When I was learning to knit all of the books taught you how to "knit American" which is the throw method of knitting. The yarn is carried in your right hand. Many of the older knitters in our community "knitted German" carrying the yarn in their left hands much as it is carried for crochet. "Knitting German" is now called "Knitting Continental."
It seems during one of the World Wars the name got changed out of patriotism, like the failed effort to change the name of French Fries after 9/11. Well, my dog is still a German Shepherd, not an Alsatian, and I still knit German when I carry the yarn in my left hand. I think Great-Grandma Yeager would approve. :) (Hm... I wonder if she knitted? I never got to meet her.)
I know how to knit with both methods, but I use the American method most often. I use the German method when I am two color knitting or double knitting. I will carry the dominate color in my right hand and the secondary color in my left hand. Lately I've been hearing that the German method is used for speed knitting. There are so many things I'd like to make, it would be great to knit faster!
It is pretty easy to form the knit stitches, but the purl stitches slow me down. When I complained about this on one of my chat lists, the members suggested I learn the Norwegian purl. This looks better! I haven't mastered it yet, but I think I'm going to like it.
Here are the Knittinghelp.com links for both knit and purl for German and American knitting. (If you haven't found knittinghelp.com, BOOKMARK THIS SITE! It's wonderful!)
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knit-stitchIt seems during one of the World Wars the name got changed out of patriotism, like the failed effort to change the name of French Fries after 9/11. Well, my dog is still a German Shepherd, not an Alsatian, and I still knit German when I carry the yarn in my left hand. I think Great-Grandma Yeager would approve. :) (Hm... I wonder if she knitted? I never got to meet her.)
I know how to knit with both methods, but I use the American method most often. I use the German method when I am two color knitting or double knitting. I will carry the dominate color in my right hand and the secondary color in my left hand. Lately I've been hearing that the German method is used for speed knitting. There are so many things I'd like to make, it would be great to knit faster!
It is pretty easy to form the knit stitches, but the purl stitches slow me down. When I complained about this on one of my chat lists, the members suggested I learn the Norwegian purl. This looks better! I haven't mastered it yet, but I think I'm going to like it.
Here are the Knittinghelp.com links for both knit and purl for German and American knitting. (If you haven't found knittinghelp.com, BOOKMARK THIS SITE! It's wonderful!)
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/purl-stitch
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