's the key. There's also Portuguese and swedish
I knit continental and purl English 😂 definitely just down to what feels comfortable
I only resently learned continental, and I'm way faster, unless purling. Then I'm 4 times slower the knitting english @@powerpuff4ever
I got kicked out of a yarn shop for being an English knitter...told never to come back until I learned to knit "right". They're out of business now, I'm still knitting.
this is insane 😭
no way that’s a whole new level! so so rude 😢
Omg, that’s totally unacceptable, well done you for not being put off
I got kicked out for being left handed!! I taught myself to knit continental! 🎉
@@RoamingwithRover dear me! Who are these horrible, horrible people that are so misguided? I pity them being so rigid and closed minded, I’m so glad you learned knitting whichever way it suited you, happy knitting
i knit continental and didn't even know there was a different way to do it. However, the idea that you "need to be faster" in a hobby that is primarily used for relaxing is absolutely bonkers to me
@@angelmonstera it is isn’t it! 😂 it does make me laugh, i think people just feel compelled to comment on it before thinking through what they’re even saying
English knitter here. Tried continental for the sake of it, felt super awkward, couldn’t keep the tension properly, went straight back to English, and was instantly happy again. It’s like people saying you should hold your crochet hook like a pencil rather than a knife or whatever. Leave people alone. If the end result is nice, who cares how you got there?
i had the exact same experience! ❤️ people are too concerned about other people and need to focus on their own craft!
Yes! Especially the debate on how to hold your crochet needle! Again, who cares,as long as you are happy
Ugh a woman in my knitting group would not stop making fun of me for knitting English, so much so that I ended up learning Continental. Which yeah, I'm faster now, but there was literally no reason for her to be eating me alive every week WHO CARES
that’s soo rude, why are people like that! 😅
Ignore the knitting police. 40 years ago, I learn continental from a Norwegian friend. Most people would throw the yarn on the right. I cannot count the times people said I was knitting wrong. It makes no difference how others knit, the result is the same.
She sounds like she had a complex, and was narrow minded, run away from toxic people like her, carry on creating beautiful things your perfect way
That sucks! I learned English style and learned Continental later. I love Continental now and I think it's valuable to learn but when I teach people I teach them English style because it's easier to break down the process for someone whose never knitted before. If they want to learn Continental I'm happy to teach them, but I would never tell anybody they're knitting "wrong."
When someone in my proximity wants to learn to knit I always recommend face scrubs. Very quick and it covers the basics of the basics. And it’s super quick. And then I ask what they really want to knit knit. Because if you really want it you are very motivated. Which is key.
That’s how I learn new techniques. I don’t look for something with brioche. I see a pretty hat with brioche and I want to knit to knit that hat so I learn brioche.
@@dorotheekschmid that’s such a good project and also YES 100x YES its all about the passion for that final result, i am the exact same. this is also how i know i am highly unlikely to ever learn entrelac because i dont think i will personally ever need that in my life 😂
the thing about switching styles is that you have to relearn how to knit, which... isn't very time effective. i'm a continental knitter because that's what i was taught in school. it's definitely quicker for me because i've knitted that way for well over a decade. it's quicker for me because it reminds me of crocheting, and i tension the yarn in the same way as i do when i knit. i've tried english, because i was hoping to find something that didn't hurt my wrists as much, but i found it so slow BECAUSE i didn't know how to do it and how to tension the yarn!!! on top of that, we knit because we think it's fun. we don't have to be quick. slow fashion is slow fashion for a reason
100% agree with everything you’ve said, it’s starting from scatch and the pay off is not really there! and as you say, it’s slow fashion (and tbh i’m not convinced anything short of speed knitting would lead to any noticeable difference in amount of things knitted anyway) 💕
I learned to knit English style, and when I restarted knitting after 20 years off, this is what I did. I saw people knitting continental in RUclips videos and had a go. It felt weird, but then halfway through a lace project, I decided the English way didn't necessarily suit me and my short fingers ( I have never been able to 'throw' properly), so my next project was a baby cardi, I decided to try continental knitting and honestly, it suits me so much better. I still use a combination in colourwork, but for me, faster? Possibly not, less frustrating? Yes.
It seems to me that the problem is people stating their opinions and preferences as facts.
absolutely this is the core issue!! 💯
Here's one: "You are twisting your stitches because you are wrapping your yarn wrong." I knit English combination; I wrap Knit stitches counter clockwise and purl stitches clockwise. Knowing to insert your needle between "open" stitch legs, rather than the front of the stitch is more important to preventing twisting than how you wrap the yarn.
Yes! I knit the exact same way! And you are absolutely correct, as long as you know the orientation of the stitch, you’re always able to knit through the open leg.
that’s a fascinating technique, i think i would be watching in awe!
Also some knitters that twist their stitches do not untwist their stitches, and it is fine if they like the look of it. Remember the rule that if it is exactly what the knitter wants it isn’t wrong, it is a design element. ❤
I knit continental combination, and I always hate when someone says that. There is no right or wrong way if you get the same result 😅
I've only ever knitted one thing - a scarf. I knit it English style because I didn't have to pay as much attention to my work as I would have if I did it continental. I think people forget it's supposed to be enjoyable and relaxing. It's not perfect, but that's what makes me love it! You can tell it's handmade and it's amazing. I also think using a variegated yarn is a good move for beginners who get frustrated with their speed. As you work away at any project, you can see the colors changing to show your progress! I really think that helped me push through the last foot or so of the scarf.
i love that idea and agree that variegated yarn is a great choice to give some interest and keep you motivated 💕
I enjoy knitting and it us very relaxing, but if i were knitting a simple scarf with one stitch i would first get bored and then upset it looked ugly. Why do u think smth GOOD LOOKING is not relaxing and enjoyable to make?
I knit so fast as an English knitter. My tension is super even, no rowing out! I can’t for the life of me knit continentally! Glad I’m not the only one!!
yay that’s great and proves the point - why fix something that’s not broken?!
obsessed with your little mouse lamp!
thank you!! 🥰🥰 he reminds me of one of the three blind mice 😂
I taught people to knit , I had them start a scarf on size 13 needle with super chunk yarn. This can be knitted in one day. 3- 10 hrs depending on the person.
that’s really interesting! super chunky is a game changer for sure, definitely speeds things up and more forgiving on tension ❤️
Im from Finland and learned how to knit in school when i was 8 years old, i dont know what you call them in english, but the projects that we started with were cloths that you wipe the table with! They are small enough that you dont have to spend weeks knitting for the final product, and the tension doesnt really matter either! You could also adapt them to your knitting level and make them as complicated or simple as you want :) I really dont recommend a scarf as a first project because I personally have never finished a single scarf :D it just takes too long
@@marttasalin8208 aw i love that, it’s all about the mini practice projects!! i’m the same, i made the mistake a few years ago of knitting my family christmas presents and had to make 4 scarves… it was very slow and boring!!! 😴 put me off for life!
Fellow English knitter here: I also hate the "English knitting is slower!" bs because its just not true. I think we have to be a bit more careful about certain things (like how we throw) in order to prevent joint issues, but continental knitters have their own problems in those areas too. I'm a pretty fast knitter, and I've been to stitch n b**** stuff where continental knitters commented on how fast my knitting was "especially considering you throw your yarn" and every time it just baffles me. I'm not even trying to knit fast, I'm just used to it and know how to do it quickly and safely.
so so true 💕 it’s simply not true! and it’s frustrating when people comment on it constantly, it’s like focus on the actual project please!! the knitting style is none of your business!
