I’ll Knit If I Want To- Episode 170

Welcome to I’ll Knit (& Spin!) If I want To! I asked y’all to send in some of your questions (from everything from fiber arts, to designing and on!) so I could put together a little video for y’all every Friday doing my best to answer your questions!
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In this week’s episode we cover:
1. continental vs english vs whatever the heck I do. I learned to knit from my grandmother and dad, and as family knowledge goes, we knit continental but I've been told it's an Eastern European style, not what is currently considered 'continental' - I hold my yarn in the left hand, but knit through the back loop and purl where you just grab the yarn as it stands rather than wrap from in front to over the needle. When I started knitting again a few years ago I basically had to teach myself how to knit continental in order to follow pattern directions, and even so I frequently reverted to the old purl style, which makes an interesting pattern when done deliberately but a little weird in a cardigan. I've finally knit enough to break the habit, but the problem is, my purl stitches are impossible to keep nice tension in. No matter how hard I try I basically row out every time, and it looks terrible, as well as destroying my overall gauge. I can knit English (slowly and only if I'm forced to for colorwork) but I don't know that switching to English is the solution. I just frogged an entire fingering weight sweater body because the gauge was close in a 4 inch measurement, but the stretch was like 12 inches too much when taken overall. I'm swatching again, and in frustration I switched back to my old style, and magically that swatch looks like a million bucks, lovely even stitches, nice amount of bounce, a fabric I'd like to wear and show off. So FINALLY to my questions - am I the only one? Are there other knitters in this style? Am I a secret third thing? I'm wondering if it's worth reverse engineering every stitch increase/decrease/lace effect in order to use my own personal style of knitting.
2. Hi! I love these weekly chats! In past episodes you have talked about how you block your hats on a balloon. Could you tell us more about how you do that? I tried to block my challenge Traveler Hat on a balloon and failed miserably. I usually block hats flat but thought, with its shaping, this one would like a balloon better. Unfortunately, when I tried to put the wet, floppy hat over the inflated balloon it didn't go well. It slid everywhere and I couldn't get it straight. Maybe I blew the balloon up too big? I ended up blocking the hat flat, and that was fine, but I think it would have been more crisp in 3D. Do you inflate the balloon to a certain circumference? How do you wrangle the wet hat? Would love to know any tips or tricks.
3. I have knitted quite a number of your patterns and they are always so easy to follow and fit me so well. However … I’ve been knitting the Brume in a Sport held with Mohair, which is a gorgeous drapey fabric, and I’ve finished the body and one sleeve. My problem is that the neck is waaay tighter than your pattern shows and I’m not sure I’ll be able to stand it that close to my skin. I must confess I didn’t cast on with your twisted German cast on as I just could NOT figure out how to do it, So I did a long tail cast on instead hoping it would be loose enough as I realised it would need to be for the neckline to be wide ,, but, sadly it’s not. So my question is do you think blocking and streeeetching it will do the trick, or do I need to rip it back from the top and down past where it has been caught for the double over.
4. I've been knitting with a single ply wool sport weight yarn lately. I was wondering if it's possible for me to spin 2 ply's together with a drop spindle to create a heavier weight yarn?
5. I'm wondering if you have any advice on how I translate changes in my swatch pre- and post-blocking to how the actual larger garment will change. I'm using a superwash wool yarn and it grew a full 3/4 of an inch in the swatch. Will my garment also grow 3/4 of an inch or should I expect more growth based on the weight of an entire sweater? Is there something else I need to consider or think about?
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[@FadiaTR]

As a combination knitter it's always a sore thing to hear our mounting style be described as twisted. A live stitch can behave a eastern or western mount but doesn't become twisted unless you knit it that way (for example by working a western-mount knit stitch thorough the back loop or a eastern-mount loop through the front loop). That being said, understanding that I was a combination knitter improved my knitting dramatically from being an occasional scarf knitter for 12+ years to knitting everything my heart desires, including intricate lace and texture patterns. I do have to "translate" just about every direction of a pattern that includes both knits and purls, but I've learned to do it on the fly and it never feels like a burden. I can also use what I learned from combination knitting strategically to modify my mount as needed to lengthen or tighten my stitch lengths, but ultimately combination knitting is my entire knitting style, not a technique.

