Changing Color when Knitting

Since I posted the crochet one I thought I would post this one. This time of year so many patterns call for a color change. When changing colors it is important to do it correctly. Hope this helps!
Happy Stitching!

Continental Knitting

Continental or German knitting is a faster method as it uses both hands simultaneously with less motion. Thus both right and left hand knitters use the same technique. Continental style of knitting is an ideal way to work a teo color design as one color can be held and worked with each hand. The one disadvantage to continental knitting that it takes constat effort on order to keep an even tension and maintain a correct gauge. Happy Stitching!

How to Knit Continetal Method

1: Thread yarn through fingers of left hand: under little finger, over ring finger, under middile over and then around index finger. Tension will be controlled mainly by the index finger.

2: Hold needles in usal way eith left hand holding needle with stitches to be knitted and the other needle in righ hand.

3: Keeping yarn at back of work insert needle into stitch on left needle as to knit

4: Bring point of right needle over to the right and then under yarn coming from left index finger

5: Draw right needle with yearn through stitch. Drop old stitch off left needle. One knit stitch made.

 

How to Purl Using Continental Method

1: Hold needles and yarn in same manner as for knitting in the continental method except yarn is held in front of needles.

2:  Insert right needle into stitch on left needle as to purl with needle going behind uarn coming from left index finger.

3: Bring point of right needle up and over yarn coming from left index finger then bring needle with yarn down to working stitch on left needle. If needed use left index finger to help manipulate the yarn.

4: Draw right needle with yarn through stitch. Drop old stitch off left needle. One purl stitch made.

Hints: Continental knitting is a better method for left handers to learn instead of knitting the left handed way because it makes it musch easier for a left hander to follow pattern instructions.

Picking up a stitch

 All knitters occasionally make mistakes and accidentally drop stitches off the needles. Don’t worry! Most errors can be corrected quite easily. Since knitting is formed of loops ( stitches) pulled through previously made loops all the way up the fabric, you can pick up dropped stitches using one or both of the two following methods.

Happy Stitching!

How to Pick up a Dropped Knit Stitch

Dropped stitches on stockinette stitch are very quick and easy to pick up using a crochet hook and this method of picking up a dropped stitch.

On knit side of fabric, insert crochet hook into dropped loop front to back, hook strand of row directly above and pull it through loop on hook. Continue in this way up working row, then carefully transfer stitch to needle in correct position by inserting needle through front of stitch. If stitch is not placed back on needle correctly, the stitch will be twisted when worked on the following row.

How to Pick up a Dropped Purl Stitch

Garter stitch, ribbing or other pattern stitches of knit and purl combinations require both methods of picking up dropped stitches. The previous method of picking up a dropped knit stitch and this method for picking up a dropped purl stitch. This will take a little longer, but is not difficult to do. Simply determine whether the stitch you are picking up is a knit stitch or a purl stitch. Then us the appropriate method.

On purl side of  fabric, insert crochet hook into dropped loop from back to front with loose strand of row above in front dropped loop, hook strand and pull it through loop on hook. Continue in this way up to working row, With drawing hook each time from loop after strand is pulled through and inserting hook again in correct position ( as before) to be able to pull the next strand through. When working row is reached, transfer stitch to needle in correct position by inserting needle into front of stitch.

Changing Color when Knitting

I posted changing colors for crochet so I thought I would do it for knitting. Changing colors when knitting isn’t hard even for the beginner. Just make sure you are doing it right.
Happy Stitching!