I was born in Germany and of course I learned the continental style of knitting. After we moved to Australia my next door neighbour and later good friend was a knitter too to both our delight. Many hours spent over my collection of knitting magazines I brought over and knitting together. That was also the time I found out there are different styles how to knit. I thought her style looked more labourous, she thought mine looked more industrial, efficient, faster. It wasn't. I also remember my son putting my name down in school to teach knitting with the girls. Well, that didn't work out, I was told: " but my nanny doesn't knit that way ". I also found it hard to make anything from the Australian or English patterns, as I always had a graph and written instructions of a knitting pattern as well as a drawn up pattern of the pieces with measurements. It has changed now, however I mostly knit socks now, or beanies and fingerless gloves for the home less.
that’s really interesting! is english knitting the prevalent style in australia? it’s fascinating the differences, even a few years ago i did a vintage (english pattern) which was about 50 years old and i struggled with only the written instructions with no further frame of reference 😂 i muddled through but i agree, i need it all!
@@issyknits Australia is home to many cultures, I believe the English style is probably more common. I was also amazed that I couldn't buy a " Spiel " of 5 open ended needles to knit beanies or socks, how I was used to knit in rounds, there were only 4 needles in a pack, so I had to buy two packs to have the fifth. Hardly any circular twin pin needles to be found. All changed now. Some department stores now like Myer and Target have completely deleted their craft sections and on line wool shopping is more prevalent. I used to love feeling the wool, looking at all the shades of colours. And it is soooo expensive, now.
@@christelgrimmer4478i find the same here in the UK about finding yarn in the shops, it’s so hard to see the shades so it’s always a gamble as to whether it’s actually what you want 😅
So my experience is maybe an outlier, but knitting socks is actually pretty difficult for me physically. I'm a mechanic with big clunky fingers that are always torn up and calloused, and fingering weight yarn snags on them constantly because it's so light. I'm always shaking my hands to get it off haha. The little needles are a bit of a challenge too.
That said, I've found ways to mitigate these things and I do still love making socks. Just thought I'd offer my two cents
thank you that’s a really interesting perspective and hadn’t thought about that! i know i am particularly suited to mini circulars because i have small hands and others dont love them as much, how do you prefer to knit them? i’ve heard flexi needles are a great sock alternative but never tried them myself!
@@issyknits I use a little interchangeable set that I like a lot. I use a longer needle in my left hand to stabilize what I'm about to work into, and the shorter one in my right. Through trial and error I adopted a sort of awkward continental style where I use just the tips of my fingers. Looks weird but it works!
@@issyknitsFlexi needles are great for socks. They’re small but they’re not TEENY tiny like the tiny circulars that I find a pita lol.
@@paulinemegson8519 i’m looking forward to trying them out!
@@mskal23 that sounds like a really clever workaround! love it!!
When I started 2 years ago, I just did a swatch about 15cm wide and 20cm long practicing different stitchs (knit, purl, 1x1 rib). Then I went straight to knitting a sweater because it's the reason why I wanted to knit. Not for a beanie, not for a scarf but for sweaters. I'm glad I did that 😊
definitely the best way to do it, when you’re excited about the project you’ll enjoy it so much more 💕
Really enjoyed this thank you. As someone who has knitted for 45 years the online knitting world has been eye-opening, and you are a breath of fresh air. My first project was at the age of 10 when I knitted a scarf for my cat, Sooty. I was so proud as I tied it round her neck and watched as she climbed the garden fence, snagging the scarf on it, and hanging herself! No harm done, but I learnt then that scarves and cats don't mix 😂. I hadn't even heard of continental knitting until going online and am a proud English knitter. Funnily enough I am left handed but was taught to knit right handed by my left handed mum, who was also taught to knit right handed by her left handed mum😅. My dear old granny was from the time when you weren't allowed to write (or knit) left handed. I tried teaching myself to knit left handed but that is just not going to happen as I am now menopausal and can barely remember my own name some days 😂. I am just about to try a pair of socks for the first time so will watch your sock video with interest. Thanks again, you have brightened my afternoon ❤
thank you so much that’s so kind 💕 i gasped when i read about the cat 😂 so glad she was ok! i similarly realised knitting and cats didn’t mix through making mine a jumper which they absolutely despised, sadly i was 28 at the time and cant blame being a child 😂😂 that’s so interesting about the knitting and glad to meet a fellow proud english knitter! goes to show that it’s whatever you have practised will be the most comfortable 💕
My opinion is that people are hard wired to knit one way or the other. Whichever way comes naturally to them is fastest for them. I am a Continental knitter. For me it’s fastest and easiest, but I’ve never understood why people who hold the yarn in the right hand want to switch. I can knit English style well enough but I cannot purl English style. And it always feels awkward to knit that way for me.
My advice is stick with what works best for you.
As for first projects, wool squares are great for beginners, they can become many things (folded into toys, folded and seemed for little purses or eyeglass cases, folded and seamed into wrist warmers, felted into coasters or potholders, etc). But dish and facecloths are not great beginner projects because beginners have tension issues-usually too tight, and tension is a nightmare with cotton yarn.
@@Janknitz1 that’s really interesting and i definitely agree with you! it’s whatever works best, and if it’s not working then it’s good to know there are other options! the same reasons why some tutorials click with us and others are hard to comprehend - all personal preference. that’s a good point re tension in earlier projects, it needs to be very forgiving!
I got myself a lovely wooden interchangeable set only to realize I do prefer knitting with stainless steel needles, i love the feel and although I had a lot of moments when my stitches just rolled off them, it tought me how to fix that, so I am no longer scared of dropping stitches. Also since I like big projects I did buy the one set of my fav circular needles 4 times now. So i have multiple of same sizes and I can tranfer on 4 sets if I want to quickly try a sweater on, without puting it on a yarn - absulutely hate that and then transfering back on needles
ah yes i would equally struggle to commit to which material! i agree about the stitches on yarn, especially for a sweater it is soooo long and frustrating 😅
Thank God, finally someone coming out with how rude it is for knitters to tell other knitters what style to use. I am both an English and Continental knitter, " now". I was just an English knitter for ever, very fast, very efficient and had a good even tension. Then I had to learn continental knitting to "save" my right shoulder, it was injured and I couldn't do that repetitive movement in my R hand while it healed. I didn't want to give up knitting. It took me 2 years to Master continental, now I switch between them to keep my R shoulder healthy. Same speed, same tension, I can change in mid project and not see the difference. But the C style is NOT better, just different.
that’s so interesting! people are so wedded to the idea it’s so much faster they just can’t accept it when we say it’s actually not! 😂 ultimately it’s just unnecessary isn’t it!
Omg the knitted intro I can’t 😭😍 ooh the beef about the style of knitting!! I’m a thrower and will prob always be. Great video!
thank you!!❤ yesss for sure. throwers unite! it’s a topic i feel quite strongly about… don’t know if that came through… 😂😂😅😅
I’m not sure why continental is supposed to be better but I’m sure someone who knows continental will tell me 😂
@@chunklars5004 😂😂😂 so true!
The "continental is faster" thing is flat out false. The fastest knitters in the world (both past and present) use what we would now call "flicking" where the working yarn is tensioned in the right hand. For example, look here on youtube for Hazel Tindall speed knitting. There's also historic videos of shetland island knitters knitting at a pace of several hundred stitches per minute, again using flicking. I think the confusion comes from people being imprecise about naming things. Flicking and throwing are both techniques in the category of English knitting. I think it's pretty well established that continental is in fact faster and more efficient than throwing because throwing generally involves letting go of the needles and/or the yarn and is usually bigger motions. But people tend to lump all english techniques in with throwing and say that continental is the fastest.
you’re so right, i didn’t even realise that some english knitters were so fast but it’s a great fact to have in my arsenal! i am a thrower so can’t claim the speed of a flicker but it’s certainly encourage me to try!
My mother taught me the flicking method over 20 years ago. I tried knitting continental, but my speed and tension always suffered.
