How to Purl Continental Style

Try this method of knitting a purl stitch, one of the basic movements in knitting, if you prefer to hold the knitting yarn in your left hand rather than your right.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Knitting Needle Point Protectors
• Knitting Patterns
• Knitting Stitch Holders
• Knitting Stitch Markers
• Crochet Hooks
• Knitting Baskets Or Tote
• Knitting Needles
• Measuring Tapes
• Row Counter
• Tapestry Needles
• Yarns

1. Cast on the number of stitches required by your knitting pattern. See "How to Cast On in Knitting" for instructions.

2. Hold the needle with the cast-on stitches in your right hand.

3. Wind the yarn around your left hand so that it passes over the pinky, under the ring and middle fingers and twice around the forefinger.

4. Place the needle with the cast-on stitches in your left hand. Hold the yarn with your left forefinger so that yarn is in front of the needle. Keep the yarn taut, but not too tight, between your left forefinger and your work.

5. Insert the right knitting needle tip from back to front into the first stitch on the left needle. The right needle should be in front of the left needle, with the yarn held to the front of your work.

6. Use your left forefinger to wrap the yarn, left to right, around the right knitting needle.

7. Bring the right knitting needle back through the first stitch on the left needle, forming a stitch on the right needle. Slip the first stitch off the left needle.

8. Repeat steps 4 to 7 until all the new stitches are on the right knitting needle and the left needle is empty.

9. Repeat steps 2 to 8 until you have the desired number of rows.

Tips & Warnings

• Hold needles any way that is comfortable for you and will promote even stitches. Beginners will need to experiment with hand-needle positioning.
• Keep your cast-on row of stitches close to the tip of the needle, but not so close that the stitches will slip off the end.
• Experiment with hand-yarn positions to find the one that works best for you.

on 3/29/2006 If I am purling in a pattern, I use the forefinger or thumb method described in the other two tips. However, if working stockinette, I hang the yarn around my neck and use my left thumb to guide the yarn around the right needle. I saw it in a book recently. It's the method used by male knitters in Peru. Try it - very fast and easy.

on 11/22/2005 Instead of moving your index finger to get the yarn around the needle in the Continental purl, you can use your thumb to push the yarn up and around the right-hand needle.

You can also pull the thread through with your right needle by scooping from the top down through the stitch. This makes the stitches on the reverse row go from left front to right back (instead of the normal back left to right front orientation), so you have to knit your knit stitches through the back. This "lazy purl" is definitely the fastest way to do stickinette.

on 11/22/2005 I've found it very helpful to twist my left wrist toward me when making this stitch. I found only one book with this little gem of info, but it really does help!