[@user-hk2tg6th4y]

My Swedish grandmother taught me to knit 80+ yrs ago and all my life I was told my method was "wrong" or "backwards" (Mom knit English secondary to WW2 attitudes), so beyond G'ma teaching me the basics, I was mostly self taught. Along comes the internet and, not only did my style have a name (combined continental, Eastern European, Sami), but many people actually wanted to learn it. For stockinette, I knit in the back and purl (faster than knit) in the front ...... every st gets a little tug and that's how I control tension (tho I've tried other ways, after all these yrs, my brain just won't give up that tug). Tho I've only just analyzed it, my needle goes under the yarn and picks it (yarn goes over needle) thru the loop. With stockinette and this method, my sts are always oriented in the correct direction. I'm a loose knitter, so often have to go down at least one needle size to achieve preferred fabric. Also, when I learned about slipped sts making a neat edge, I found that slipping the last st purlwise & knitting the first st thru the back loop gave me a nicer finish than what most designers call for (slip first p-wise and knit last thru back loop). And, not til the internet, did I know there even was a ssk and then learned that with comb-cont, they're reversed.

[@VictoriaReeseHere]

I am and I have been a combination knitter forever. Not intentionally but that is how I learned knitting when I was a child. Makes purling a breeze and so much easier on my hands. Sure, you have to be aware of how your stitches are on the knit side but after so many years you get so used to it that you know exactly what to do when it comes to SSKs and K2togs etc. Can't wait for your new pattern next week. Big fan here!

[@valgill2474]

When I switched to Continental Knitting from English I struggled with purling. Then I discovered the Norwegian Purling and it changed everything for me. My tension for purling is now consistent. It does feel a little strange when you first start especially if you have knit English style but it becomes second nature after awhile.

[@dreareneeknits]

That’s what I’ve heard from lots of English knitters! So happy you found a method they felt better for you!

[@LiaCoca]

I knit the same way and went through the same journey: learn to knit continental, then experience rowing out. I then tried the Norwegian purl and Portuguese knitting, none of which ultimately worked gauge-wise for me. For anything but lace or complex stitches, I now knit the way I learned, which I believe is Eastern European. When I first start the pattern, however, I go through and rewrite the part that defines how stitches used in the pattern are made because you have to reverse the instructions. Patty Lyons has an excellent video on this for combination knitters and it works for me. So M1L, M1R, SSK etc. are all worked differently and I just mark this in the definition section. Then I knit away, referring to the revised way each stitch in the pattern needs to be worked instead of working it the way a continental knitter would. I have not worked a complicated lace pattern yet, but when I did a pattern with complex stitches in the yoke, I knit it continental in the round as written and then spent a few minutes reoriented the stitches so that I could do the body, all short rows and the ribbing Eastern European style.

[@kates7260]

I think I knit the same combination way, and it took me years to realize... I didn't use a lot of patterns when I started knitting, maybe because this made it frustrating. Now I know that the difference is that my stitches are oriented the "wrong" way on my needles. I just keep in mind that it means that SSK and K2tog are opposite. For lace I like to follow charts and visually it all kind of makes sense to me to see the chart images and translate visually to my knitting. I think there may be a good video by Roxanne Richardson about stitch orientation and different knitting styles. I learned to knit from my grandmother but then was on my own and just kind of started knitting this way since it seemed easier to hold the yarn like crochet. I agree that purling this way is way easier. I have taught myself to knit the "right" way but can't purl that way for a long time without my hands cramping up. I do think generally this way of knitting is looser, so sometimes I try the "right" way for socks or ribbing if I want to try to tighten up my gauge.

[@ailienrhijnsburger5178]

Question 1, this is exactly how i knit. Patty Lyons has some amazing videos about increasing and decreasing in eastern continental/ combination knitting. I can highly recommend those videos, it made a world of difference to me!

[@monicarosenfield9115]

I am also a "combination" knitter, partly because I was a crocheter for many years and having one moving hand and one stationary hand just made sense to my brain, and holding the yarn in my stationary hand is how i was always used to. On top of that I'm also left handed, so i definitely have to do a lot of mental rewriting with shaping and other parts of patterns. It's good to know I'm not the only one, although I definitely had a teacher say "you really do knit very strangely" 😂 No worries, I'm not mad about it - it all looks right in the end and I'm a pretty fast knitter too.

[@annettewiggins2220]

I'm a continental knitter who struggles with maintaining even tension with purling as well! I've got a few strategies that I use, depending on the project. Norwegian purl is wonderful for long stretches of stockinette worked flat - no more rowing out! It also works well for ribbing and easy to adapt for increases and decreases. I will use combination knitting (yarn forward and under the needle) for ribbing, especially in the round. Finally, I've recently learned how to "reverse knit." You don't turn your work on the purl side, but work the stitches from the right needle to the left. Holding the yarn in my left hand, I insert the needle into the back loop of the stitch on the right needle, wrap the yarn over the tip of the left needle, and pull it through the stitch onto the left needle. It took some practice but I've come to really love this. It gives the cleanest edges to stockinette fabric! With more practice, I've learned how to increase and decrease this way too but sometimes it's just easier to turn the work for those stitches.