I learnt as a child in the 1970’s (Australia) from my mum and have always thrown the yarn. When I decided to take up crochet during covid, I worked out how to hold the yarn the same way I do for knitting. I’m sure experienced crocheters think I’m strange, but it feels right for me and I have good tension. ❤
@@sarahmccooey2561 oh that’s amazing i didn’t realise you could do that for crochet - probably why me and crochet have not gotten along so far 😂 i will look that up and give it a try!
I’ve been trying to figure that out for years with crochet! You’re incredible
I had to do the reverse. I’m a crocheter who couldn’t knit for over forty years. I’d learned English throwing style from mother and never felt natural, always uneven and dropped stitches everywhere etc. never managed to stick at it long enough to make anything. It wasn’t until I switched to continental and held the tension yarn in my left hand as I did for crochet that I could make any improvement. I still have to cast on English style though! Can’t make the cross over……
I learned to knit "English" style, yarn in the right hand. Somewhere early on I read about (this was waaay before the internet, folks, practically in the paleolithic) "Continental" knitting, yarn in the left hand. I tried it, I liked it, I found it was faster. For me. Being able to knit with both hands came in handy when doing color work. HOWEVER, if you've ever watched Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (a.k.a. the Yarn Harlot) knit, she uses something she calls lever-action knitting, holding her yarn in the right hand and flicking it over the needle, and she is lightning fast. And there are knitters who hold speed records who brace their right needle on a knitting belt and flick the yarn with the right hand. So "Continental is faster" doesn't hold true in general, only for individuals who find it fits their hands better.
i hadn’t been very familiar with lever knitting before but since these comments i am really keen to try it out! i so agree its all about how it fits in your hand, i think some people don’t believe that and think you just need to keep pushing the continental, but its true!
I knit continental because I learned to crochet first, am left handed and could continue tensioning the the yarn with my left hand as when I crochet. Agree about the first project, mine was a beanie:)
that makes perfect sense 💕 i think my learning to knit first and english knitting is why crochet and i don’t get along 😂 (yet anyway)
Wonderful vid!! I agree with ev-er-y-thing!!! Especially about socks!! When I meet new people, especially, and they find out I am a knitter, the first thing they say is “Oo, do you knit socks?” So even the non-knitting world thinks socks are hard and use it as a skill level litmus test, of sorts!! And I learnt on dpns, but have long since switched to 9” circs, but I have a friend who still uses dpns because she thinks she looks bad a$$ when she knits with them 😂
yay great minds!! 💕💕 that’s so interesting, it’s definitely one of those weird things that people think! i still think knitting on dpns is pretty badass to be fair, mainly because i struggle with them so much 😂😂
As a knitter for a zillion years and now in my 70s the only change I have made is circular needs have been my life saver because with arthritic hands and wonky fingers means I can continue knitting. Love your podcast.
definitely, glad they are working for you! 💕 i find them much more comfortable too!
Love it! ‘Ask me because I know it all’ so funny 🤣
i thought it was definitely how the whole vid came across anyway so best cop it 😂😂
I switched to continental knitting a few years back as it was easier on my thumb & now knit norwegian style but wouldn't dream of telling anyone how to knit. I have interchangeable needles but I like to knit several weights of yarns so for me it's worth it, if you only knit one weight it's just not worth spending the money. My knitting philosophy is you do you.
definitely agree with that philosophy 💕
Totally agree. I've been a knitter for 36 years now, taught myself with help of a book (this was before the internet was much of anything). The book set I bought, which I think is still on the market, was by Boye, and it came with some knitting supplies. That's where I learned to knit English, which is more comfortable for me because I started crocheting as a small child, and I'm used to my left hand being passive. I have repeatedly tried Continental knitting - I can't adjust my tension no matter what I try, and my stitches are way too tight. I prefer to have separate needles for everything. It may be expensive, but actually, I was originally only able to afford whatever needles I needed for each project, so that's what I did. Lastly, after 35 years of knitting, last year, I finally officially learned to make socks! I always saw how fiddly the patterns and tutorials looked and it was scary, until a coworker learned that I could knit and asked for a pair of boot socks - which can be expensive to buy, but not to make. I liked her and didn't want to say no. Instead, I told myself, it's time to learn how to do socks. And I now have most of the basic, "vanilla" sock pattern memorized! I do have a couple of pairs of shorty socks I made for myself from no pattern for which the cuffs are too stretchy, but live and learn. I also prefer the 9" circular needles. At 59, I have no trouble with the sock or fingering weight yarns and 2.25mm needles.
Between the RUclips tutorials and very good patterns with pictures one can get on the internet, there's no reason to fear ANY patterns, even if you are a beginner. I was watching a crochet tutorial for beginners earlier today even though I've been a crocheter for 54 years - I just liked their teaching style so much! No one should shy away from anything just because of what others say -- that's their opinion. Something that may be hard for them may be easy for you, and something that they may like, you may hate, and vice-versa. If you want to try something, at least try it! I'm trying to learn Tunisian crochet because that's something I've never really tried yet.
thanks for sharing and so glad my thoughts resonate with you! i so agree that there is nothing to fear with patterns as always a way through it with tutorials and resources, and it’s the best way to learn (even if you make a total mess of it all first try 😅) i’ve never figured out crochet but im inspired to pick it up, tunisian crochet is very intriguing indeed!
The best way to learn knitting ist when mother and grandmother knits and show their results and are present for the kids to show and give the ideas and practical support to try.
definitely 💕
My journey...so far...I started with a washcloth, learning knit & purl stitches; then a hat, learning decreases; then socks! I LOVE them. Now, I moving to sweaters/tops. Haven't knit a scarf yet!
i love it! it took me a long time to knit a scarf, will probably be a long time before i knit another 😂
I started with english and taught myself continental soon after because I was reading about it being slightly better for stress injuries. It definitely helped to have made the switch early, I think.
I will say that learning both english and continental was extremely good for my stranded knitting. Other than that, there's no 'best way' to knit and every style is great if it works for you!
I also will admit that I'm a big interchangeable advocate. But I also just like to have all of the options available to me all the time. It's also really nice to be able to switch cables or needles easily within the same project. I generally think that, if you've been knitting for a bit and find that you really love it, it's worth getting a set.
definitely, i’m keen to try stranded knitting with both hands! it’s definitely a positive to be able to switch as you go for interchangeables!
I am not great at knitting but anyway decided to knit a blanket... and bought super long circular needles for it. Worked perfect. Until I got bored and didn't want to continue with the blanket. My mother (who is in her 70's and have knitted her whole life) said she'd take over. She promptly got rid of the circular needles and went with four "regular" needles instead. Like, ok. Guess we all go with what we're comfortable with. She also do socks using those weird double ended small needles that I just think will fall out all the time. (and yes, those are the reason I am intimidated about the thought of knitting socks...)
i feel this a lot - boredom is the reason i have a lot of long term wips that haven’t been touched in months 😂😅 she sounds very talented! i also avoid double pointed needles where i can but one day will conquer them 💪
I thought socks had to be knit using DPNs also. But I found a pattern written for circulars (and magic loop) using worsted yarn. It was a match made in heaven and I’ve been knitting socks ever since-usually two at a time, now!
First project could be a small bag because then you can learn sewing up techniques and make an icord handle too
that’s a really good idea! fairly simple to knit two swatches as well to sew together - and useful too!
Honestly I understand people wanting to knit faster because *I want to knit faster lol!* NOT because I want to pump things out as quickly as possible. It's more about improving the experience of knitting for me.
