I learned how to knit in my Catholic schools with a Spanish nun. I learned how to knit without turning (no purling to get stockinette stich), but I have noticed that nobody else in the world seem to knit that way.
Was that a “freaky nun” or a “Spanish thing”?
I find the traditional method very uncomfortable (unless it’s garter stitch) and wonder how the hell mine is not the “standard” method. BTW, I keep the yarn on the left hand regardless of direction. Needless to say, I have to adapt patterns to this method, not a problem, since I rarely knit from patterns.
I haven’t seen her do it, but according to my mother, who tried to teach her to knit, my step-niece does this same kind of thing. Mom thought it might have something to do with her being left-handed. I don’t know. But it works for her, and it seems to work for you. Maybe you’re just very efficient and creative.
I think my mom knits left-handed, and she’s otherwise a rightie in all things. She’s been knitting for ages, since she was a tiny one. She also doesn’t use patterns much, and can knit me sweaters from pictures. She’s awesome.
I taught myself from a book and have never heard of this, but I’ll have to try it out. It sounds much more efficient, and I’m slower purling than knitting.
ETA: Those of you who knit without turning, any suggestions or tips you could give me?
This is one of those things that one hears whispers and echoes about, but almost never sees. There are patterns to knit basically anything in the round, these days, which is even easier.
I can knit backwards when convenient - mostly for working bobbles - but it’s not something I’ve tried for a whole row.
As long as you get results you like, and you’ve obviously figured out how to modify where necessary, good for you!
I’ve never heard it mentioned as a Spanish or nun thing, freaky or otherwise.
There are many advantages to knitting without turning: the right side always faces me, the tension is more consistent, no waste of time turning a small piece of work, faster as it’s always knitting (I turn when I am knitting garter though).
BTW, patterns for knitting in the round can’t be followed verbatim with “my” method. One doesn’t always knit in the same direction but back and forth (like machines). Fair isle is much easier my way too (only did it once, in school, I don’t like fair isle).
I’m right-handed and initially learned right-handed knitting, but then taught myself left-handed knitting because it’s so much faster. So now I normally knit left-handed, but I knit fair isle with a different color on each hand. I find it’s not to bad that way.
It’s unusual, but not unheard of. And not freaky either. Just different. I saw Lucy Neatby do it in one of her DVDs. I haven’t been able to master it yet but it’s something I want to learn. It should help with some of the repetitive stress injury I’m having from knitting the conventional way.
I’ve done it backwards only for a few stitches. To get started I inserted the right needle into the next stitch in the usual way, but without looping the yarn I turn the work around to see how it looks from the back. Then I take the right needle back out and put it back in while looking at it from the back, (except the right needle is the left needle from the backward angle). That helps me get used to seeing how it looks backwards. Then I turn it back to the front and loop the working yarn in the conventional way, then turn the work around to look at that too, unloop the yarn, and then loop it again from the back. And then I do all these same steps again while pulling the looped stitch through the loop and off the needle. It’s tedious and awkward at first, but makes clear sense after a few tries. No matter which side I’m knitting from I hold the working yarn in my right hand. Even when you’re knitting backwards I don’t think it matters which hand holds the working yarn. Of course you can also purl backwards.
Also google for “knitting backwards” or “backward knitting” and you’ll likely find more help.
Finding videos is not that difficult. I put “knitting backwards” in google and found these…
Here’s one for English (working yarn in right hand)…
And here’s one for Continental (working yarn in left hand)
These are both purling backwards to create stockinette. You can also “knit” backwards. Just always remember to wrap the yarn counterclockwise, (unless you’re one of those knitters who wraps it clockwise, which is another set of problems, yikes!)
I’m working on a gorgeous blue sweater with a simple pattern. I’ve only finished 1/3 of it. And right now my left hand and arm are sore, muscles and tendons. I keep having to stop to take breaks, so this is very slow going. Obviously I’m a wuss. Sigh. I REALLY need to learn how to knit backwards. Also learning Continental will probably help me.
There is a comment about how this is slower than purling, I am sure the knitter went slower to demonstrate the technique. I am much faster than it shows in the video.
And have you gone from feeling like a freak, to bragging? LOL.
BTW I never doubted that you were fast. While the rest of us are turning the work, repositioning the needles, and also our hands, and untwisting/untangling our different colored balls, you’re probably almost back to the other end of the row, ha!
And thanks for bringing this up. After looking up those videos I do feel more inspired now.
I wish I knew how to do that! I can do Continental style if I HAVE to, like for two color knitting.
Also, I wish I could knit with less reliance on patterns. My “talent” seems to lie in learning to read things well (music, knitting patterns, etc.) rather than in being actually creative. I have done a couple of things on my own. I made up my own sweater pattern and put an elaborate cable thingie up the front, but I used a chart for that.
Agreed. I’m not getting what you mean.
Knit it on video and put it on Youtube. YOu could become a Knitting Godess or Complete Infidel. ( Actually, there is no wrong way to knit.)
Shirley Ujest, there are links for videos in post #15.
And as I mentioned those videos actually show purling in reverse. It’s also possible to form the knit stitch in reverse where you’d make a purl bump on the right side. That would be good for ribbing, seed stitch, moss stitch, etc… or anytime you need to put a purl stitch on the right side without having to turn the work.