[@carriewilliame9802]

I thought the twisted German cast on also, but I learned it watching Andreas video. She goes slowly and after a couple of watches I got it

[@Katepwe]

With regard to blocking hats on a balloon……it’s best to block smaller then your head circumference so as to keep some negative ease and not over stretch your hat.

[@KateMH_]

I knit the same way as the person with the first question! I love it!!! I do the Norwegian purl too. I recommend Norah Gaughan books, since she knows a lot about combination knitting and explains how people who do combination knit to adapt patterns for them. Patty Lyons also used to have a class on Craftsy (hopefully it’s still available), which addresses knitting method and styles. The class explains eastern, western, and combination knitting and it’s so helpful!

[@kathyfransen586]

I am so happy to hear that there is a name for my knitting!! I am a combination knitter! As a left handed person.. I learned to knit from my right handed mom, sitting knee to knee with her. I actually love the 1-1 rib as I easily slip the yarn to front to purl and I get into a continental groove. Open to learning other methods, as long as I can still knit ‘left handed’ or ‘mirror’. Thank you for these videos!

[@elisekt1860]

I learned to knit very young the way of the first questioner did and years later when I took up knitting again, I discovered the same thing. What I do is keep the original style but I will see what the next 2 lines have and if just a couple of k2tog, I will just rearrange the sts as I come to them. If there are a lot of decreases, in the next row, I will purl the “right” way, as tightly as I can.

[@gisellecubillos871]

I originally learned to knit from my grandmother and mother and they were/are combination knitters. I remember going to my first "official" class at a LYS and first thing the instructor pointed out was that I was knitting "wrong." I did relearn to knit in the western style so I just conformed. However, my mom recently became interested in knitting patterns. Before she just always freestyle garments, so it didn't matter, but suddenly the results she was a getting were not matching the pattern because it wasn't accounting for her combination knitting. She wasn't about to relearn western style at her age (her words) so she's begun to break down increases/decreases to make a reference tool for herself so that when a pattern calls for one type of inc/dec she can look at that and know how she needs to form it with her style of knitting.

[@palakp310]

I'm also a passionate combination knitter. Its a fantastic way to knit, and i feel that I read my knitting better as a result of really having to understand what my stitches are doing. But a shortcut for using patterns are: 1) always knit/purl into the leading leg (leg closest to the needle tip) of the stitch if you don't want twisted stitches 2) for decreases, just reorient your stitches so the leading leg is in the front before working the decrease as written in the pattern. Thats it! With that tiny bit of effort, you can reap the benefits of combination knitting.

[@kristinahill3708]

I learn so much here every week. Thank you!

[@sharonmerton9812]

Thanks Andrea. Loved your discussion around gauge - a big one to get ha. 🥰🙏🏼

[@audreyhackel8709]

I also learned to knit combination and struggled when I first attempted to knit lace. I finally figured what I was doing "wrong," and taught myself to knit "regular" continental. I use the thumb purl, wrapping the yarn with my thumb, and have no problem with rowing out. My tension is almost exactly as even as it was when I knit combination. I thought I was doing something weird, until I googled "thumb purl" and found out it's a real thing! There are several KZbin videos demonstrating this method, if you need help learning it. It's also way more comfortable than wrapping with your index finger.

[@annamarasco262]

I knit with an eastern stitch mount and because I am left-handed, I also knit off of the right needle onto the left and I tension the yarn on my right hand. I wrap the yarn in the opposite direction. I don't have twisted stitches and I like the fabric I get. I did have to learn how to adjust my slanted decreases and increases. Now that I have knitted for.many years, I don't sweat it at all.

[@kala3765]

maybe the person asking the first question knits russian or eastern style (which might be the same as combination knitting)? not sure i fully get how they purl stitches (yarn in front or back) but there are instructions out there on how to increase and decrease knitting russian style!

[@mamelvik]

I'm a combination knitter, Norwegian purler. I also knit backwards instead of purling whenever I'm working stockinette back and forth. I don't find it needs a lot of adjusting, except for untwisting some of my combination purls before working decreases. Combination knitting in ribbing also makes the Italian cast-off a lot easier to work!

