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Question on "Continental " and "English" knitting techniques



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 14th 03, 06:02 PM
SlinkyToy
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Posts: n/a
Default Question on "Continental " and "English" knitting techniques

Most people knit a different gauge with each hand. Nothing to worry about,
as long as you don't try to convince us that you ALWAYS knit to gauge with
the recommended needles and yarn


"AGRES" wrote in message
news:6WAQa.59798$Ph3.5632@sccrnsc04...
I've knitted English style (feed yarn with right hand) for as long as I

can
remember, and I tend to knit very tight with only one color

But, the other day, someone on RCTY said that Continental style (feed yarn
with left hand) was faster. I have a big, mindless project going, so the
other night, I looped the yarn over my left hand. It was easy and felt
natural, and the stitches really flew off the needles. I had never before
knitted that fast in my life (stitches per minute). I assume that I leaned
to knit Continental style as a child, and then switched for some reason,
but the motor skills remain.

But, the gauge was much looser. I had to drop down two needle sizes to get
the same number of stitches per inch, and then the stitch definition was

not
as good and the fabric was not a firm and dense.

Is this a flaw in my technique? Shouldn't the gauge be the same

regardless
of which hand feeds the yarn? Or, do the different styles of knitting
really produce different styles of fabric? Do the Knitting Fairies and
Knitting Goddesses simply move their yarn from hand to hand to produce
different fabrics?

Aaron





Ads
  #2  
Old July 14th 03, 06:22 PM
Lucille
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I don't have a problem with gauge knitting continental style. I'm usually,
not 100% always, but usually, the same as the recommendation on the yarn
label. Of course, I've been knitting mostly continental style on and off
from the time I was 8 years old and that's a very, very long time ago.

It also just may be luck because my mother, who also knitted continental
style from the time she was a little girl, did have a minor problem. What
she did to compensate when she was doing stockinette was to use a smaller
needle for the purl rows. It's usually not as noticeable when you're doing
a pattern or two color knitting.

It's great to know how to knit both ways because when you're doing fair
isle, or any other intarsia knitting, you can hold one color in one hand and
one in the other. That is lots of fun to do.

Lucille


"SlinkyToy" wrote in message
. ..
Most people knit a different gauge with each hand. Nothing to worry

about,
as long as you don't try to convince us that you ALWAYS knit to gauge with
the recommended needles and yarn


"AGRES" wrote in message
news:6WAQa.59798$Ph3.5632@sccrnsc04...
I've knitted English style (feed yarn with right hand) for as long as I

can
remember, and I tend to knit very tight with only one color

But, the other day, someone on RCTY said that Continental style (feed

yarn
with left hand) was faster. I have a big, mindless project going, so the
other night, I looped the yarn over my left hand. It was easy and felt
natural, and the stitches really flew off the needles. I had never

before
knitted that fast in my life (stitches per minute). I assume that I

leaned
to knit Continental style as a child, and then switched for some

reason,
but the motor skills remain.

But, the gauge was much looser. I had to drop down two needle sizes to

get
the same number of stitches per inch, and then the stitch definition was

not
as good and the fabric was not a firm and dense.

Is this a flaw in my technique? Shouldn't the gauge be the same

regardless
of which hand feeds the yarn? Or, do the different styles of knitting
really produce different styles of fabric? Do the Knitting Fairies and
Knitting Goddesses simply move their yarn from hand to hand to produce
different fabrics?

Aaron







  #4  
Old July 14th 03, 09:03 PM
Melinda
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I learned to knit continental style myself, but have since changed to english
style because I found some stitches I just couldn't get to work up correctly -
they just didn't look right to me when done continentally.

Melinda
Solstice Moon Designs
  #5  
Old July 14th 03, 09:06 PM
Helen \Halla\ Fleischer
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I think your gauge will settle in as you get more practiced. I so tend to
do an extra wrap round the pinky to maintain better tension with some
yarns, knitting continental. Sometimes when I do two colors, I carry the
less used one in the right hand, so the tension really has to be the same.

| On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 16:32:02 GMT, "AGRES" wrote:

I've knitted English style (feed yarn with right hand) for as long as I can
remember, and I tend to knit very tight with only one color

But, the other day, someone on RCTY said that Continental style (feed yarn
with left hand) was faster. I have a big, mindless project going, so the
other night, I looped the yarn over my left hand. It was easy and felt
natural, and the stitches really flew off the needles. I had never before
knitted that fast in my life (stitches per minute). I assume that I leaned
to knit Continental style as a child, and then switched for some reason,
but the motor skills remain.

