One of my first questions for new attendees to Stitchfest is, Do you knit English or Continental? The result is almost always a blank stare of complete confusion because so few people realize there are different ways to knit.
According to Toby Kuhnke, an editor at AllFreeKnitting.com, there are five basic knitting styles based on the way the yarn is held and wrapped around the working needle.
Toby gives a short review of the five styles in his knitting tutorial updated April 20, 2018, to AllFreeKnitting.com.
The AllFreeKnitting reader survey of 300 members resulted in 60% reporting they knit English, meaning they hold the yarn in their dominant hand and throw it over the needle. I would guess 80% of our GPL Stitchfesters knit English. People new to knitting are generally more comfortable learning to knit English style.
I was taught to knit Continental and find switching to English a major intellectual challenge. My muscle memory for Continental style is very strong.
Toby talks about Lever knitting. Lever knitting is a new term for me, but we have at least three lever knitters at Stitchfest, two are from China and one is from India. Lever knitting is what I always called English flicking. Toby describes lever knitting as a:
style in which the knitter holds the working yarn in the dominant hand and loops the yarn around the working needle without removing the dominant hand from the needle completely, creating a sort of back-and-forth levering motion.
Many knitters who use this style hold their working needle like a pencil, which frees up their pointer finger to hold the tension of their yarn and "flick" it around the end of the needle.
I have tried to flick my yarn, but I just can't seem to get the knack of getting the yarn around the working needle without removing my dominant right hand.
Anyway, again my job has proven interesting, as a librarian, I learn new things daily. Today I learned lots of new things about knitting, most surprisingly that in Japan, English knitting is known as French knitting.
However you knit, be consistent with your technique, but more importantly, make sure you are having fun.
Genie Contrata
Librarian & Stitchfester
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