How many ways are there to knit?

Most knitters are familiar with the two main knitting methods;

English style and Continental style.

Throwers and pickers.

Good and evil.

I’m kidding about that last part.

English knitters are obviously the evil ones. (Also kidding!)

Anyway, there are actually quite a few different ways to knit.

According to Interweave there are eight. 😧

I’m not sure I agree with that.

From my research there seems to be five.

Maybe six.

Here’s a quick rundown of these methods:

English Style • Video

This has been the predominant style of knitting in the U.S. for quite a while.

It consists of holding the working yarn in the dominant hand along with the working needle.

Continental Style • Video

This method was more popular in Europe prior to WW2, but saw a resurgence in the 1970s and again in the late 2000s.

It consists of holding the working yarn in the non-dominant hand while the working needle “picks” the yarn through the loop.

Combination Style • Video

This method is all about stitch orientation.

Combination knitter wrap their knit stitches counter clockwise, which is easier to knit, but also orients the stitch the wrong way.

The stitches have to be purl clockwise so they reorient without getting twisted.

It sounds complicated, but it’s not that bad. However is works best if you already knit continental style and are knitting flat.

Eastern Uncrossed (Russian) • Video

This method works all stitches in the eastern orientations.

All of the stitches are worked with a counter-clockwise motion.

This makes for a smoother knitting experience, but takes some getting used to if you’re coming from a different method.

Portuguese Style • Video

This method has two defining characteristics; the yarn is tensioned around the neck or with a pin on your chest, and you work all of your stitches with your thumbs.

It sounds crazy but it’s a very relaxed way of knitting that is easy on your hands.

Lever / Pit / Belt / Sleeve Knitting • Video

This method came out of the cottage knitting industry in Ireland, and is known for being the fastest way to knit.

While there are a few variations on how to perform this technique, usually the yarn is held like an English style knitter, with the working needle held stationary.

The yarn is then worked like a lever moving back and forth, much like a sewing machine.

The result is a smooth, efficient motion that creates stitches incredibly fast.

Conclusion

Personally I’m an English *Flicker* which means I knit pretty smoothly.

However I hate purling English style, so recently I’ve switched to purling large sections using the Portuguese method.

You don’t have to choose one method.

It’s possible to mix multiple methods depending on how you learned to knit or what things you’ve incorporated along your knitting journey.

There is no right, best, or even fastest way to knit.

There’s only the way you knit and how that’s best for you.

But what do you think?

Which of these styles do you knit with?

Or do you have some style we haven’t mentioned?

We’d love to hear your feedback.