Knit Stitch Question -- Yarn Over or Under the Needle

General Knitting
1

I used your web site and then my wonderful CD to teach myself the basic of knitting. I was watching my friend knit who knits continenial as well. I noticed that she didn’t do the knit (and the purl) the same way I learned from you.

Instead of in, over, thru, move, she does the stitch and some how ends up with the yarn over the needle. I think this web site explains the way she does it.

[[i]i]This is the continental version of the knit stitch. Most people find it the fastest method.
Insert right needle from left to right through the front loop (nearest you) of the stitch on the left needle. Keep the yarn in your left hand at the back of the needles.

With your left index finger or third finger, lay the yarn on top of the right needle (wrapped from you moving away from you). The yarn should be on TOP of the needle. It is very important the yarn is moving away from you and not toward you…otherwise your stitches will be twisted.
With the tip of the right needle, pull the yarn through and keep it on the right needle

Remove the stitch from the left[/i] needle.
Proceed to the next stitch.[/i]

It seem that many books explain it this way and not the way you do . . . Is there a reason for this?

I want to be able to tell someone when they see me knitting the way i do.

Thanks
Christine

2

Christine, I looked at both and they look the same to me.

3

Hi Christine!

They are the same method. Sometimes people will hold the yarn at a slightly different angle, and hook it with the needle in a more exaggerated way, but it is still called continental knitting. Some people will even “throw” the yarn around the needle, like in the English method. But if they are holding the yarn in their left hand, even this can be called continental knitting, although this is less common, and is not typically what people mean when they say Continental knitting.

Hope that helps.
Glad you’re enjoying the CD and the site!

Amy :slight_smile: