Combination and Continental Knitting Styles
Knitting is a relatively new textile craft, and according to Knitty, a popular knitting magazine, the verb "to knit" only appeared in the English dictionary in the 1400s. Knitting styles can ultimately be divided into "Continental" and "English" varieties, with "Combination" being a fashion of knitting that uses attributes of both.
Other People Are Reading
-
Continental Knitting Benefits
-
Continental knitting, also known as German, left-handed and European knitting, involves feeding the yarn with the left hand and manipulating the knitting with the right. Because of the placement of the yarn, and the fact that most people are right-handed, Continental style is often claimed to be faster and more efficient than English-style knitting. And because the hands go through less movement, this style is recommended for knitters suffering joint pains.
Continental Knitting Challenges
-
Though the knit and purl stitches in the Continental fashion are both very efficient, some individuals have difficulties with the corresponding purl stitch. Continental style is also difficult for those who are familiar with English-style knitting because, whether you are knit or purl stitching, the yarn sits at the back of the needle as opposed to the yarn sitting at opposite sides of the needle depending on the stitch type.
-
Combination Knitting Benefits
-
Combination knitting, as its name implies, combines facets of both traditional knitting styles, with both needles used to pick up stitches while the yarn hangs rather than being fed. This results in less twist in the yarn, which is ideal for synthetic fibers and knitting with wire.
Combination Knitting Challenges
-
When knitting in the round, many knitters may find it easier to work in either English or Continental style. Because most knitting done in the round is done in knit stitch, using Combination knitting means that the yarn must be wound clockwise around the right-hand needle---which is ultimately inefficient compared to using one style or the other.
-
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