I make almost everything in fingering weight yarn and i'm also plus size, and I just happen to be a very slow knitter, so it takes me FOREVER to finish a single sweater. I'm talking about like a year. And I don't know about you, but a year of working on the same thing gets very very boring. And i've realised that if I work on something for too long, I hit a wall where I just don't want to work on it anymore. And then it just languishes in my WIP basket for even longer. I have a cardigan that has literally only 4 inches of sleeve and some buttons before it's done and I'm desperate to wear it, but I have to FORCE myself to work on it because after a year i'm so done with this pattern. I wish I could knit faster so that i could actually finish things before I hit that point of boredom and nails on chalkboard knitting. I also wish I could knit faster because despite my best efforts it seems I can't keep the bloody moths away from my wool, so i'd prefer if it didn't sit around waiting to be moth food because it's taking me a year to do one sweater. That said, I knit continental and do so very comfortably, so god knows it isn't some magical cure for slow knitting 😂
Also, i'm surprised people are being pressured to knit continental. I was always under the impression that it's the less popular knitting style. Every time I look up a tutorial, it's usually demonstrated with English style knitting, and I have to explicitely look for 'knitting technique continental style' in the search bar. I do think there's probably some truth to continental style being faster compared to standard throwing, because there's less motion involved in making a single stitch, but yeah, it does depend on the individual person, and their comfort level/experience with either form of knitting. A slow knitter is gonna be a slow knitter even if they knit Continental (ask me how I know, lol). A fast knitter is gonna be a fast knitter even if they knit English Style. But honestly, if you found someone who could knit both equally competently and had equal amounts of comfort or experience with both, I bet they'd be slightly faster with their continental style. But that assumes they don't flick instead of throw (both still being English style, flicking having less motion and generally being faster), or that they care about speed at all. And most people dont meet these very specific qualifications anyway!
I am a crocheter that wants to get better at knitting! I know the basics but have never made anything besides swatches. All the videos I watched knit English style and it feels super awkward to me. I haven’t tried continental but I’ve heard that it can sometimes be easier for crocheters to learn because we’re already used to holding the yarn with the left hand so maybe I should try that! I don’t care about speed at all I just want to work on my tension which is atrocious lol
yes definitely try continental, lots of crocheters say it is a lot more comfortable to them 💕 i hope you love it! i’m the opposite being that i knit english and cant crochet to save my life 😂 but going to try tensioning the yarn in my right hand with crochet and see how it goes!
Thank you Issy! I love that you have taken time to debunk these myths. I 100 percent agree on all points.
I also think ‘flicking’ as a version of English knitting (rather than ‘throwing’) is worth a mention too.
PS your green jumper is gorgeous.
thank you so much! 💕 yes definitley, i have never tried flicking and wasn’t super aware of it until the comments but definitely important to note that english knitting covers both (and i am now very keen to try flicking!)
I started out knitting English style. Years later I learned to crochet, which I could do throwing but it wasn't very comfy at all and I eventually made myself switch to tensioning with my left hand. Much better! I made the switch to continental knitting sometime after that and I generally prefer it now, especially when I have a pattern with a lot of alternating between knit and purl stitches e.g. ribbing, seed stitch. But if I'm doing cables (and I've done a lot of cables) I find I have more control and am much less likely to drop stitches if I use English style.
I did some slip stitch colorwork in stockinette and on circular needles recently and I opted to do left-handed continental for every return pass instead of turning the work and purling. I'm not left-handed but I did get very good at this technique and I don't think I could have done it by throwing. 😅
that’s so interesting to see the transition over time! i can definitely see the appeal of a more fluid motion with alternating knit and purl stitches!! 😅
totally agree that a scarf is not the best choice for a first time knitter! My fave project for my students is a dishcloth or two or six. Lots of scope for trying out different stitiches, nice and small so a good quick turnaround, and you can use up any random bit of leftover yarn!
i love that, a great idea! 🌟
@@issyknits also, no worries if it looks like you are still learning to use opposable thumbs, it's just a washing up cloth!
I think everyone needs to find what is comfortable for them and what they enjoy.
I learned the basics of how to knit with English style and long needles when I was little, it was always uncomfortable for me. So I decided to crochet. It was great but I always wanted to knit. When I learned about continental style and circular needles my life changed 😅.
I love making socks. Vanilla socks are like a confort knit for me now that I know what I enjoy to do. I knit them with magic loop, two at the same time and with after thought heel.
so so true 💕 i’m in awe of your ability to do two at a time, i haven’t got there yet myself but will try it in the near future!
Sock knitting: I love my DPNs and often knit socks on 4 DPNs with the 5th as a working needle. However, I also learned to knit socks (and other narrow projects in the round) on two circulars, one long circular with Magic Loop, and those teeny weeny 9" circs (a bit hard on the hands, but excellent for taking on a flight because the agents checking your carry-on can't even see what's basically two toothpicks on a string), so I'd know all the ways and could pick a method. For example, I like a plain vanilla sock on DPNs, but a fingerless mitt with a fancy pattern on the back and a plain palm works better on two circs so there's no awkwardness with trying to divide a fancy pattern onto two of the four DPNs or jam them onto a single one. Oh, for your first sock, trust the directions for turning the heel, whatever kind of heel the sock has. The directions sound weird, and yes, you're turning a corner in three dimensions, but once you've completed the heel it will all make sense.
i love that, nice to have the variety of options! me and dpns haven’t gotten along yet but we will get there…. super agree about turning the heel, it’s definitely a “trust the process” moment 😂
1. My first project was a hat, and I'm glad of it because I immediately learned to knit in the round with circular needles. It can also be handy for people who aren't as comfortable purling, or who want a stockinette pattern without the edges curling up on them, to have their first work be in the round. Plus you learn increases and decreases!
2. The easiest/fastest style of knitting is whichever you already have muscle memory built up for. If I were teaching a brand-new knitter, I'd probably be inclined to nudge them toward continental (which is how I knit) because I do think it's a more economical motion, but I'd make them aware of both ways and ultimately emphasize that as long as the yarn goes where it's meant to, they should get it there in whatever way is most comfortable and logical to them. (As an aside though, I do wonder if new knitters who struggle with purling are more often knitting English-style, because as a continental knitter I actually find purling to be an *easier* motion than the knit stitch. Thoughts on purling, English vs Continental?)
3. I love my interchangeable circulars. They bring me joy; they're pretty colors and make my inner dragon happy. Can a person have a successful knitting journey without them? Absolutely. Use whatever tools work for your crafting style, budget, and circumstances. I will say, though, that reclaiming needles from a WIP is easier when you're using interchangeable circs because you can just unscrew the needles from the cord and replace them with cord caps, and then you're ready to connect the needles to a new cord and cast on a new project.
4. The thing that intimidated me most about socks as a new knitter was the Kitchener Stitch. Then I learned how to do a knitted kitchener, and that fear went away. Again, it's all about finding the techniques that work with your own brain.
@@draughtoflethe
1. definitely agree re the hat, it builds a great base for knitting on that project alone!
2. i am so used to english that although i can see that’s the purl motion is more fluid for continental, the tension doesn’t come to me easily. i would think for beginners english purling would be easier because you can more readily see what you are doing (ie move yarn to front, wrap it around, etc) but i’m biased so hard to say! i agree you’re probably right if someone learned continental initially they would overall be a more efficient knitting, but i agree once you improve to a standard with whatever style, you’ll be fastest at that 🌟
3. i had actually never considered that for interchangeables re the cable swapping and that is a really good point! i’m jealous of that…!
4. yes kitchener is a trip in itself (and i used to always have to re look it up for every pair of socks because i kept forgetting) but once it’s ingrained, it’s magical isn’t it!!
On the needle kit, I would definitely purchase interchangeable ones but not the kit! Having the different lengths of cable for each needle size is super helpful. I bought the tips as I needed, and I now have every 0.5 mm from 3-5.5. I never use 6 mm or up!
thank you that’s super clever! i didn’t know they existed until the comments on this video, definitely a great alternative!