But, the gauge was much looser. I had to drop down two needle sizes to get
the same number of stitches per inch, and then the stitch definition was not
as good and the fabric was not a firm and dense.

Is this a flaw in my technique? Shouldn't the gauge be the same regardless
of which hand feeds the yarn? Or, do the different styles of knitting
really produce different styles of fabric? Do the Knitting Fairies and
Knitting Goddesses simply move their yarn from hand to hand to produce
different fabrics?

Aaron




Helen "Halla" Fleischer,
Fantasy & Fiber Artist in Fairland, MD USA
http://home.covad.net/~drgandalf/halla/
  #6  
Old July 14th 03, 09:23 PM
AGRES
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"SlinkyToy" wrote in message
. ..
Most people knit a different gauge with each hand. Nothing to worry

about,
as long as you don't try to convince us that you ALWAYS knit to gauge with
the recommended needles and yarn

Snip

Thanks for the input.

Most of my needles are hand made, and not truly standard sized. I can't
claim anything.

Stainless steel is more flexible and less heat conductive (warmer to touch)
than most of the metals that are the metals for commercially made metal
knitting needles (aluminum and plated brass). Thus, I find SS more
comfortable to knit with. A local hardware store has 50' coils of
stainless steel wire for only a couple of dollars. One diameter is very
close to US size 1 or UK size 13. I've started making SS knitting needles
out of it.

The hard part is getting the wire straight. I bend it as straight as
possible with my hands, and then lay it on a flat piece of hard wood and
gently tap the high spots with a wooden or brass mallet. This also work
hardens the metal to make it stiffer. Then I grind the points on a bench
grinder (you could use a grinding wheel in an power drill) and use 600 wet
or dry emery paper to produce a fine mat finish. People that like a smother
finish could add a 1200 emery paper step. A good home handyman can make a
set of a dozen 18" UK size 13 DPN in a short evening for a materials cost of
less than $5.00. A set of 5 DPN for hats and socks could be made during the
commercials in a football game. SS washers could be easily silver-soldered
on the ends to serve as knots. Christmas is coming!

These SS needles will not break - even if you run the truck over them a few
times! Being solid metal they can be polished or mat finished to your
heart's content. The mat finish picks up lanolin from the wool which
provides lubrication without being slippery. You can also bend them for CN.

However, these needles scream for a needle case. Think about sitting on one
: )

Aaron


  #7  
Old July 14th 03, 09:31 PM
Elizabeth Bonello
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"AGRES" wrote in message
news:6WAQa.59798$Ph3.5632@sccrnsc04...
But, the other day, someone on RCTY said that Continental style (feed yarn
with left hand) was faster. I have a big, mindless project going, so the
other night, I looped the yarn over my left hand. It was easy and felt
natural, and the stitches really flew off the needles. I had never before
knitted that fast in my life (stitches per minute). I assume that I leaned
to knit Continental style as a child, and then switched for some reason,
but the motor skills remain.

But, the gauge was much looser. I had to drop down two needle sizes to get
the same number of stitches per inch, and then the stitch definition was

not
as good and the fabric was not a firm and dense.


Wow--I taught myself Continental-style knitting and I find that I knit even
tighter that way than I do when I knit American-style (right hand
"throwing"). I really noticed this when I did some Fair-aisle knitting with
one color in each hand--I had to frog quite a bit and really concentrate on
knitting *very* loosely (for me, anyway!) with the left-hand color.
However, I tend to knit very tightly American-style as well. I can't use
bamboo/wood needles because I break them--not because I sit on them or some
other accident, just that I have a tight enough tension that the needles
bend more and more, then finally break. I know now why bamboo slivers were
used to torture people--I managed to skewer myself several times before I
finally gave up on bamboo/wood. Now I use aluminum for larger sizes and
stainless steel for sock needles.
--
LittleBit

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting
different results.
Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)


  #8  
Old July 14th 03, 09:32 PM
spampot
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Tsk, playing fast and loose with your yarn, eh?

wrote:
I also switched years ago to Continental style and I knit very fast
and loose now.

