For my own part, here are some of my great take-aways:
- Eastern European knitting (which may also be known as combination knitting)! I sense that this is the left-handed knitting option I'm going to get with. I practiced quite a bit last night and, gotta say, knitting through the back of the loop on the knit stitch means that making the purl stitch is super easy (by comparison with Continental-style purl stitch).
- Moreover, the cast-on which Berta, the instructor of this Eastern Euro video illustrates, which is quite like long-tail cast on but produces a MUCH better and stretchier edge, is so easy and so great, I suspect I'll rarely ever use another. BTW, this is the the cast on I recommend for A Simple Sock, now that I've learned it. If only I knew what it was called!
- I'm starting to realize that all of knitting is about the "tensioning" of the yarn. If you can find a way to tension consistently (at whatever gauge, within reason), you've got a method. The reason I can't lever knit YET (though what I do has many properties of that method, which is likely why I groove into a good pace) is because I can't figure out how to hold the yarn effectively for my body's preferred movement and my brain's predilections. The reason why Eastern Eur works better for me (vs Continental), so far, is because I can grasp elements of the movement (simpler than Continental, truthfully). Don't misunderstand. I SUCK at it. But I can see how time and practice - and body awareness (there it is again...) will lead to new abilities.
- Efficiency can be defined broadly. Sure, this sounds simplistic, but I love to hear about how people use a certain style because, on balance, it produces an efficient outcome. I may not knit as fast as an experienced lever knitter, but I have a system that produces. It has to do with the rhythm I can find naturally, the way I approach a pattern, the process of knitting, for me, in general and my personality. In light of this, I bet that some of you Continental peeps could do a pair of socks in 10 hours - not the 14 I'll likely spend - on the basis of your stitch speed. But, will you do it? What else facilitates or hinders your production? Do you care?
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Ooh, how exciting! I'm a beginning continental knitter (I switched as now that I crochet a lot I find it tensioning easier than when right handed knitting). But I'm finding the purling really difficult so I might try this eastern european combination method.
ReplyDeleteI'm too much of a doofus yet for sock knitting, so I haven't been following this series closely, but I'll revise that now!
Definitely try the Eastern Euro. If you can knit through the back stitch happily, then the purl is a piece of cake.
DeleteBTW, you can always refer to the KAL when you're ready to knit socks but, really, as long as you know how to cast on, bind off, increase, decrease, knit and purl, you should be able to do it. Maybe give it a go just for kicks :-)
I used to be able to do a pair of plain socks in 8 hours (Continental). But I doubt I can do that any more; I'm finding as I age that I can't knit for long stretches of time like I used to be able to, and if I do any more than about 2 hours a day I start to develop a RSI. These days I don't really care how long it takes me to produce an item (although I used to). For me knitting is a relaxing activity, always there for me when I want to take a break from everything else and just kick back.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I really don't know why I care. I get the socks knit. People like them. They get worn. I make more socks. What's the big deal? Partly, I just like learning new things (when they're easy) and improving. Partly, if there's a "better" method, why am I not doing it? Is it possible though that people pick up needles and know how to knit (for them)? Maybe I knit as well as I do because I'm doing it the way my brain wants to. Or is that a total cop out?
DeleteNo, I get it. I'm totally non-competitive where other people are concerned, but I am always trying to best myself! Relaxing is a very recent trend for me :-)
DeleteI'm moving into this same trend, I hope. I see it around the margins, out of my peripheral vision. Just gotta wait for it to land.
DeleteThat is an exciting post -- I was going to follow up and say I'm still struggling with my continental knitting (my hands get tired after an hour) -- got to build up my stamina. But, your last post made a light bulb go off in my head -- I was taking my right hand off the needles when throwing -- I'm going to investigate this online. And, TOTALLY agree with you purling is so much easier continental. I'm going to check out the eastern european method. I think it's all about efficiency -- the more efficient you can be the better for your body and speed of the stitch!
ReplyDeleteGo to YouTube and check out Flicking or Flick knitting. (Ex: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezH4qpn3org). That's British style where you use a fulcrum and don't remove your hand from its position on the right needle. I warn you, it's not easy and it takes me 5 times as long as my inefficient method. I timed it :-) Presumably, once you sort it out, you get faster.
DeleteThanks!! Great tip! A Christmas Vacay goal:)
DeleteGood luck Pam! Keep me posted.
DeleteOh dear. What is being done in that video IS what I call a long-tail cast on. Hah! What have I been doing now??? (was doing German Twisted thinking it was long tail for about a year.).
ReplyDeleteGotta love the many different ways and variations in knitting, right??
Kudos to you for trying out all these different methods. You'll figure it out sooner or later and will be knitting like a MACHINE. ;-D
Ha! I do something, without the twist, that I call long tail cast on. Who cares what it's called, I say! I don't know if I'll ever knit like a machine. But getting a machine isn't a bad idea... :-)
Deleteps. I was watching someone knit English like this 'pencil' method at knit night last week and it is SPEEDY. I also think it looks quite cool. heh.
ReplyDeleteI think that's the Flicking method I've decided to try in earnest. It's like lever knitting for circulars. I think it's the fastest of the fast - if you can manage to do it at more than 20 per cent speed (which is where I'm at).
DeleteSo funny, that is what I've been calling long tail cast on, too. Is there a different method?
ReplyDeleteI don't worry too much about speed. I can knit faster when I put my mind to it, but it takes some very deliberate concentration. Mostly, I like to just knit along at an non-deliberate/comfortable pace. What I'm hoping is that knitting will be like running: adding some sprints to your workout will, over time, speed up your normal cruising along pace. So, I've been trying to add some knitting sprints to every session. Fingers crossed!
I don't twist at first, when I do long tail - and the cast on isn't anywhere near as stretchy and it looks totally different. Maybe I've been doing it wrong, but I learned from knittinghelp.com and I was pretty observant.
DeleteI think your attitude about speed is so smart. For some reason, I can't take that stance - yet. I also sense I need some professional help - I mean knitting help! I am likely doing things that can be corrected more easily if an expert is observing them.
I am quite astonished to have seen that video, as over the many years since I first learned to knit I have gradually changed many aspects of how I knit from how I learned as a child to what seems most simple and easy and fast for me... and apparently I have independently chosen to knit in the Eastern European style, aside from the cast on, which I will now have to try our... I always thought I was odd because my purl stitches required me to knit into the back, but the way I formed them was eversomuch faster than the way I first learned, that it was worth it to me to do my knit stitches differently than most of my friends...
ReplyDeleteIsn't it fun when that happens?! Good for you. Efficiency is obviously a priority in your mind. :-)
DeleteI'm totally with you about "efficiency should be defined broadly". In the old days knitting was the most easy way to get some warm clothes, but not anymore.
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope that with Eastern Euro you will have less problems with yarn tension.
I've been practicing but I still vastly prefer my own method, because I'm used to it - and because it came to me naturally. I will keep trying however. I want to know more methods to give more choice. And all of this learning is good for my brain - even if I don't get to the place I want to be for a long, long time.
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