English-Style Knitting Vs. Continental Knitting

In knitting, there are two most well-known knitting styles, the English knitting style, and continental. The English knitting style is known to be easier to learn and is commonly recommended to beginners, while the continental style is faster. I have always used the continental method, but the ideal knitting style depends on the knitter’s preference. The only difference is how the working yarn is held, but they both achieve the same results.

I find it much easier to follow along with videos rather than articles describing the process with visuals. So I have attached a video of both knitting styles, I recommend referring to this as well.

Video

This tutorial will guide you through the knitting styles, so there are not any specified needle sizes or yarn weights. All you will need are:

• a set of knitting needles
• yarn

Choose to your liking!

For English-style knitting, hold the right and left needles in the corresponding hands and the working yarn in your right hand. I wrap the yarn over my index finger and let the string hang in my hand.

Insert the right needle into the next stitch on the left needle.

Holding onto the needle use your right hand, and guide your index finger around the needle from back to front to wrap the yarn. If you find it difficult for your index finger to reach the tip of the needle, you can remove your right hand from the needle to wrap the yarn.

Keeping a slight tension, use the right needle and pull the yarn through the stitch on the left needle. Slide the stitch off the left needle.

Yay! One stitch has been created with the English knitting style.

For continental knitting, hold the right and left needles in the corresponding hands and the working yarn in your left hand. Like the English style, I wrap the yarn over my index finger and let the string hang in my hand.

Insert the right needle into the next stitch from left to back.

Using your left middle finger, guide the yarn to wrap around the needle from front to back. I recommend referring to the video to see how this is done.

Keeping a slight tension, use the right needle and pull the yarn through the stitch, then slide the stitch off the left needle.

The steps of creating stitches for the two methods are the same: insert, wrap yarn, pull through, and then off. The only difference is how the working yarn is held. However, I found a minor difference in my work that can be easily adjusted with practice.

When creating a gauge swatch using the English knitting style, my tension was tighter as compared to the continental knitting style. Gauge/tension is the number of stitches and rows in a given measurement and should stay constant throughout the piece. It was quite simple to keep the tension of my stitches consistent while using this method, which would help beginners create uniform stitches. Although later on, I think it would be more difficult to adjust the tension to the knitter’s liking. 

Gauge and tension also depend on the yarn’s thickness and needle size. More testing would be required to identify when it is ideal to use the English knitting style. Although I believe this method is good for working with thicker needles and chunky yarn. I find it difficult to hold both the thick needles and yarn while knitting continentally, so in this case, I think the English knitting style would be more efficient. 

Overall, I still prefer knitting continentally due to crocheting and threading the yarn with my left hand. Therefore, I find knitting to be faster when using my left hand and more efficient since there are fewer movements. While testing the English style, I found it inefficient and time-consuming to let go of the right needle in order to wrap the yarn around the needle with my right hand. Of course, with more practice, I was able to warm up to the method and knit with some ease by not removing my hand from the needle and reaching my index finger to the tip of the needle instead.

I’d recommend using the continental knitting style for left-handed people and those who have crocheted previously. However, beginner fiber artists or people who are right-hand dominated may find it easier to use the English method. The ideal technique depends on the knitter, however, both are capable of creating beautiful knit pieces. I recommend trying both knitting styles to find which one is more comfortable and natural for you.