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Doing the Continental

The Continental

They did it in 1934 in the film “The Gay Divorcee”. The old quote about my darling Ginger Rogers goes, “She did everything he did, only backwards and in heels”, but sadly, that’s not the ‘Continental’ I’m referring to. We’re talking Continental Knitting and, if ever I felt I had two left feet, it’s now.

I’m a ‘thrower’. I knit English and always have; so did my Mother and my Grandmother. I knit pretty fast, with the index finger of my right hand acting as a shuttle to carry the yarn over the right hand needle and my pinky tensioning the yarn.  I could do this in my sleep (and probably do so more often than I know). Recently, while tracking down demo videos and tutorials, I realized that there are a LOT of Continental knitters out there. The working yarn is carried in the left hand and the stitch is picked with the right needle. Fascinating.

Glenna over at Knitting To Stay Sane is a teacher and knitting mentor who believes that any good knitter can work with both hands. If one hopes to be proficient at color work, for example, a certain facility with the left hand is necessary. Left-handed knitting can also help to prevent repetitive stress injuries. So, with the aid of a couple of YouTube videos, I gave it a shot. 

Weird. Purling is complicated. Certainly a good workout, but no faster than English if you have a good throw. That having been said, I do see the benefits of building good tensioning techniques with the left hand and I will probably use the Continental style on some of the stockinette projects I have on the needles, just to get my left hand, wrist and arm in shape. 

Lazy Katy

Take a look at Lazy Katy! What a great pattern this is! So easy and very economical yarn-wise. I will definitely knit this pattern again. Finally, I seem to have gotten the gauge right; the item is the correct size and used the proscribed amount of yarn. I’d love to try it in a strong, bold color with a long, subtle color change.

Bower CardiganAt this point, however, I think I’m ready to commit to a little sweater. I picked up Interweave’s latest offering, a special issue of “Knitscene”. I like almost every design in it, making it well worth the $9.99 cover price. I’ve just cast on the “Bower Cardigan” with Drops Alpaca in black. I know, who wants a black cardigan in the middle of summer? Me, that’s who.

7 Comments

  1. Reply

    Karen Berthine

    May 23, 2012

    It is always hard switching your knitting style. I use the throw method only if I am doing color work with more than three colors … colors 4 and 5 I will throw. If there’s a 6th color, I change the pattern! 🙂

  2. Reply

    Laura

    May 9, 2012

    Had to laugh at this post… I knit Continental, and I’ve been trying to learn how to hold the yarn in my right hand for colorwork. I feel like a hippo on rollerskates! 🙂

    I **love** your Lazy Katy! It’s gorgeous. I’m thinking about casting on for one myself in some luscious yarn I’ve been hoarding. (Or I could look at this as an excuse to buy some long color-repeat yarn…)

  3. Reply

    Cindy/

    May 9, 2012

    I’m not sure how I knit, but I know its not continental!
    That shawl came out pretty amazing. Love the swirt. And a black cardi is totally a must have. Good choice!

  4. Reply

    loavesandstitches

    May 7, 2012

    Nice! I think that shawl would look great with a long color change. I have no trouble knitting continental style. It’s purling that gives me trouble. My gauge is way off when I purl continental style, so I have to stick to colorwork in the round for that.

  5. Reply

    Pearls-Toronto

    May 7, 2012

    Hahahaha…LOL!

  6. Reply

    garretw

    May 7, 2012

    That’s the way that I knit. I was taught to crochet first, so it seemed only natural to me. I love it, it’s so fast and quick.

    Move the shawl. I’m considering casting it on. Considering. Quite a lot. Making a few fleeting glances to the stash. I have to go.

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