I don’t think continental is better or faster than English, but what I will say is having started out with crochet, continental was an easier transition because of which hand the yarn is held in.
definitely, i’ve heard a lot of people find that 💕
I agree with the scarf opinion: start smaller like a washcloth or hand towel or even a garment that is made of rectangles (like a sleeveless cardigan or tee with one seam up the back). And YES! KNIT HOW YOU LIKE! I started with English and I taught myself Continental. I’m now learning Norwegian style. It’s about learning new things for me. On interchangeable circulars we differ…I got a set after buying just one pair of fixed circulars and it saved me a TON of $$. Then I just added cords as I had more WIPs 😂 Finally SOCK KNITTING ROCKS! I don’t think it’s for early beginners, but I wish I hadn’t let them intimidate me.l for 5+ years. I felt like a total badass when I fished my first sock and like I could conquer the universe when I finished the second (making a pair). Go get some of that energy for yourself! And if you’re worried about it, start with a pattern for a worsted weight. You can do a sock in a day or a pair in a weekend!
definitely and love that sock feel!! makes you feel super accomplished doesn’t it 💕
I'm a beginner knitter (restarted in the last month but dabbled a few years ago) bought myself a set of interchangeables mainly because I'm determined to stick at it and the cost of those means I have to haha. My first projects were socks on short circulars. Did one sock on dpns and felt like I was wrestling a hedgehog 😂 so far I've knit a toddler jumper. A kind of failed ranunculus 🤦🏻♀️ working on a chunky cardigan and a few pairs of socks. Great video!
wrestling a hedgehog is sooo accurate 😂😂 sounds like the investment motivation is working!!
One minor benefit to continental is less chance of joint pain - I know a woman who had joint surgery in both thumbs after knitting English style. She asked me to teach her continental so she could return to knitting again.
(Disclaimer: continental can also result in joint issues, but it seems to be less common than in English! Both types need to practice good hand care.)
oh that’s really interesting! something to bear in mind for sure! ❤️
When I learned to knit as a kid, I was taught English style. Of course I never knit much then, but when I picked it back up in my 30’s I decided to learn continental style. I love it but I would like to learn, I think it’s called flicking? My main reason I like these 2 methods is that there is less motion so less chance of repetitive use issues.
that definitely makes sense, i’m really intrigued to learn flicking too!
A dishcloth or a square that can later be used as a mug rug is a good first project since it will still functional even if uneven tension.
definitely that’s a great idea! i’ve still never knitted a dishcloth, i probably should!
I have used to be a continental knitter for years but English knitting style gives you neater loops than continental, because you only push the needle in and then out of a loop, while in continental style needle does a twist to grab the yarn. So now I still hold yarn in the left hand but I throw it over the needle just like in English style so I don‘t have to do any unnecessary movements with the needle. So I am somewhere in btw now xD
Now to the needle kits. I wouldn‘t recommend any beginner to go for such a thing. These kits are expensive and all needles are made from the same material. However not every yarn goes well with for example wooden needles. So here you go, you have an extremely expensive kit you don’t use sitting in the drawer.
On my example, the lace or fingering weight yarn I use doesn‘t go well with wooden needles, so I use steel ones. On the other hand thicker yarns I go for work better with the wooden needles.
So I got 2mm-5mm steel needles and 5mm-12 mm needles made out of wood.
I also found out that aluminium with mat surface are the best, but unfortunately I don‘t find them anywhere to buy (these have been passed down to me from a friend). So yeah, I am def. Team „No Kits for beginners“.
ah that’s really interesting, taking the best of both styles! 🙌 that’s a really good point about the materials too as i agree, i prefer metal for my thinner yarns but for my aran weight i’m happiest with my wood versions 💕
If you have trouble with dpn try socks on two 60 cm circs of same size! So much easier than dpn and not as annoying as magic loop can be
oh that’s genius i’ve never thought of that! will definitely try it out!
When it comes to sock knitting, I’ve got really big and weird feet and most patterns don’t work for my foot shape. MAKE A GAUGE SWATCH!!!! It’s a lifesaver! And also for some reason cuff down ones don’t fit right but toe up ones do, sometimes you’ve just got to try different things! I’m now doing my first knit pattern test and learning colour work so I’m excited to combine my knowledge and make colour work socks 😍😍😍
that’s really interesting, i’ve still yet to try toe up!! what makes it more comfortable that way?
Thank you, stellar advice! I knit English, and learned the Magic Loop to knit socks from online videos. The biggest problem was when they turned the work and started knitting it was continental which for me was confusing because I couldn't figure out where the working should be...long story. Finally, I listened to a video by Margaret Olander, and her method of teaching how to use the M. Loop worked by comparing knitting in the round to knitting with the M. Loop! Also, kudos to knit your socks without a pattern!
ah i completely understand that, i’ve often had to watch multiple tutorials until i find one that makes sense to me because of how they hold it 😂
I started as a beginner with the yarn in the right hand, the throwing method . Then as an adult I read about continental knitting and circular needles. Tried both at the same time. After 30 min I came to the conclusion that as a women with big breasts it is way easier with circular needles and continental is way easier because the tension is better because you do not need to take your hands of the work and also better for my shoulders. In the end it is also a lot faster because you can keep the yarn going close to the stitches instead of moving your hand from the work pick up the yarn and fold it around. Takes a lot more extra time in general
@@brammetjedejong8619 glad it has worked out for you and really interesting to hear!
there are different methods to keep the yarn close to the needles with english including flicking so it can be very fast too but each to their own and ultimately if one gives you back pain then it’s definitely not a great one for you! 🙏
But I (a continentL knitter) have now seen really fast throwers on RUclips who get really nice tension. I tried the throwin style, but I didn't get it. I think you are amazing because you could switch🎉
I do continental knitting because I’m a crocheter. Holding the yarn in my left hand is more comfortable. I spent a month trying out all of the different styles of knitting. I do continental knitting and Norwegian purling. Hearing crafters talking about which way is the best was irritating but it looks like the new generation of knitters are on the “who cares 🤷♀️” train. I’m on there too 🙋♀️
yesss definitely on the “who cares” train 🌟
My first knitting project was an afghan lol. Also I am a thrower.
@@trishscripter7760 no way that’s so impressive!! very ambitious indeed 😂 how did it go? yay it’s the best way!!!
I knit continental because my mom knits continental. My mom knits continental because my grandma knit continental. Im sure the person who taught her also knit continental. So for me its just the way its been passed down through the generations
i love that ❤️ that’s inspired me to ask my family how they knit as i learned online so i don’t actually know!
Knit 🧶 English if you want to. I am a continental. I really don’t understand why people have this thing for speed in knitting 🧶 to me it’s about the Hobby no matter how long it takes
so true 💕 it takes the fun out of it if you are rushing through it, i think anyway!
@@issyknits absolutely it takes the fun out
Totally agree about knitting styles. I learned how to knit English as a child and now as an adult am advanced in crochet and tried to learn continental because i thought i would be able to pick it up since I'm used to tensioning yarn in my left hand for crochet... I am way faster in English!
it’s funny isn’t it, it’s just whatever works best for your hands i think! 🙌
I agree about not doing a scarf for a first project for everything you said. After I got the hang of a knit stitch, my first project was making a bunch of Christmas stocking ornaments. It was perfect because I got to practice the same skills over and over and see the differences between ornaments and they improved. I also got to try color work before I learned enough to be intimidated by it. They didn't take long to make, so I had the satisfaction of completing something, even if it was wonky. I even tried out different styles of knitting (English, continental, Norwegian) to figure out what I liked best (because someone told me English was the wrong way 🙄).
i love that, such a fun project! mine was very similar but halloween decorations 💕 classic comments about the english knitting, it’s a rite of passage for us at this stage 😂
Hi there! I just subscribed to your channel because my wife is a constant knitter. I admire her craft and it is refreshing to see a young woman like yourself being as passionate about it as well. I’m sure from now on we will love to watch together what you come up with. Btw. I’m a whittler and woodworker. We both loved the sweater you were wearing!
oh thank you so much that is so kind!! 💕 those are really interesting crafts that i’ve never tried, would love to one day. thank you it’s the first sweater i ever made!
