This may sound silly, but I struggle to get a good rhythm when purling across, so when I am knitting flat and am required to purl the WS, I find it REALLY tedious. I knit English style and have been knitting consistently for the last 10 years or so, so I’m not exactly a freshman in the knitting university. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I don’t and can’t knit English so you know where I’m coming from. I wonder if knitting purl rows backwards would work for you. I knit backwards for things like sock heels and other times I have really short rows and want to avoid turning. Took practice to get so it worked well for me. Working purls facing? Not such a success for me.
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I knit English style too but I have to change hand position a lot as I have quite bad arthritis in my hands. There are different ways of holding the yarn in the right hand and it might be worth experimenting with a few of these to see it you can find a more fluent style.
I find Irish lever knitting style is good for speed/ fluidity but it’s easier to do on long needles. But I have found with practice that I can adapt it for circulars too. Here, the movement is more in the wrist than in the fingers.
Also, a flicking style plus holding the needles near the tips can make the hand and finger movements of the purl stitches very similar to the knits.
It’s worth trying Portuguese style for the purls as this is smooth too. I sometimes swap between English and Portuguese if my index finger is especially painful.
There are lots of You Tube videos on different knitting styles to explore. Really any position that you find comfortable and gets the job done is good!
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Mel61,
Thank you for the tips - I will try to persevere!
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Hey claudia
I also knit with the yarn in my right hand, so English style but not how most videos show English with the hand dropping the needle to make a wrap. My style is actually really common where I live but hard to find on videos.
I’ve seen names like parlour knitting, or ladies knitting, it’s like a version of lever knitting but without the need for the long needles and the needle doesn’t need to be anchored. Sounds similar to what @Mel61 describes.
I did find a couple of videos a while back for naypo who wanted to knit faster (although turns out sweaters like a factory!) and I’ll see if I can find them again. One of them was advertising a “new” style of knitting but it’s certainly not new, they also advertised lessons which required payment.
I know this video shows very similar, this is Stephanie Pearl McFee, the fastest knitter (this is not why I knit in this style, I was taught by my mum as it’s a traditional style). The video shows lever knitting at the beginning but around 2 min 30 or 3 min she moves to DPNs which she does not anchor under her arm and it demonstrates something very similar to how I knit with straight (not long straight anchored, not belt needes, just regular straight) or circular needles (which I now use most of the time). The motion for transition from yarn in back, to yarn in front is very similar (almost identical) to making a wrap and the motion for a purl is almost identical to a knit. My knits and purls have no speed or difficulty difference.
I’ll add I do not knit this fast.
Carol Feller has an almost identical style
She knits this same way, irish knitting or pit knitting. I can’t really see a video where she just knits, most of the videos I’ve seen are talking rather than knitting but the rib demo gives a bit of an idea of it.
Anyway, if you knit with your hand on top of the right needle it would probably feel weird to change the way you hold the needle and might be slower and less comfortable than what you already do. I have always knitted with the needle on top of my hand (in the crook) so of course it feels normal. For certain things I switch, my hold, I’m wondering what, I think if I have a lot to tink I switch my hold but for one or two tinks I keep my hold regular.
Well, not trying to change how you knit, I do think everyone has their own way and whatever works for you is the right way, there are so many styles and variations.
Edited to add : link to the other post I mentioned, there’s a bit of info, video, and later in the thread another video. The question was from naypo about Portuguese knitting and speed/comfort. The method I describe and link is not Portuguese but you likely know that
https://forum-new.knittinghelp.com/t/portuguese-knitting-any-converts/163352/3?u=creations
I knit exactly like Carol Feller! But my right index finger takes all the brunt so I sometimes have to give it a rest!
I did a course on two handed stranded knitting and that was a game changer too in mixing up my styles but in tension critical projects, I usually revert to the right index finger method!
I think I was taught like you Creations, with the needle resting on the top of the thumb web, but I changed to holding it on top because the needle wobbled too much when the project was heavy!!
I think we knit the same!
Stephanie Pearl McFee knits pretty much like this with dpns too although she is more persistent with keeping the right needle still, I see no need to always have it still, sometimes I move the right more and keep the left still, sometimes the right still and move the left, I think it helps reduce fatigue/pain.
My index finger has also at times become a bit tired. I now tension to make the wrap with index and middle finger together which means I can allow my index finger to opt out altogether if I need it to and it relaxes.
Carol Feller has a tension wrap with her little finger bent and very pink knits tensions with a really cramped up little finger (i saw a video she mentioned this, she said she’s never had problems with it). I used to cramp up my little finger in the exact way of very pink knits but started getting pain so switched few years ago and now have a relaxed little finger which has helped a lot too.
I use continental for a second colour too.
Thank you for this help, Creations!
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Wow - that is really impressive! I am really not looking for speed as much as just wishing it didn’t feel so awkward. I suspect it’s an attitude adjustment that is required for me!
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I’m in the ‘cramped little finger’ camp 
.
I’ve tried / am trying to bring second finger into play but the muscle memory just won’t shift!!
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Yes, for me it’s not about speed, enjoyment and comfort are my priorities. What I really like is the purls feeling just like the knits, really comfortable and rhythmic.
Any change to kntting style would feel uncomfortable initially, so it’s all a balance and choice of what to change, if anything at all.
I shifted to using both fingers at once for the wrap before deciding I could leave my index finger relaxed sometimes and use just my middle finger. If you ever fancy a try that way.
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I will give that a try! My index finger is a truly bent and knobbly affair!!
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You’re definitely not alone in finding purling tedious when knitting flat! One trick you might try is the Norwegian purl, which keeps the yarn at the back and can help maintain a better rhythm. Another option is continental purling, which might feel more fluid. It can take some practice, but many find it speeds up their knitting. Lastly, consider the combination method, where you wrap purls differently to make knitting back easier. Experimenting with techniques might make purling more enjoyable for you!
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The only way I found to correct my excessively loose purl stitches was to hold the needles very close to the tips, as someone suggested above. Made a huge difference!