Understanding Eastern Knitting and Western Knitting Styles and Knitting Fast

In this article I will explain the difference between the Eastern and Western styles of knitting and how not to get confused. There will be some instruction in how to do them, yet while this is not so much a knitting lesson, what you learn here may be of great use to the beginner or transitioner.

Eastern European knitting style has stirred a lot of interest as an alternative to English and Continental styles lately. There is also a blended style called Combined or Combination knitting, which frankly confuses me so far. I will get to that later.

Western knitting styles are distinguished from Eastern by the turn of the loops on the needles. This is an important distinction and will help you understand what you are doing as you knit and purl. Western styles include English, Continental, Portuguese and a few others. Eastern European has a few varieties also, and there are “twisted” and “untwisted” methods. I like the Eastern because you don’t have to keep moving the yarn from back to front and front to back when you are knitting, but there are a few conversions you need to make to use western stitches and patterns. I can’t go into that here or now as I’m not fully edumakated on those matters, but maybe later.

How to tell them apart:
Go grab some knitting still on the needles. Imagine you are looking south. The left is your east, the right is your west. Now look at the loops on the left needle. If the leg of the loop on your side of the needle is closer to the left/East then it’s an Eastern loop. If it’s nearer the right/West and the tip of the left needle then it’s a Western loop.

How eastern and western loops are created:
When you insert the needle through a loop on the left needle (for right handers) you will be wrapping the yarn around the needle one way or the other. If your put your needle on the left/east side of the working yarn and bring the yarn across it, between you and the needle and to the left/east – wrapping counter clockwise – then you are going to create an eastern loop with that stitch.

Conversely, if you put your right needle to the right/west of the working yarn and bring the yarn across the right needle toward the west – wrapping counter-clockwise – you will create a western loop.

When I first started knitting I tried learning a form of Eastern European Untwisted knitting taught by a lys owner near me and got confused and had a mix of eastern and western loops that made everything a useless mess. I’ve been looking into Eastern again lately because Gail, my lys owner, uses that form and knits very fast and I want to knit faster, so I’m going to stop by there soon and get a refresher course.

My confusion with “combined” knitting is that it seems to have you freely converting your western loops to eastern loops so that when you turn the work it seems you will have to knit a different style or compensate for all the loops that are facing different ways. I watched a youtube video of “Russian” knitting that did just this. It just doesn’t make sense to me to do that. I will look into it more later and maybe write about it, but for now my recommendation is to learn a non-combined method if you are looking for a new style or want to be more efficient.

By the way, combined/combination knitting is not Eastern, as some people have stated, but a mix.

In combined knitting, just as in western styles, purls knits have you move the working yarn to your side of the left needle, and for knit stitches it’s on the far side of the needle. Eastern European knitting appears to have the working yarn always on the far side of the needles, and Portuguese has it always on the near side with the yarn passing around your neck or through a pin or pendant at your chest. These latter two options sound a bit more efficient but there are those who are very practiced and efficient at Continental as well and can move that yarn fast. Sorry, but English knitting is just too much movement for me, having to let go of the right needle to throw the yarn and all that.

As you will read in this blog, I’m fond of Portuguese style – made popular by Andrea Wong – and it’s fully western, easy to learn and moderately fast, but I want to go faster. I saw a youtube video of Eunny demostrating entrelac and she knits so fast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcLxMt9GehM&list=FL1BpX65EaVyBJXqac2Kxh-Q&feature=mh_lolz . By the way, her stitches are oddly uneven in that video but I think that is due to how she is working the entrelac squares. One thing that makes her fast is how she holds and manages the yarn in her left hand, which I have yet to master. This part of knitting – controlling the working yarn – is critical for successful and fast work. I tried to each myself knitting from books and almost gave up until I discovered I could hold the yarn the way I do for crochet, and then I also discovered Portuguese style.

This is easy and relatively fast to knit and looks good on both sides, so it’s basically reversible. When I finished the scarf (at work) a couple of people wanted one, including women, so it’s not just for men. I designed it for a male friend of mine and he clearly liked it. The pattern deters curling edges, and the extra thick yarn and simple pattern makes it fast to knit. I used Lion Brand Woolease Thick and Quick in Charcoal color.

The pattern is a geometric grid that has narrow parts alternating with wider parts, both vertically and horizontally. I if you know something about knitting you can use this as a basis for other designs with this thickness yarn. I am using it to do some cabled hats for gifts to match scarves I made last year. Be aware that cables pull in more side to side and make a piece a little smaller.

This hat I designed to go with the scarf fits me “not tight” and I have a large head and almost covers my ears. If you need a hat smaller, take out 8 stitches around leaving 48 loops for a smaller hat, and remove 5-8 rows for a shorter hat.

For a variation of this hat with faux cables see the picture and link below. It looks nice also.

Materials and tools:
Scarf: 10.5 straight needles.
Yarn: two skeins Lion Brand Woolease Thick and Quick (106 yd/97 m), or equivalent size 6 yarn.
Hat: 10.5 circular needles, 24 -36 inch length or whatever works for you.
Yarn: Less than one skein of the above selected yarn.
7 or 8 stitch markers.