Thank you for this video! You are so spot on with everything you covered! 🌸 Being British, both my mother and grandmother taught me to knit and crochet like them. Over the years I have dabbled in different ways to do both, but I always revert back to how I was taught because it’s familiar and comfortable. For anyone wanting to learn how to knit socks on DPNs, I highly recommend looking up Marly Bird on RUclips. She has a multi-part video tutorial on knitting “My First Socks”. Her instructions are so clear and she knits each section of the sock with you. Bonus: Her advice to cast on both socks and work them in tandem will save everyone from experiencing “second sock syndrome”! Priceless! 🤣
thank you!!!💕 that’s a great rec and i’ve never tried knitting both at the same time but i definitely plan on it!
Love your comment about buying interchangeable needle sets. There is a set of needles that I absolutely covet but when I checked it against the needles I already own I think I was buying two, maybe three needles (in sizes I have never used otherwise I would already have had them) for around $140 (AUD)!! I mean, as beautiful as the set is I just can’t justify that. 😊
ah yes completely understand that feeling 😂 some are so beautiful but it just doesn’t make financial sense a lot of the time!
I didn’t know I knitted English until I was looking up patterns. I’ve tried continental multiple times, especially since I can crochet Continental, but for me English is just easier. I didn’t start growing as a knitter until I embraced the way I knit. Eventually people will realize that gatekeeping or nitpicking is only going to intimidate people interested in/beginners and make them not want to learn. If you’re not fast , you’ll get there with time. Learning continental wouldn’t be worth the speed considering I’d have to start all over with muscle memory and whatnot. I’ve spent 15 ish years knitting English style. Im not the fastest, but it’s not a race!
I think the more important thing about knitting needles to buy the highest quality you can afford. I’d purchased a set of cheap bamboo circular needles and didn’t realize how awful they were until I used my clover needles. I don’t have a craft store carrying my preferred brand anywhere where I live (nearest store is 1.5 hours away) so buying a set made sense to me. It comes down to personal preference for style of needles (I ONLY use wooden circular because it works best with my tension. I bought a set of interchangeable needles for the first time and I love them. I definitely wouldn’t recommend them to a beginner. I DO recommend encouraging beginners to figure out what needle material works best for them over suggesting personal preferences.
yes yes yes you’ve said this perfectly, that is exactly it! definitely agree about needle preference too, it didn’t occur to me at the time but i realise i definitely have strict rules (in my head and to my preference) about which type of needles goes with which yarn which is definitely worth mentioning!
You’re so encouraging!
yay thank you, i’m glad that comes across 💕💕
I have tried knitting continental, since i can keep tension just fine in my left hand while crocheting. I cannot keep the tension while knitting, and its also horrid if you have any issues with wrist pain. There is not a good way of knitting continental without doing a fair bit of wrist movement, which i would like to avoid since carpal tunnel doesn't sound fun. I do a sort of lever knitting (which is sorta considered the fastest style of knitting despite it being a throwing type, which throws a wrench in the 'continental is faster' thing too) where I anchor the end of the right needle usually by just pressing it into my stomach, and this style also spawned my hatred of circular needles and people who almost evangelize about them. You can't anchor the end of a circular needle when in full use in any way, even if you tried with magic loop you end up pinching the cord at the base which is really damaging over time. You can anchor dpns, and I do not do anything in the round if it doesn't fit on dpns because I would be concerned at the lack of seams supporting the whole thing.
I agree with you about socks, I never picked up the idea that they were hard and found it really weird when people kept acting like they're the pinnacle of complexity. You can literally just knit a cylinder until you get bored, do toe decreases, cut a hole for the heel, and do another toe there. I think another myth of socks (that might just be a myth to me personally lol) is that they are inherently a desirable thing to knit, and if you don't like it then you just haven't found a good pattern/fit. I think people who like handknit socks refuse to acknowledge that you just cannot get certain properties in hand knits that you can in commercial knits, and someone might want commercial socks for those reasons. I have knit a lot of different socks and my conclusion for every single one was 'this is too thick and not elastic enough', and I would've saved a lot of time and effort if everyone didn't make it seem like some sort of personal failing to think that. Now i get my small circular knits fix by making an impractical amount of mittens, instead of trying to make myself like socks with zero appeal to me
very true about the socks, not to mention that hand knitted socks are overall not that durable 😅 many of them have worn through after not many uses, or for colourwork socks it quickly ruins anything on the bottom of the sole (that’s been a lesson in not bothering to do anything intricate on the sole!) also so interesting about the anchoring knitting technique! i have been intrigued by old fashioned knitting sheaths and did want to try one out as it’s the “traditional” knitting technique of my area (according to google!)
Loved this! I’ve been knitting for just over a year now, and I felt very reassured by your advice. Is the jumper you’re wearing a Lauren Aston pattern? I love the neckline!
@@stephanielane2923 yay i’m so pleased 💕 it’s the top down sweater pullover gossamer twist by caidree! very similar in style!
As a lifelong crocheter new(er) to knitting, habits die hard. I tried knitting English and couldn't do it, but continental and with the Norwegian purl have become my normal. I absolutely can knit English if need be but I feel mofe comfortable with continental. I wish all English and continental knitters the best
lovely that makes sense, i think so much of tensioning is muscle memory so makes sense to utilise your existing methods! thats why i struggle with crochet tensioning but will persevere one day (or try a method of crochet where you can throw the yarn which other comments have referenced) 💕
My first project was a series of swatches that now serve as pot holders/coasters, then a dish towel, then right into socks. I started with continental since I came from crochet. I was used to controlling tension with my left hand. I immediately started with a wood interchangeable set and a set of DPNs, but have a pointy metal set on order specifically for lace knitting. My first few days with DPNs were filled with curse words, but after a few days it was easy.
ahh i think i’ve never made it past those first few days 😂 (beyond very minor projects) i will need to persevere at some stage but it’s a lot!
While I agree that there's no good reason to change the way you've been knitting for years, and people shouldn't be badgering you about it, the reason you're so comfortable with knitting English style is because that's how you learned. In the beginning, neither method is likely to feel comfortable because it's a new skill that's being developed, so it might be good for beginners to know which style has more benefits in the long run.
i think that’s definitely true that we grow comfortable before trying it out, and often we don’t become aware of other styles before we start. that said, i learned online and had to try multiple tutorials until one made sense to my hands (which was throwing knitting style) so while i agree in theory, in practice i think we have preferences and there isn’t truly a “better” style. maybe more efficient in isolation, but someone who knits by throwing their yarn frequently over years is still going to be faster than an infrequent or less experienced continental knitter. i think that point gets forgotten a lot!
I think Continental is easier for a crocheter to learn.
If someone doesn’t crochet at all, either method would work depending on what is easier for them to understand
definitely i’ve heard that! i learned to knit first and struggle with crochet tension, the yarn position probably being the reason why. i’ve heard some people have been able to adapt their crochet position to hold the yarn in the right hand so i think i will need to give that a go!
Hey there,
Got your capsule via RUclips suggestions. I found it very entertaining indeed.
To add to your points, first time knitters are better off making wash clothes. It's fast, it's useful, you can track your progress from one to another and you don't have to wear it when it's not that good looking.