[@michalraviv2777]

I am aslo a combination knitter who found that out only when i started using pattern. Thank you rhank you thank you for asking that question. Fir now i managed to figure out thar Ssk and K2 together are reversed for us. But I've been too scared to try and figure out increases. So happy to hear there are videos of people who figured it out

[@beanaasz4069]

When you read the first question I went , "Yes." I learned to knit continental, that is carrying the yarn in my right hand, but my purl rows always rowed out and row gauge was impossible to achieve. I absolutely hated purling. This was all before internet, but somewhere I read about Norwegian purling and loved it. Then I thought, why not wrap my knit stitches the same as my purl stitches and have all my stitches oriented the same way. I don't even rewrite my patterns, I just know that SSK is knit 2 together and knit 2 together is SSK for me. The same with a lot of other stitches. If there are decreases stacked (think the gusset of a sock) I will do one side with the stitches mounted back of needle leading and one side front of needle leading and just switch them when I have finished. I hope this makes some kind of sense, I don't know how else to explain it. I am so happy that other people knit as I do. I think it is why I struggle with kitchener stitch because I just knit and purl differently and have to concentrate so much on orientation of stiches and the direction I put the needle through the stitch.

[@cellotag]

I'm knitting my first Inclinations shawl out of some handspun i purchased at a yarn festival and I'm having so much fun! I was scared of "Half Fisherman's Rib" as it was something I've never done (experienced beginner here), but your video made it so easy. Can't wait for my finished shawl, and excited to see what you have for us next week!

[@WildGuardianPursuits]

I knit some weird version of English (yarn in right hand) but I also have to knit through the back loop after a purl row. I've been told this is because I wrap the yarn clockwise instead of counterclockwise for both knits and purls. I have figured out how to make it work for all the different types of stiches and don't plan on changing as I never row out and have never had the typical issue of my purls being larger than my knits.

[@sweetyarnsstore]

For the first question about combination knitting and purling issues, have you tried knitting backwards (continuing to look at the right side and working back the opposite way) instead of purling? I really like doing it for flat stockinette. I've seen lots of videos for it on KZbin.

[@dreareneeknits]

Oo interesting- thanks for sharing!

[@leslieburgess7166]

It sounds like Eastern European knitting. I’m obsessed with Russian design patterns and whenever I watch tutorials they knit through the back loop and purl how you described it. If you can find an English tutorial for the increases/decreases, etc it might be easier than teaching yourself a new way to knit. ❤

[@dianachristie5700]

FIBER CHATS has great videos about the combination continental!

[@lighthearteddesigns5493]

I knit that way.

[@daniellem905]

Is it Eastern Uncrossed knitting? There are so many different styles-so interesting!

[@Kera.S.]

Patty Lyons book, Knitting Bag of tricks has info about different methods and combination knitting. Along with pretty much most things needed to know.

[@sc00badive]

I'm a combination knitter, I think the moves are more efficient. It's a non issue unless you're adding stitches, they need to lean in the correct direction. The biggest issue is when you're doing short rows knitting top down, the purl stitches are twisted & it shows right up around the neck. I made the best fitting Tee of my life and it has those twisted stitches. If that had been knitted flat and seamed together, there wouldn't be an issue, but knitting top down with short rows means twisted stitches. I'm going to try purling the way everyone else does for the short rows, and see if it looks normal. If so, problem solved.

[@emmiegriffin]

for question 1: when you do the Norwegian purl, try and grab the front leg and it should keep the stitches oriented the correct way so you don't have to knit in the back loop to fix it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/imaXkqOthdCliMksi=PnwhTuMHKMoIATCg

[@user-tm1jk3un3g]

I also knit differently than the traditional English and Continental method. I hold the yarn in my left hand and wrap with the left hand. I get comments from some knitters who watch me. Is this an unusual knitting style?

[@trishgoose442]

This is Eastern style for sure, which results in a faster easier purl which needs to be untwisted in the following row by knitting through the back loop - uses less yarn, and is easier than Norwegian, but I still prefer Portuguese purl as the quickest, easiest and neatest way😊

[@dreareneeknits]

Thanks for chiming in!

[@nicolelafontaine1720]

🥰

[@lunardesignstudiolinda1256]

I knit exactly as the First Lady. I find it impossible to follow a pattern esp a sock.I finally gave in and retaught myself how to knit like everyone else. I’m now 2 inch’s toe up sock wow it’s worth relearning!,,

[@jessicatretola4682]

I knit continental and norwegian purl. I have yet to figure out how to purl this way through the back loop. Does anyone have any insight on this?