Continental Way of Knitting–Finally

** Updated to include a picture of my knitting sample from class **

What a way to end another year of adventurous knitting. I took my last of three knitting classes last weekend on Continental Knitting. As most of your know, I taught myself to knit almost 3 years ago and I taught myself to knit the English/American way. You know, the throw your right arm to create a stitch. The 1-1/2 hour class was pure stress for me, but in a good way! We started out with a “warm-up” exercise of knitting our normal English way. Pure knitting stitches. Then I did a few rows of stockinette to warm-up with the purl stitches.

Then the Continental lesson began. Brenda, our instructor, broke down the “knit” stitch…the direction the needle goes into the loop and then the direction the yarn wraps around the needle. Got that. We were then instructed to hold the yarn in our left hand/fingers and then try to “knit” a stitch. Almost got that. It took me awhile to figure out how to hold the yarn in my left fingers. I struggled to figure this out first. I noticed others in the class were worried about their gauge. Not me. My first priority was to get the “technique” down first and then worry about tension/gauge later. Can’t worry about both at the same time, otherwise I won’t get it.

After 15 minutes of what felt like re-learning to knit all over again, I finally got it. Close enough to be able to create knitted stitches for several rows. It was uncomfortable at first, but I did fall into a slow rhythm.

We took a 5 minute break to relax our hands and de-stress (at least for me).

We proceeded to learn the purl stitch. Again, Brenda broke down the process of the direction the needle goes into the loop and then the direction the yarn wraps. Made sense to me, but doing it was another head scratching “how am I going to attempt this?” I was able to make a purl stitch, but still had problems with holding the yarn in my left hand.

I had an AH-HA moment. I took the yarn and placed it in my right hand as if to knit. I took note of how the yarn was threaded in and around my fingers: under my pinky, over my ring finger, under my mid-finger, and over my pointer finger. I put the yarn back in my left hand and followed the same threaded pattern I had done with my right hand. Once the yarn went over my pointer finger, I then felt the need to wrap it around once to apply some tension/control to the yarn. It worked! I continued purling for a few rows until I got into a good slow rhythm.

Brenda wanted us to combine the two stitches and we proceeded to do the stockinette stitch for a few rows. A few important things I noticed, I was knitting a bit quicker, I could keep the yarn comfortable in my left hand/fingers while switching between knitting and purling, and all I had to do was switch my needles (circulars) at the end of the row and just keep knitting.

Our last task was to knit a ribbing pattern. I ended up doing a K2P2 for my sample. This ribbing task went fast. I truly appreciated the Continental way of knitting.

At the end of class, I realized the stress of learning a new way of knitting went away. I actually had fun. I noticed my class sample turned out nicely and evenly, even though I have a gauge issue. I had to laugh at myself as I looked like a tight knitter.

While others in class were absorbed in getting gauge and frustrated on how to hold the yarn in their left hand, I found that working on how to hold the yarn first in the left hand helped me accomplished this knitting style much faster with less frustration. Just like how I first learned to knit three years ago, gauge will come with much practice and a lot of swatch knitting.

Here's my sample from class. Below the black line is my English knitting style. Above the black line is my Continental knitting style.



Why am I learning the Continental way? One, to be able to knit the ribbing pattern or seed stitch pattern quick and easily. Two, be able to knit with two colored yarns. Three and overall, to knit faster.

More Fetching Fingerless Gloves

I’m on a knitting roll.  Not so much knitting garments (as I have a few WIPs staring me in the face and making me feel guilty), but knitting quick accessories.  I seem to do this in spurts.  Maybe it’s seasonal.  I have a new found love for knitting fingerless gloves.  The Fetching pattern in particular.  I really like the cabled ribbing pattern around the wrists and again at the knuckle area.  This has become my TNT pattern.  So far, it takes me 3 hours to finish one glove or 6 hours for a set.  Not bad as I’m a slow knitter. 

Here’s my 2nd set of Fetching knitted in Comfort by Berroco in a gray color:

The gray color is much darker than the pictures show.  I’m not too talented taking a one-handed picture using my DSLR, so I have to rely on my handy P&S (point & shoot) and of course the pop up flash which blows the color way out.  Trust me, the dark gray color is beautiful. 

I really like knitting with the Berroco Comfort yarn even though it’s a synthetic yarn.  It produces a beautiful knitted fabric and it’s quite soft. 

I have to admit that there’s nothing like knitting with real yarn.  Here’s my 3rd version of Fetching on my DPNs.  I’m using Savoy by Tahki Yarns in a beautiful berry color.  This yarn is silk/merino wool and very, very lovely to knit with.  It has a beautiful sheen and a joy to knit with.  Some Ravelers who have knitted garments with this yarn have mentioned that this yarn will pill. So far, I haven’t experienced that while knitting the gloves.  It’s just doggone beautiful!

So, what will I do with several versions of Fetching?  I’ll have a set to use at work to keep my hands warm while I’m typing.  Yes, it can get chilly in the office.  Another set will be worn when I’m on a photography assignment and have to take outdoor pictures.  I still need my bare fingers to grip my DSLR and press the buttons.  Better to have something to partially cover my hands than nothing at all. 

These are functional fingerless gloves and the cabled ribbing adds some elegance to an otherwise simple and easy to knit pair of gloves. 

Knitting Weekend

I’m having a fun filled weekend of knitting.  Meaning…hours of non-stop knitting.  From Friday evening until today.   I haven’t had the opportunity to do this in a long while.  I’m having a great weekend.

I’ve finished the basket weave scarf and just need to weave in the ends.

Friday, I CO for the Fetching fingerless gloves and finished them early this morning.  I just need to weave in the ends (more weaving).  Here’s a picture of the left glove with the contrast waste yarn knitted into the glove.  The contrast yarn represents the hole or thumbhole area.  This morning I finished the thumbhole and will post pictures later of using DPNs to pick up the “live stitches” above and below the contrast yarn.  It’s funny that I learned this technique a few weeks ago in my Buttonhole knitting class and then come across this technique again in this pattern. 

This Fetching pattern is a real winner.  It took me less than 6 hours to knit both gloves.  Remember, I’m a slow knitter.  The pattern instructions are easy to memorize.  I’ll be knitting several more of these.  It will be nice to have a small knitting project to take with me on the go and just pick up and knit when I have a few minutes or an hour to spare. 

You will notice that both the gloves and the scarf are knitted with the same yarn – Berroco Comfort.  I like this color which is a brown heather with a berry hue to it.  This yarn creates beautiful stitch definitions.  It’s machine washable and the knitted fabric is very soft. 

Later this afternoon, I will be attending my last of three knitting class at my LYS.  I will be learning to knit Continental style.  We’ll see if I can accomplish this within this 1-1/2 hour session.  Wish me luck!

Happy Knitting!