What is the difference between English and Continental knitting?

Question

I am new to knitting and bought a beginner's kit to knit three cat toys for my kitties. However, the directions are so confusing. It came with a dvd and I have been using the dvd and the written instructions but it is very unclear as to whether I am to do the English or Continental style. Does it matter? What is the difference?

Answer 1

The English method is also known as "throwing." Basically, you are holding your working yarn in your right hand and to get the yarn onto your working needle, you move your right hand/arm to get the yarn on the needle. That motion looks like you are moving to "throw" the yarn around the needle.

The Continental method is also known as "picking." Although some people knit very fast with the English method, knitting continental is usually faster and more efficient. With continental knitting, you hold your working yarn in your left hand, and the working needle "picks" at the yarn to get it on the needle.

Check out the videos on www.knittinghelp.com There's free video demos showing knitting both continental and English.

Note: As long as you are inserting your needle through the stitch and wrapping the yarn correctly on the needle, it really does not matter whether you knit English or Continental or hold your yarn a totally different way. When you start, it will be slightly awkward no matter how you hold your yarn, but you get used to it. Some people advocate teaching new knitters the English method, and teaching left-handers Continental. I have taught many people to knit, and I show both ways of holding yarn, but encourage new knitters to first get the stitches correct and then to experiment with different ways of holding yarn to find the one that makes most sense to them. I personally prefer continental because it allows me to work fast and efficiently, especially when I'm doing color work (2-3 colors) with complicated stitch patterns fairly easily.

Not to confuse you, but there is something called "Combination" knitting. Combination knitting is not related to the way you hold yarn, like the English or Continental method. Combination knitting is more to do with how you insert your needle and create a new stitch. I do not recommend combination knitting, for various reasons, but if you are curious, there is also a video on it at www.knittinghelp.com

Answer 2

Look carefully at your finished knitting. If the stiches look like regular knitting, rather than having rows with all of the stitches twisted like e's, it doesn't make a significant difference which way you do it.

The English method of "wrapping" is *totally* a swift as Continental when English is used with a "knitting sheath" or method of holding the left needle other than in the left hand (armpit is another common location). Without using a sheath or one's armpit, English sure is slower.

It can make a difference whether the yarn is wrapped or picked or scooped clockwise or counter-clockwise around the right needle in either English or continental ... depending on whether the yarn used has been plied S-wise or Z-wise (plying is the step after spinning). This is a major difference technically, but most knitters don't fuss over it. See first paragraph. :-)

Answer 3

I can knit the continental and the English way, I would advice you to learn the continental way.
It is easier on your hands and elbows and it is easier when using circular or short needles.
Use it from the start, as it is harder to change methods than most people expect.

The continental method also allows you to knit in a much smaller space, such as when sitting in a train.

Answer 4

Check the two videos in this website on Continental and English knitting: http://www.knittinghelp.com/ It will show you the difference.