I always have to change gauge to 1-2 sizes smaller needles, in fact I
cannot knit teeny at all. I tried to knit a baby item for my new niece
a few years ago and simply couldn't get the 7.5 sts/in needed.

But, that's a small price to pay for loving to knit fast and relaxed!

Susan

Susan Druding
Straw Into Gold - Crystal Palace Yarns
http://www.straw.com

On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 16:32:02 GMT, "AGRES" wrote:


I've knitted English style (feed yarn with right hand) for as long as I can
remember, and I tend to knit very tight with only one color

But, the other day, someone on RCTY said that Continental style (feed yarn
with left hand) was faster. I have a big, mindless project going, so the
other night, I looped the yarn over my left hand. It was easy and felt
natural, and the stitches really flew off the needles. I had never before
knitted that fast in my life (stitches per minute). I assume that I leaned
to knit Continental style as a child, and then switched for some reason,
but the motor skills remain.

But, the gauge was much looser. I had to drop down two needle sizes to get
the same number of stitches per inch, and then the stitch definition was not
as good and the fabric was not a firm and dense.

Is this a flaw in my technique? Shouldn't the gauge be the same regardless
of which hand feeds the yarn? Or, do the different styles of knitting
really produce different styles of fabric? Do the Knitting Fairies and
Knitting Goddesses simply move their yarn from hand to hand to produce
different fabrics?

Aaron






  #9  
Old July 14th 03, 09:35 PM
Ophelia
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Elizabeth Bonello" wrote in message
newsqEQa.484

I can't use
bamboo/wood needles because I break them--not because I sit on them or

some
other accident, just that I have a tight enough tension that the needles
bend more and more, then finally break. I know now why bamboo slivers

were
used to torture people--I managed to skewer myself several times before I
finally gave up on bamboo/wood. Now I use aluminum for larger sizes and
stainless steel for sock needles.


Good to know I am not alone. I use metal needles and they are always bent!
I daren't use bamboo or wood

Ophelia
Scotland



  #10  
Old July 14th 03, 09:38 PM
Lucille
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I'm not sure this was meant for me but if it was, I did say usually, not all
the time, not 100% of the time, but "usually."
Lucille


"AGRES" wrote in message
news:gjEQa.53296$OZ2.9017@rwcrnsc54...

"SlinkyToy" wrote in message
. ..
Most people knit a different gauge with each hand. Nothing to worry

about,
as long as you don't try to convince us that you ALWAYS knit to gauge

with
the recommended needles and yarn

Snip

Thanks for the input.

Most of my needles are hand made, and not truly standard sized. I can't
claim anything.

Stainless steel is more flexible and less heat conductive (warmer to

touch)
than most of the metals that are the metals for commercially made metal
knitting needles (aluminum and plated brass). Thus, I find SS more
comfortable to knit with. A local hardware store has 50' coils of
stainless steel wire for only a couple of dollars. One diameter is very
close to US size 1 or UK size 13. I've started making SS knitting

needles
out of it.

The hard part is getting the wire straight. I bend it as straight as
possible with my hands, and then lay it on a flat piece of hard wood and
gently tap the high spots with a wooden or brass mallet. This also work
hardens the metal to make it stiffer. Then I grind the points on a bench
grinder (you could use a grinding wheel in an power drill) and use 600

wet
or dry emery paper to produce a fine mat finish. People that like a

smother
finish could add a 1200 emery paper step. A good home handyman can make a
set of a dozen 18" UK size 13 DPN in a short evening for a materials cost

of
less than $5.00. A set of 5 DPN for hats and socks could be made during

the
commercials in a football game. SS washers could be easily

silver-soldered
on the ends to serve as knots. Christmas is coming!

These SS needles will not break - even if you run the truck over them a

few
times! Being solid metal they can be polished or mat finished to your
heart's content. The mat finish picks up lanolin from the wool which
provides lubrication without being slippery. You can also bend them for

CN.

However, these needles scream for a needle case. Think about sitting on

one
: )

Aaron




 




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