Elann Community Chat Center - Previous Website Chat - Purling (con`t) - Messages

Message from CatBookMom

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:23:13 GMT

I saw Beth Reinsel-Brown, who`s well-known in Scandinavian knitting groups, knit 2 color ribbing with the Norwegian Purl; just amazing. That`s a good YouTube video, Alice. Thanks for the link.

Message from Alice Trueman

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:03:02 GMT

I Norwegian purl as shown in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE1u5rmqrH8
Stitches never get twisted. I was taught by a Norwegian friend who was taught by her grandmother in a little village close to the Swedish border. Aase thought probably her grandmother`s grandmother had purled that way too. So it`s tried and true. Looks awkward to begin with, but with practice gets very fast.

Alice
Salt Spring Island

Message from

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:25:17 GMT

Hi Suzann Feeling better? Been worried about you!!!

Message from CatBookMom

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:52:33 GMT

>>For those wanting to switch from throwing their yarn with the RH to knitting this combination method, I`d recommend practicing continental first (get that yarn into your LH!)<<

Practice! I totally agree! I knitted a baby blanket, with something like 6 rows of knits, 2 of purls, which began to get the `picking` firmly in my muscle memory. Purling from the yarn in the left hand took longer.

Message from Billie

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:13:27 GMT

Oops! (That`s twice in one thread!)
I forgot to add the link for the videos/purl-stitch...

http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/purl-stitch

Just as with the knit stitch videos, the page starts with continental, then English/throwing, and then Combination.

When she taught me, Diane had me do a practice swatch and within 3-4", I got it. But I suspect this method came fairly easy into my little brain because I was trying so hard already to master how to hold the working yarn in my LH. For those wanting to switch from throwing their yarn with the RH to knitting this combination method, I`d recommend practicing continental first (get that yarn into your LH!), because having to pay attention to the orientation of the stitches PLUS babysit yarn tension PLUS deal with new coordination skills might be frustrating to do at the same time.

Message from Billie

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:55:43 GMT

This is another good one for seeing the differences:

http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knit-stitch

As for holding the yarn, I hold it the same way as I do for continental, tho` I admit I usually start each row with the working yarn in my RH just for that 1st stitch, regardless of what method I`m using. Then I move the yarn to my LH; for tension, it goes over my pointer and "bad-manners finger" (I hang around with too many little kids!), under my ring finger and then a wrap around my baby finger once. The tension is pretty consistent...though I do squirm a bit when the really good knitters look at my work! Who wouldn`t??

Message from kknittr

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:35:47 GMT

http://explaiknit.typepad.com/let_me_explaiknit/2006/04/ill_take_the_co.html

I was curious too and found the above site an extremely interesting,clearly written explanation of combo knitting.

Message from suzann

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:31:10 GMT

Libby in Combined the purl stitch is twisted. On the knit rows you knit in the back of the stitch so your knitting untwists. It works fine with flat knitting except. Decreases have to be done differently as the are twisted. And knitting in the round doesn`t work. If you knit Combined in the round your knitting will bias badly
I knit Combined when I do flat SS. It does produce a very smooth SS. I think because the purl stitch doesn`t get to be loose as it sometimes is in normal knitting
Continental is when the yarn is held in the left hand.
don`t tell anyone but I knit Combined Continental. The first thing I knitted in the round looked like a barber poll :-} It was that twisted
Hi folks
Suzann

Message from bets

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:11:40 GMT

I thought I replied to this topic earlier!!! I think I scoop too, like Marta!

B

Message from thechartreuseshepherd

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:40:53 GMT

Haven`t gotten on the computer yet....but I have brought out my knitting and am experimenting with different ways to controll the yarn tension for both knitting and purling. I need to break my ...50 year habit.....I think I have always wrapped my finger..... Hard to break a habit but it can be done! In the 70`s I found out I was somehow twisting my purl stitch. Had to correct this....Wasn`t too hard making the change .... of course I am old now. We will see if you can teach an old dog new tricks or not!!!

Message from thechartreuseshepherd

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:32:36 GMT

Message from Libby

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:59:23 GMT

What is the difference between combo knitting and continental knitting?

The only difference I see is the way that the yarn is wrapped on the needle

Message from CatBookMom

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:36:27 GMT

I took a class in combo knitting from Annie, but I`ve never really used it much. After much practice with continental knitting, I`ve mastered a minimal-motion twitch with my forefinger to drop the yarn under the right needle to make a purl stitch, and it moves along at a good rate.

Message from thechartreuseshepherd

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:12:25 GMT

Billie...I will check out that site when I can get to the computer...I mostly use my mobile phone now days. I did just recently get on to Ravelry....however have not really gotten on as I can`t seem to do it on the mobile! my name...if I remember right is love2ewe. (I actually have 3 ewes right now....)
I do knit continental ...but seldom able to get the right tension on my yarn, so end up wrapping my pointer finger many times and knit from that till the yarn is used up and then I re wrap.... anxious to see how you do.... will check as soon as I can and try to get on Ravelry. After DS leaves I will get more computer time. I am a bit slow today..I woke up to a terrible head ache that I can`t get rid of!

Message from Marta

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:33:27 GMT

Cool links! I think I knit combination (although I know how to "throw") but AM has a funny way of holding the yarn. I just hold it like my aunts used to, resting on the left index, and the right needle scoops it up, so to speak. It is a very fluid movement.
(I also tend to purl in what EZ called "the lazy way" because it is so much faster- unless I am doing lace and there are more right than left slants in the next row.)
But, as EZ also said, whatever method works...

Marta

Message from Billie

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:57:58 GMT

Oops, I guess I could have clarified this for anyone else reading it...Cheryl (chartreuseshepherd) and I were discussing Combination (or Combo) knitting.

Message from Billie

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:54:12 GMT

I think I can do better than a written description, Cheryl! Check this out:

http://www.anniemodesitt.com/clips/combo_K&P_demo.mov

Diane taught me just at about the same time that I`d decided I wanted to make continental my method of choice rather than throwing, so the first trick to teach old dogs was holding that working yarn in a reasonably relaxed left hand. Once I had a grip (pun) on holding the yarn, the RH just seemed to zip along picking stitches so naturally! It was really easy to learn.

Lace is easier now, stockinette is faster, and ribbing is even more fun! For me, the only downside I`ve discovered (the hard way) is ribbing socks that are knit in the round, and this is because combo knitting relies on knitting what I consider ass-backwards, followed by purling bass-ackwards on the wrong side to correct the twist of your knit stitches! Well, with the socks knit in the round, you never work from the wrong side. So the ribs end up spiralled and too tight. The other tricky thing for me with the combo method was K2tog & SSK; I had the two mixed up!!

Although I prefer it, I`m not an exclusive combo-knitter now. Besides socks, I prefer to do large garter st pieces knitting with both the continental and throwing methods. I`ll switch back and forth between the methods and this allows my hands a bit of a break from the repetitiveness of only one method. And I`m lucky because my tension doesn`t seem to change significantly when I switch. touchwood.

Again, learning the hard way, I now note it on my pattern which method I`m using. If I start with combo, I have to stay with combo the whole time. There`s no option of switching back and forth between methods, and there`s a major problem if you forget which method you`re using...ask me how I know!

Are you on Ravelry? LMK...my Rav name is "Billie" (...how imaginative, eh?)