Another point you made...English vs. Continental knitters. I'm Canadian and I learned knitting with English style from my auntie who knitted mittens for the Red Cross during the war. I used to throw, but now I flick and that makes all the difference in the world in my speed... Game changer! I know it's not a contest, but there are soooo many projects to make and soooo little time to make them! After all, we must sleep two or three hours a night, eh? Oh, by the way, the world's fastest knitter, according to a contest in the UK is a Scottish woman named Hazel Tindall...and she knits English style!
When I started knitting, I had my mom's straight needles. Then I moved up to fixed plastic circular (which had to be put in hot water to straighten or warmed and stretched with a hairdryer), then I graduated to metal fixed circulars, so I do have many, many, many sets of each sizes and since I have multiple projects on the go, it's ok. But I agree with you that you don't have to buy a set of interchangeable needles right off the bat, since they are quite costly and that you don't know if you will warm to that activity enough to invest the equivalent of a mortgage payment on them. I have bought sets of interchangeable minis, but I do use them...that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.
Also, sock knitting is fun. I'm a leg-down kinda gal and since I have a rather strong in-step, I don't want to bother with any other heels than a flap and gusset, in which I can pick up a few more stitches on each side in order to give me the room I need.
I started knitting socks because a pattern I was making (for a cardigan) was asking to knit the sleeves with DPNs. Since I had never done that before, I thought I might as well practice with some socks before hand so that my sleeves are not too wonky. And that's how I fell into the sock blackhole never to return. First with DPNs, then, with Magic Loop, and now with 9in minis. Great to have such a project in your purse at the dentist, doctor, garage or any other place you might have to wait half of forever. And your outlook on time is diametrally changed.
You never wait..... you just have more time to knit.
Amazing how people are nicer with you when you're more patient with them.
But I digress...
Soooo, that's my blurb...gotta go, my knitting isn't going to make itself!
Oh, I forgot...English is not my first language...French is (I'm from Québec), so if what I wrote makes no sense, blame it on that!
@@isabellemichaud6926 thank you so much!! that’s soo fascinating about the fastest knitter, going to bank that little fact away for the next time someone tells me my english is wrong 😂 i’m also a top down sock knitter!
I'm an English knitter in America - I learned it as a kid (and I was awful!). Fast forward several years and I took up knitting again for real, still English. Fast forward more years and I decided I needed to learn continental for some reason. Took a 'lesson' in a yarn shop, failed miserably. More years later tried it again (different shop), same result. Still knitting English, and teaching myself Tunisian crochet! Maybe some day I'll try to learn Continental again, just for a challenge!
how exciting tunisian crochet looks gorgeous!! i’m in the same boat, never really “got it” but would like to conquer it one day, just so i can!
I crocheted for almost 5 years before I learned to knit, so when I picked up knitting last year, I found continental knitting to be so much easier for me since it was so similar to crochet!! I personally cannot english knit for the life of me but at the end of the day though like others have said, who tf cares how you get the finished project just so long as you're enjoying the process??
that’s exactly it, whatever works for the individual 💕💕
Socks are hard on the hands as is any fingering weight yarn with thinner needles. The sock process itself is a great learning to knit tool!
@@lucymottershead1265 definitely you learn a lot!! good things come in small packages 🙏
I tried continental, but actually discovered that if I simply knit going in the opposite direction well, there is continental using the usual hand
that’s really interesting!
Very nice video. You have a great personality and I look forward to seeing more content from you. Thank you. ❤
I learned to knit English style, but now I knit Continental. Each style is a knitter's personal preference and crafting should be about enjoying the process. It is good to be able to do both if one so chooses. 🙂
thank you so much!! yes i agree, someone mentioned about utilising both techniques to do double handed stranded colourwork. i’d never heard of it before but definitely going to try it out!
I think I need to try knitting English again - I switched to continental a while back and you're right, it's not faster. I'm not sure which I'm more comfortable with. I do find it useful knowing both as I tend to use a mix when I do colourwork - I'll do the main colour in continental and the contrast in English, or vice versa
definitely useful skills to be able to utilise both! ultimately i think neither is truly faster overall especially when doing colourwork so keep doing you 💕
I would love a video about socks on circulars!! I’m a new knitter and have found this method is the one for me. And I’m still figuring it out. Especially the heel and toe. 😊
yay i’m the same! knitting sock video coming up very soon! 💕
I knit English/flick left handed and you should see the comments I get in person... Also I've actually fallen out of love with interchangeable, and the needle tips coming off that I buy fixed circulars now.
@@spirit__fox oh i can imagine 😂😂 and that’s really interesting to hear! i had heard that could happen but have never tried them so could say for sure… another vote for the fixed circulars 🙏🙏
@@issyknits Well they can come unscrewed, especially for larger projects. With the speed thing also, the record fastest knitter was an English cottage knitter, who used a knitting sheath. I think a lot of it really is about personal preference and there are a decent amount of people who push their preference to be the way it "should be" rather than "this works for me". Then again I tend to give advice to new knitters like: Don't buy a needle set. Buy different brands and materials to figure out what you like, and buy for projects at first. I also tell people the thing about not making a scarf because scarves are a lot more fabric then you think they are. Then again I've also suggested making nothing at very first, just get used to knitting, purling, casting on and binding off. When you feel comfortable there start with a small project and add in some basic increases and decreases.
@@spirit__fox What is a knitting sheath??
@@Paula-tf3zv It's a historic knitting tool! Essentially it's a belt mounted item that is used to support the end of a long dpn. It's a way to knit rather fast and knit on the move. Honestly it's worth looking up videos because they are super cool!
That's what happened to me at 13 when I tried knitting the first time XD... the scarf was never finished! When I picked it up again last year, I started with a scarf with a loop on one side (I just knitted flat and sew one of the ends in a loop) so that it still works as a scarf, but it's WAAAY shorter!
of course - it’s the classic first scarf tale! 😂 oh i love that, sounds like you adapted well! did it make you fall in love with knitting?
@@issyknits ... I saw a beautiful pattern in one of my grandma's oldish magazines, a fantastic woolen coat with cables and a hood that I hope to make one day, but I had to start somewhere easier XD... At this point I've made two sweaters (one with a big cable in the front, and rice stitch on the sleeves, and the other plain stockinette with a band of garter stitch on the sleeves), a pair of fingerless gloves, I'm making a cabled afghan for my couch (I'm 1 metre/11 skeins in, I'm not working on it because IT'S HOT RIGHT NOW, and it abundantly covers my legs while I work XD). I want to try socks and a baby blanket. Meanwhile I'm also crocheting XD... never a dull moment XD
amazing you’ve done loads! very impressed with the afghan but 100% can imagine it’s not ideal for summer knitting, a cosy winter number for sure 💕
ok so the interchangeable needle one did get me going 🤣I agree that you don't need that many different needles since you generally work with the same ones. In my opinion you've really overlooked the true benefits of interchangeable needle sets. what i really love is having the different lengths of cables! I never have to do the magic loop (which i absolutely hate) i can just change it out along the project so that i always have one that fits. this can also be so practical when you want to try it on along the way, you can just pop a really long cable in there, take of the needles and you never have to use a rogue piece of string or other contraptions for this again. Same goes for WIPs: I don't need two sets of the same needles, I can just take them of one, leave the cable and use them on another.
