I learned how to crochet first ... then tried the american/british style of knitting. I was hopeless at it.
Then almost nine months later, I attempted the continental method and finally learned how to knit. I am by no means an expert but I am a little faster now.
I have been told that continental knitting in the round is the most efficient way to knit. I don't know how true this is since I only know one way to knit. I find that most guides on the net are geared towards the first method you learned. It makes me a little frustrated.
I am right handed but often times I am left hand dominant so this method really clicked for me.
As for your finger, are you pressing down too hard? I would have someone at the yarn store you mentioned watch you knit a few rows to trouble shoot.
On one of the other threads, I mentioned some links for continental style knitting, I think the one that boheme-anne started. I also really found that both SnB books (esp. the glossary of stitches in the 2nd one) helped quite a bit as well as reading “Knitting in Plain English.” Also the Susan Bates booklet called “My Knitting Teacher” was recommended by the yarn shop I go to. It is about $5 and it shows you both methods. The patterns are outdated but the directions are right on
Hope that helps!!
Posted by boheme-anne on 2005-01-21 22:13:47
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I can't understand the continental method, it only pisses me off. Some ladies I know at work that knit didn't even know what continental knitting was so that can't show me. Thanks ti and execudiva for the website info, I'll have to check them out.
Posted by stella on 2004-12-30 01:11:35
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boheme-anne, it sounds like you're doing "mirror knitting" or "knitting backwards". it's pretty common for lefties who teach themselves how to knit to do this, but it's pretty weird in the knitting world, and it makes it *really* hard to follow patterns. i CAN knit backwards, and i sometimes do for certain techniques, but it's much more versatile to be able to knit in the "normal" direction.
the thing is, left-handed people don't need to knit any differently from right-handed people. if you have a knitting book that gives "continental" knitting directions, you may be more comfortable with that, because you hold the yarn in the left hand. but you still start with the cast-on stitches on your left needle, and work them onto the right needle.
if you want to knit the way most people do, try to follow the pictures in a knitting book WITHOUT reversing them. you will start with your cast on stitches on the left needle.
Posted by quaisior on 2005-09-30 01:35:35
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I'm also a lefty and I tried some of the continental knitting directions I found online, but I've found that the English method works better for me. Crochet has been my big lefty nightmare though. My mom and all of my aunts who know how to crochet are all righties and it's hard for them to teach me. I got so frustrated trying to learn from my mom that I cried. I finally sat across from her instead of next to her and that's when I started to actually understand what I was supposed to do. I still haven't progressed past chain stitch though- partly because of the confusion and partly because I find knitting to be more fun.
I also had problems with scissors in the past, so now I'm so used to using them right-handed that it's actually difficult to use lefty or universal scissors in my left hand.
And I just thought of something: my future children could have a lot of the same issues if they are righties because my future husband and I are both lefties. I guess it will be time to send them to their grandmas if we can't teach them something. LOL
