Holding thread ?

[rkcrafter]

So is one of the keys to learning to knit holding the yarn?

 

I've been reading about continental or the English; and some places say if you crochet, you may like continental because you already hold the yarn in your left hand (if you are right handed and crochet).

 

My question is, I know I don't wrap the yarn over and/or around my fingers while crocheting; but is this part of the success on learning to knit based on how the thread is held?

[Bizzyboppers]

I hold my knitting yarn exactly the same as my crocheting yarn. I am a Continental knitter.

 

Holding your yarn is going to be key to your tension, etc. So yeah, I guess its an important part of it.

[Aggie May]

:cheerYou should just do what feels comfortable and puts the least stress on your fingers.

For crocheting, I hold my left thumb and index finger together, to hold the work and the middle finger becomes like a tension spring to keep the tension even and the yarn sits between my ring finger and pinky.

The hook is in my right hand with what is generally called the pencil grip.

I knit with the yarn in my right hand and flick it around the needle with my index finger, my thumb is under the needle to hold it up.

It is hard to say exactly what I do without actually doing it but I think the yarn just lays over the rest of my fingers and goes down between my ring finger and pinky which is where I keep the slight pressure on.

I only knit with circular needles, even though I do not knit in a circle.

These are the very best needles to use because they do not create weight on your hands like a long needle full of stitches does.

Start off with a medium length if you want to try circulars and they will be fine for knitting 10 stitches or 100s of stitches.

You will soon get into the rythm of dropping the end of the needle and picking it back up with the other hand as you turn the whole thing around so you can knit the next row.

They come in all sizes so just start off with the size that suits the yarn you are going to use and off you go.

There are times, with circulars, when it is a little tricky to keep the stitches on up at the end of the needle so you can knit them off but it is such a small problem, you soon get used to it.

The problem can be because the difference between the nylon cord and the needle ends are too great. Check this out before you buy and make sure it is a nice smooth transition.

I had better not go on all day or I will have you totally confused.

PM me if there is something you do not understand.

Have fun.

Colleen:hug

[lisalu]

If you are knitting Continental (holding the yarn in your left hand) the way you hold it is going to be more critical than if you are knitting English (holding the yarn in your right hand).

 

The reason is because in Continental knitting, you are "scooping" the yarn that you are holding in your left hand. You need to have a pretty good tension to be able to do that. If you are knitting English, you are manually throwing the yarn over so it is somewhat easier for a beginner to do.

 

Like most crocheters and knitters, I wrap the yarn (once or twice) around my pinkie, under my middle two fingers, then up around my index finger. At the same time I hold the work between my thumb and middle finger. I hold it exactly the same way - yarn in left hand - for either knitting or crocheting. And yes, knitting Continental is very similar to crocheting and is easier for crocheters to learn.

[Knit Happens]

The key to knitting is getting your tension even between knit and purl stitches. If you're doing all knit (garter) or all purl (garter too...imagine that)...it doesn't matter since your tension will be equal. However, there is a difference in knit and purl tension for all knitters, and getting it even takes practice. For English method, I don't even hold the yarn...really isn't necessary as I'm just picking it up and "throwing" it over counterclockwise. I found that English produces a more even tension for beginner knitters for that very reason...the throwing and the "pulling down" of the yarn between the needles before pulling it off...I can actually feel the "click" as the yarn slips between the two needles English style. I also do Continental, and it takes a lot more practice to even up your tension that style==at least that was the case for me. Now it is second nature. Combined is another way to knit and it is more like Continental than English, but again there is a learning/practicing hurdle to get over for achieving an even tension between knit/purl. However, what you are more comfortable doing is what will make you the most happy. ... and practice, practice, practice.

[lisalu]

I only knit with circular needles, even though I do not knit in a circle.

These are the very best needles to use because they do not create weight on your hands like a long needle full of stitches does.

 

For me, I absolutely hate circulars. I always feel like I'm "fighting" with that cable and it is just never comfortable to me. Only when knitting something very large (an afghan or sweater in the round maybe) do I resort to them. Also, with the interchangeable circs that I use the needle is always wanting to unscrew off the cable while I"m knitting...drives me nuts!

[jenhen]

I knit English--I just hold the yarn between my thumb and finger of my right hand and "throw" it around the needle for each stitch.

 

I can't stand wrapping yarn around my fingers, so I never do--when I crochet, I actually pass the working yarn back and forth between my left and right hands.

 

You could try both continental and english and see which works for you. I find straight needles easier to work with than circulars because I like the longer length--with circulars there is a shorter amount of actual needle to hold on to. Also I think it is easier to maneuver needles that are not connected to each other. But circulars are nice when you are working on a wide project--for example, if you wanted to work a scarf sideways.

 

So experiment with different styles until you find what works for you!

[kmeiding]

I am a crocheter who can't do continental. Although maybe I could if someone showed me how. I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, but I hold the yarn between my thumb and index finger on my right hand and hold the hook with the other fingers. I use the knife hold when I crochet so that feels most comfortable to me.