Also: Socks were my first knit and for years I only knit socks. So hard agree on point one and four. I did do them on DPNs and still do although I would love to try the mini circular needles one day. In my experience as soon as you are a few centimetres into the sock they're not difficult to work with anymore since the weight of what you've already knit stabilizes them and they don't flop around as much. Like I said this was my first ever project and after about 5cm I didn't find it hard at all.
that’s completely understandable 😂 there are definite advantages for the interchangeables, and i’ve never had them so can’t say i wouldn’t become a convert if i did. but for me those as “nice to have”s rather than essentials, but that’s just me and my needle collection! really good to know about the dpns, i always get really stressed with my needles crossing over but probably should persevere a little and see how it goes! i did knit some nice christmas stars a few years ago with dpns but it was a very short project so didn’t have to suffer for long 😅
I bought a very cheap set of fixed circular needles when I'd been knitting for maybe a year or so and I realised I'd otherwise be buying a lot of individual pairs of needles. They worked great for me for a long time, except for one pair that had a damaged cord, and it was a little bit annoying that for most projects, the cord was either too long or too short 😅 The cable length is the main reason I eventually (approx 7 years since I started knitting!) decided to get an interchangeable set. That, and the fact that I kept finding myself wanting to use multiple pairs of the same size needles so I could have more projects on the go at once! So I would've bought additional pairs of needles anyway. In fact, I did end up buying a bunch of individual pairs of needles anyway, bc I was looking at reviews for all the different brands and so many said it was down to personal preference, so I wanted to try them all out myself before buying a set! 😅 I like that I've upgraded to nicer needles now, and i like the interchangeable feature, but for me it's a luxury not a necessity; my cheap, unbranded fixed circular set worked so well for me for so long - and it still works well for me, bc I still use it if my interchangeable pair in that needle size is already in use! But I absolutely wouldn't recommend a beginner getting an interchangeable set - they likely don't know what kind of needles they prefer yet, what needle sizes they'll end up gravitating towards, and it's a big investment, even if you do know these things. It can be nice to have, if it's what you want, but it is absolutely not necessary at all!!
@@bethgadsbycreates ahh glad you have some nice needles now!! it is a journey for sure 😅 i know what you mean about personal preference though i still buy at random - not sure if i prefer metal or wood or even more specifically recently got a pair of metal cubics and i don’t really know if my fingers can tell the difference 😂 i have one chunky pair of metal ones and they clang together so loudly i know i do NOT like those, but that’s about it…
I started w a cpl of wash cloths and then off to a scarf of my own design (still haven’t seen anything like it so pretty proud). then made a cardigan (my own again). i didn’t know how to read patterns so i winged it…it has A LOT of mistakes, but my most proudest piece i have made. it is the one i wear the most.
so glad you put in WIP definition…when i was new there were videos (visual learner) that would throw out letters and not explain what it was. i had no idea what a kfp was and i had to toss the project (i didn’t realize i could have looked it up). but, thank you
I haven’t ever found someone on utube in the beginning…so excited for you!
@@joannawebb8683 sounds amazing, following your heart on projects is definitely the best way to be and leads to the best pieces and more love for the craft! yes definitions are so important, i constantly have to look things up while i’m working through patterns as it’s not always consistent and very confusing 😂😭 aw thank you so much that’s so kind!!
I learned English, and I started getting a lot of pain in my right wrist. So I tried Continental. Then I got an even amount of pain in each wrist :-D So I probably just need to learn not to have such a death grip on the needles. I do find it useful when working with two different colors, to do one English and the other Continental (I didn’t come up with that idea, I read it somewhere) so I’m happy I know both. I do like using DPNs for one particular pattern of sock I’ve made where the pattern is divisible by 4, I don’t need any stitch markers. I bought a DPN kit when a local yarn store was going out of business and everything was on clearance. And then knitting kinda fell by the wayside and I’ve barely used it.
😂 that makes sense, it’s all personal isn’t it! i’ve heard about the double handed colour technique, definitely going to give it a try!
I learned English throwing and it did feel inconvenient so I tried continental. I hated it lol so I learned flicking which I love doing.
I am glad I bought my interchangeable circular needle set when I did which was about a year into starting. I found I constantly wanted new needle sizes because I want to try knitting a bit of everything. I don’t have many local craft stores so I figured if i was going to be ordering needles online, might as well get them all at once lol
i am intrigued by flicking, have never tried it but i will! yes that sounds a really good time to get the kit 🌟
I think the myth is because most speed knitters are continental but I think you can optimize either style to be super fast. Like I knit continental but I’m slower than a lot of English style people bc I don’t like to have my stitches super close to the tips and I don’t hold my needle tips right next to each other
I have been knitting for 50 years and I am proficient in both methods of knitting. I learned English knitting and I still prefer it. It is actually easier on my hands. I think I pretty much adapted to a flicking-type method of English knitting and I am pretty fast- although I knit to relax, not to win a knitting speed record. I will leave that to Hazel Tindall , the world’s fastest knitter who happens to knit English. I also find that purling- with good tension -is much easier English style. I have taught knitting and most with rowing out issues are continental knitters. That all said..I 100% agree that please don’t comment on other people’s knitting styles. My grandmother held her needles like pencils, which I could never get the hang of, and she created the most beautiful garments.
that’s really interesting! i’m trying to adapt to flick a little more, i’ve never seen hazel knit but will have to look her up!
@@issyknits she is amazing!
My first project was a scarf that had cables and lace elements. It was a great crash course in learning a lot of knitting elements… however, it would’ve made a great cowl at half the length. If I knit a scarf now, it is because I need a mindless pattern that doesn’t change much.
oh wow that is really impressive, i bet it was gorgeous! definitely can relate to that feeling with scarf projects 😂
I love your sweater. Can you tell me where I can find the pattern, and what yarn you used?
thank you!! it’s called the top down sweater gossamer twist by caidree and i got it from etsy 💕 the yarn is debbie bliss merion in moss held with rowan kid silk in jelly
Thank you for your prompt reply. I've ordered the pattern and can't wait to cast on! I've subscribed to you channel and look forward to watching more of your videos.
@@susandawson-tibbits6894 thank you so much! and how exciting, you’ll love it - it’s one of my most worn knits 💕
I always suggest cotton dishcloths for first projects. Cotton yarn is CHEAP so it doesn't matter if the first effort is a DISASTER. You can try different variations of k & p and it doesn't matter if you make a mistoke. It's usually not as stretchy as wool yarn so you can work at getting a good tension and practice cast on, cast off and simple designs made with k & p such as heart, star, moon or letters. Simple graphs for all of these are all over the internet. It can also help you appreciate that knitting is NOT square. 30 stitches does NOT equal 30 rows! And at the end you have a few reusable washable dishcloths. Win-win.
that’s great advice! 💕
Suddenly I realize I dont knit english or continental because I taught myself from pictures.
how do you knit? is it a mix or something entirely different? there are probably many more ways to knit that wouldn’t even occur to me!
I need multiple needles of the same size so I can cast on two sleeves or socks at the same time. Then I switch back and forth every few rows to make sure the two match.
i really like that idea - saves second sock/sleeve syndrome for sure!!
I will say that you can buy interchangeable needles without the sets and they come with stoppers so you can unscrew the needles you need and leave the wips on the cord
Instead of constantly buying new needles you just buy a new $3 cord
this is a really good point and hadn’t thought of this (didn’t know it existed tbh) and a great idea!
I'm looking forward to your sock video. I would love a knit along
yay thank you!! coming soon! 💕
1 - I started out knitting swatches out of a stitch dictionary. I left them as dishcloths at my old job. 2 - the fastest knitter in the world knits English style. I'm a Continental knitter since it's more comfortable for me, and I'm self taught as a crocheter and a knitter. I want to learn English style so I can do 2-handed colorwork. 3 - Yeah I keep using the same needle sizes and cable lengths, so while I do have a set... I have to keep ordering more 3.75mm, 4.5mm and 30-36" cables on top of that. You live and learn, right? 4 - Meh, socks are cake, just try to do them both at the same time. Otherwise, you might get one done and never get to the other! Or is that just me?
wow i’d never heard of two handed colourwork and just looked it up after your comment - game changer!!! i definitely need to try this (albeit my continental tension leaves a lot to be desired 😂) i have not yet done two at a time socks but i have so much respect for it… one day 🙏
@@issyknits Yeah all I do is have 2 sets of DPNs going at the same time. I can't do TAAT on a single cable yet