New to knitting - sore fingers and purl stitch help

[joules]

hi just found this group

 

iv been trying to learn to knit for about a week now and as i crochet thought i would start with continental style. which generally seems to be going fine. im using the videos from knittinghelp.com

 

im getting the knit stitch ok but a having trouble with the purl. it seems the left hand has a lot to do. i insert the right needle where it needs to go then im suppsoed to use my middle finger to lower the yarn so itcan be brought through by the right needle. hope that makes sense.

 

when im pushing the yarn down with my middle finger the fingers left holding the needle turn so um holing on with my knuckles. it also seems my right hand does something fuuny too and my fingers are aching there as well.

 

if i hold the left needle between my left arm and side i can get along a row fine but it still doesnt feel quite right somehow.

 

is there another way i could try? the knit rows are fine its the purls that arent.

 

is there another way to do it? or another type of needle to try? ive tried holding the yarn to do it english style but it feels so horrible

 

hope that all made sense

 

thanks

 

Julie

[magiccrochetfan]

I started knitting about 2 years ago. i do the continental style as well , it feels really odd to have the yarn in my right hand. I would suggest you just practice the knit stitch for a while until you are really comfortable with it. I think once you get all the other motions down pat, purling will be easier.

 

As you've noticed on the Knitting Help site I'm sure, there are several styles of purling that can be done in continental. I inadvertently started with the combination style, which means that increases and decreases have to be done differently. It is MUCH easier for me to purl evenly in combination style, but if I want to do lace I have to translate the incs/decs which is a pain. for straight stockinette comb. style is great, and it works for cables just fine.

 

I finally have learned to do the "standard" continental purl, as shown in the kh videos. Kim Guzman did an online knitting class here on the Ville that was a tremendous help to me. Not sure if that is scheduled again here or maybe Kim is doing classes on her own web site now. Comb. style is still much faster and more even for me, but at least i can do the other.

 

Granny Square has posted that the Norwegian purl is not really as hard as it looks.

 

(somewhat off-topic: I am intrigued by this collection of "I Hate to Purl" patterns http://www.heartstringsfiberarts.com/i-hate-to-purl.shtm

this may be an easier way for me to do lace )

 

eta: as far as needles, bamboo is good as it does not let the stitches slip. A wool yarn or slightly fuzzy acrylic yarn is good also, slippery yarn is harder to work with. it's good to have a yarn that is springy like wool, nonstretchy yarn like cotton is harder on the hands.

[eyrthmother1]

i just learned to knit last yr and initially the purl st was difficult for me also. sometimes i use my middle finger, left hand to push the yarn down under the rt needle and sometimes it will go down w/ me just using the forefinger pulling it down.

 

i agree w/ magicks suggestion. in the class i took, we learned the knit stitch and then 2 wks later (we met every other wk and were suppose to practice every night for at least 15 mins what we had learned) then we learned the purl stitch. many times we try to walk before we run, so to speak, and try to do things before we are ready. good luck, dont give up, and it will come

 

sandy

[joules]

hmm just going to practice garter stitch for a wile yet then and gt comfy with it am def trying to run first lol

[joules]

something clicked this morning and am doing the purl stitch easily now. however i think im still a bit tense and my arms and hands are a bit achy.

 

am considering trying out bamboo needles or maybe knitpro ones

[HomekeepingGran]

I still have trouble with tension in Continental knitting but here are some pictures on how I do it. I will admit, though, that if I am knitting basic stockinette, I use Combined because my tension is tons better. I originally learned English but the needles felt insecure when I took my hand off the right one to throw. I never have learned to flick the yarn with the right hand like so many excellent English-style knitters do.

[mamaoso]

There are different ways to use your fingers in the continental purls. Just have to find what is right for you. Maybe go to Youtube and watch a few.. I just noticed ( but can't remember where) someone was doing a purl and thought that would be so much easier to do it that way. She was holding the down the loop with the pointer finger of the right hand..

[joules]

I still have trouble with tension in Continental knitting but here are some pictures on how I do it. I will admit, though, that if I am knitting basic stockinette, I use Combined because my tension is tons better. I originally learned English but the needles felt insecure when I took my hand off the right one to throw. I never have learned to flick the yarn with the right hand like so many excellent English-style knitters do.

 

thanks it was those pictures i found laste last night that helped me get sorted. all i need to do now is practice till its second nature

[quietheart]

Purl is usually intially difficult for everyone, keep practicing and pretty soon you will do it naturally

[HomekeepingGran]

thanks it was those pictures i found laste last night that helped me get sorted. all i need to do now is practice till its second nature

 

Well, good, I hope it helps! I wish I had the original site where I saw someone doing purling like that...

[Granny Square]

You might try getting a pair of circular needles and practicing with those.

 

I learned to knit as a teenager, made a few things and then learned to crochet and, well, put the needles away. I started to pick it back up at the beginning of this year, trying to figure out which method I learned - it turns out I learned combined, too. But those long 14" needles - gaak! I found circs are much easier to hold and easier on the hands.

 

I picked up the Norwegian Purl for keeping the stitch orientation right for some patterns with lots of slanty decreases because the 'regular' continental purl was, well, just not happening for me coordination and comfort wise. It is a bit slower, though, and a little harder on the hands than combined (eastern) purl. I'm finding combined knitting easier on my hands than crochet actually.

 

If you want to try combined, the videos here helped me a lot to figure out the front leg/back leg thing. The accent is heavy, and they refer to the leg of the stitch as a 'wall'. The same folks host a Ravelry group Russian knitting techniques with more combined videos if you're a member.

 

https://www.headwaterwool.com/hw_russian_knit_front_wall.aspx