New Tricks
After years of happy crocheting interspersed with the occasional rant about how "knitters get all the good patterns >[" I finally broke down and decided that it was time to stop being stubborn and learn to knit. So I got myself one of those handy little "learn to knit" kits that came with a couple pairs of needles, stitch markers and other handy little odds and ins, and a book.
The book, of course, jumped right into knitting English style, throwing Continental style in there later as something of an afterthought. I took a good look at both methods and quickly concluded that the Continental method was not for me. I just looked silly. Why use one hand almost exclusively when you have two perfectly good ones? And your left hand, at that! Must be good for lefties...
So that was that. I learned the basics and went merrily along, throwing happily. Until I ran into a far different book than the one I started with. Domiknitrix was kind enough to let me in on a little sectret. The Continental method is faster and easier on one's wrists and hands. Really?! Well, that last bit's nice, but you had me at "faster."
I had already been lamenting my slowness, wishing there were some way to get things done faster. There were so many things I wanted to knit, and I only had one lifetime! Needless to say, I was sold. So I studied the book's Continental method tutorial, squinted at the pictures, muttered to myself a lot as I tried it out. I got the idea of it. But no matter how hard I tried then and over the next few days, I just couldn't get comfortable. It was awkward. Like trying to write with my left hand. These were things my left hand was just not meant to do.
So I gave up and went back to my slower and less efficient English style. I'd just have to cultivate patience (and probably a huge collection of UFOs...)
And that was precisely what I was trying to do until a few days ago, when I decided on a whim that I was going to start working on a hat I'd been planning. This was my first project in the round, so I grabbed one of my books to look at the method for joining and discovered after knitting my first row that my books were terribly remiss in this area. Something was missing. I was knitting a flat piece on a circular needle (which, I admit, did give me a certain sense of power; like putting a square peg in a round hole). Not what I was going for.
So I frowned at my knitting, frowned at my book, made a lot of thoughtful grumbly noises... and then it occurred to me. The answer was right in front of my face (quite literally, as the lapstop was sitting there playing pretty music for me). Youtube!
Sure enough, a quick search gave me a great video.
Well, that was easy. And it occurred to me then that there were probably also video tutorials for Continental style knitting. Another search, and sure enough I found a bunch. I just picked the first one on the list:
I hadn't even watched the whole video before I just had to pick up my needles and give it a go. It was still just a bit awkward, but no worse than learning to knit had been in the first place, and I fairly comfortable with it quite quickly. And then I did a happy little dance. I love learning new things! ^__^
I can't say it's all that much faster just yet, as I'm still getting the hang of it. But I can see the potential for it to be much faster. And while I haven't knit for any particularly long period of time with this method yet, I do think I could go for quite some time without any wrist/hand fatigue. And, for me, it's had the added bonus of improving my tension, which has always been just a bit tight. It seemed terribly loose and bothered me a bit at first, but after a few rounds I got used to it and realized it was really just right (See, Goldilocks just needed a new perspective =P).
So now I'm well on my way with the Stirling Cloche from One-Skein Wonders: 101 Yarn Shop Favorites. This will also be my first encounter with felting. What an adventure! XD I'll post some pictures soon. When it starts looking more like a hat... =P
The book, of course, jumped right into knitting English style, throwing Continental style in there later as something of an afterthought. I took a good look at both methods and quickly concluded that the Continental method was not for me. I just looked silly. Why use one hand almost exclusively when you have two perfectly good ones? And your left hand, at that! Must be good for lefties...
So that was that. I learned the basics and went merrily along, throwing happily. Until I ran into a far different book than the one I started with. Domiknitrix was kind enough to let me in on a little sectret. The Continental method is faster and easier on one's wrists and hands. Really?! Well, that last bit's nice, but you had me at "faster."
I had already been lamenting my slowness, wishing there were some way to get things done faster. There were so many things I wanted to knit, and I only had one lifetime! Needless to say, I was sold. So I studied the book's Continental method tutorial, squinted at the pictures, muttered to myself a lot as I tried it out. I got the idea of it. But no matter how hard I tried then and over the next few days, I just couldn't get comfortable. It was awkward. Like trying to write with my left hand. These were things my left hand was just not meant to do.
So I gave up and went back to my slower and less efficient English style. I'd just have to cultivate patience (and probably a huge collection of UFOs...)
And that was precisely what I was trying to do until a few days ago, when I decided on a whim that I was going to start working on a hat I'd been planning. This was my first project in the round, so I grabbed one of my books to look at the method for joining and discovered after knitting my first row that my books were terribly remiss in this area. Something was missing. I was knitting a flat piece on a circular needle (which, I admit, did give me a certain sense of power; like putting a square peg in a round hole). Not what I was going for.
So I frowned at my knitting, frowned at my book, made a lot of thoughtful grumbly noises... and then it occurred to me. The answer was right in front of my face (quite literally, as the lapstop was sitting there playing pretty music for me). Youtube!
Sure enough, a quick search gave me a great video.
Click to viewWell, that was easy. And it occurred to me then that there were probably also video tutorials for Continental style knitting. Another search, and sure enough I found a bunch. I just picked the first one on the list:
I hadn't even watched the whole video before I just had to pick up my needles and give it a go. It was still just a bit awkward, but no worse than learning to knit had been in the first place, and I fairly comfortable with it quite quickly. And then I did a happy little dance. I love learning new things! ^__^
I can't say it's all that much faster just yet, as I'm still getting the hang of it. But I can see the potential for it to be much faster. And while I haven't knit for any particularly long period of time with this method yet, I do think I could go for quite some time without any wrist/hand fatigue. And, for me, it's had the added bonus of improving my tension, which has always been just a bit tight. It seemed terribly loose and bothered me a bit at first, but after a few rounds I got used to it and realized it was really just right (See, Goldilocks just needed a new perspective =P).
So now I'm well on my way with the Stirling Cloche from One-Skein Wonders: 101 Yarn Shop Favorites. This will also be my first encounter with felting. What an adventure! XD I'll post some pictures soon. When it starts looking more like a hat... =P