I must learn continental knitting

[Perogi]

I really want to learn to knit continental style. Right now I guess I am kind of a "thrower" but not even really because I let go of the right needle every time I use my right hand to bring the yarn around the needles. And I don't weave the yarn into my fingers at all, it just hangs there. My Grandma (who taught me to knit) is a classic English thrower and it drives her nuts to watch me knit. It works okay for me but I'm sure continental would be much quicker. I've seen a lot of helpful videos and such but every time I go to do it I just can't quite get the hang of it. The yarn doesn't "scoop" very smoothly. I think it's the angle of my needles but I'm not really sure. I guess it's just practice, practice, practice!!! The videos make it seem sooooo easy I totally thought it would be an easy transition but not so!!

[JustLookin]

ugh I tried to do cont. and it about killed me, LOL
I wouldnt say Im a thrower though because I too let go of the right needle and actually use my left hand to guide the work around the to pick up the yarn... so all in all my right hand never really moves and my left does all the work, LOL... its really fast for me where cont. just slowed me down and made everything too tight.
Im sure it would get better over time, but I feel like Ill just stick to what I know now.

I was a crocheter long before I was a knitter and it killed me to learn to knit, LOL... I taught myself from pics

[lissa]

i think that when we learn a new skill, we form specific synapses in our brains. then when we try to learn a different method for acheiving those same results, we're basically starting from scratch....

i learned to knit continental style as a small child, and it's such second nature that i don't even watch what i'm doing a lot of the time. i've tried, in recent years, to teach myself to knit english style, and it feels like it's turning my head inside out, lol. i'd like to know both methods so that i can teach both, and while i understand how english knitting works, it just doesn't flow for me.

but at any rate, it might be easier if you could find someone who knits continental style to sit down with you and watch what you're doing. they can then correct your needle angles, etc. might make things work for you.
unless you're just one of those people for whom one method is just better than the other :-P

[heatherfeather]

I taught myself how to knit continental a few months ago and it was the best thing I ever learned! ;) You can do it!! It took me a few times of visualizing what the yarn was doing when I was throwing/wrapping around the needle and then pulling the stitch through. I'm sure I don't do it the 'right way', but it works! Do you know anyone IRL or at a LYS who knits continental and could show you in slow motion.

Though I still can't for the life of me figure out how to purl continental....and I loathe purling! ;)

[littleturtlemama]

i switch back and forth between both depending on the project, but I still prefer english (throwing) It;s really akward to try continental at first, but once you practice it's not too bad ;)

[twirlgirl]

I learned continental last year. I had gotten EZ Knitting Without Tears from the library and sat up late one night (basically ALL night) and forced myself to learn.
Like Theresa, I go back and forth between throwing and continental depending on the project. Like some lace patterns I have a difficult time doing continentally.

I also throw funny as well. My grandmother also taught me to knit and she does throw, but she throws the traditional way (woven through her right hand, and wrapped around her index finger. I just CANNOT do it that way. My guage is all funky. The trade off being though, by holding the yarn the way I do by throwing I end up twisting it as I knit (althouh I get perfect gauge!) So its a bit of a hassle since the yarn from my ball ends up all twisted and turnig on it self. I have to stop every once in a while to try to untwist my yarn.

Anyway LOL...force yourself to sit and practice.
First do something circular all stockinette and get the hang of knitting. Once you get that, then try purling. I found one of the best ways to learn is to do some 1x1 rib in the round. You'll see quickly how much easier it is to continentally knit rib this way!