How to Knit Continental

Continental knitting is preferred by professional hand-knitters. It is the more efficient method of knitting because it requires the shortest number of specific hand motions per stitch. Follow the steps below and you will be well on your way to making new sweaters for yourself as well as others.

Things You'll Need

• Yarn
• Knitting needles
• Scissors
• Knitting pattern

Instructions

1. 

   Hold your yarn hooked over the left index finger.

2. Make a slip knot on the right needle, leaving a long tail. Wind the tail end around your left thumb, front to back. Wrap the yarn from the ball over your left index finger, and secure the ends in your palm.

3. 

   Insert the needle upward in the loop on your thumb. With the needle, draw the yarn from the ball through the loop to form a stitch.

4. Take your thumb out of the loop, and tighten the loop on the needle. Continue in this way until all the stitches are cast on. Make a slip knot on the left needle.

5. 

   Insert the right needle knitwise into the stitch on the left needle. Wrap the yarn around the right needle as if to knit. Draw the yarn through the first stitch to make a new stitch, but do not drop the stitch from the left needle. Slip the new stitch to the left needle as shown. Repeat this step until the required number of stitches is cast on.

6. Cast on two stitches using the knitted cast-on described above.

7. 

   Insert the right needle between the two stitches on the left needle. Wrap the yarn around the right needle as if to knit, and pull the yarn through to make a new stitch. Place the new stitch on the left needle as shown. Repeat this step, always inserting the right needle in between the last two stitches on the left needle.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the tension of your yarn consistent.