You could use just two skeins and do the hat first, then use the remaining yarn to make the scarf as a shorter muffler if you like.

HAT:
Cast on 56 (48 for a smaller hat) on to circular 10.5 needles. I used long tail cast-on.

Join to knit in the round without twisting.

Place a marker.

P2, K2 for 8-10 rows.
K2, P2 for 8-10 rows.
P2, k2 for 8-10 rows.

Decreases: I designed this decrease so the two columns of knit stitches on the outside bend with the decrease rather than being cut off.

Move beginning marker so it is between two nearest knit stitches on the outer/right side of the hat. Using markers of a different color, insert one every 8 stitches. These should likewise be between two knit stitches on the outside of the hat.
Follow current pattern – knit knits and purl purls – until you get to the last two loops before a marker and for those two, knit two together.

Continue until you have reduced to about 6 or 7 loops on the needles – 6 for the smaller hat. It doesn’t really matter at that size.

Remove markers.

Break yarn with about 1.5 ft tail, thread yarn through loops using a crochet hook, remove from circular needle, draw tight to close the hole, tie firmly and weave in ends.

I have another version of this hat with easy faux cables instead that looks great.

SCARF
Cast on 20 using super bulky yarn on 10.5 needles.

BEGINNING OF SCARF

*P2k2 for two rows.
K2p2 for two rows.*
Repeat * to * once for a total of 4 rows.

BODY OF SCARF:

Always purl the first and last stitch of each row to reduce curling of the edge. This also give is a nice texture on the edge.

*P1, k7, p4, k7, p1: – repeat for 9 rows.
P1, p7, k4, p7, p1 – repeat for 5 rows.*
Repeat *to * to desired length.

End scarf with:

P1, k7, p4, k7, p1: – repeat for 9 rows.

Then do END OF SCARF again:
*P2k2 for two rows.
K2p2 for two rows.*

Weave in ends.

I found this online tool for planning a knitted piece. I hope it helps you. Uses:

1. If I want to decrease 14 stitches over 6 inches – how many rows should I work between decreases?
2. My pattern needs me to increase 13 stitches evenly over a row – how often do I increase?
3. I want to knit something 13 inches wide – how many stitches do I cast on?
4. I want to knit a piece 22.5 inches long – how many rows do I work?

http://quirm.net/blog-extra/how-many/

Do you have some worsted weight or other yarn you aren’t crazy about, or don’t want to use for projects at that yarn weight? You can convert it to a bulky or super bulky yarn with a bit of elbow grease. Combine colors along the full length or create colorways as you go along, or just make one color, and the yarn will have new characteristics for unique projects.

While fiddling around with yarn I needed some matching cord for a knitted/fulled/felted sporran I was making for my kilt so I took some of the same fishermans yarn by Lion Brand and crocheted up about five feet of chain in this yarn, then went to work felting it in a sink full of hot soapy water, just rubbing it all in a ball and every half minute or so pulling it all apart so the strand didn’t felt onto itself. After about five minutes the squishiness of the yarn mass pretty much disappeared, indicating the felting/fulling had pretty much completed.

So I rinsed it all out in warm water, then quenched it in cold water and wrung it out. After drying it was perfect for my needs and matched the felted-fulled sporran perfectly.

Before you do a big batch I recommend you do a few yards worth of chain first to see if you like the resulting felted yarn and then knit a swatch to see how the fabric turns out.

You could do this with much longer lengths of yarn and I bet putting it in the washer would work for felting but I haven’t tried that. Use a small load setting and put in several pairs of jeans to fill up the tub. I would also put the yarn chain in a mesh bag so it has more contact with itself. You will want to check it every few minutes.

Of course you may get a big tangle, so one thing I know works is you can do it by hand in sections. Gather up a good handful of the crocheted chain and work it in the sink or tub – maybe this would be a good bath time project? – and massage the yarn into felted/fulled goodness. Stop whenever you think it is felted enough. You could even just felt it part way so the fibers are about half matted and you can still see the chains, but everything is firmly unified for knitting purposes.

Like I said, as you are crocheting the chain you can combine colors for a striping effect, especially if you are using thinner yarn, where you can crochet two strands at once.

Let me know if this lights up your life. I’d like to hear what results you get. I haven’t made the time to do a bigger project with this, so can’t show you anything at this point.

We all get our curiosities over what we can make with knitting. That’s part of creative obsession. Amiguri is an interestingaspect of knitting and crochet. You make little animals and other small figures or caricatures of people with yarn and a bit of stuffing. Then there are those who go way beyond and take yarn crafts into the realm of art. This one doesn’t really qualify as amiguri, but maybe on a higher realm.

At THIS LINK you will find a sculpture of a complete human skeleton made with knitting. Construction details are not available. Imagine getting the pattern for this! And then working on it in the subway or such.

The work  by Ben Cuevas is called “Transcending the Material” and was installed and exhibited at the Wassaic Project Summer Music and Arts Festival when he was in residency there.

A couple years ago I bought a bunch of bamboo needles direct from China, which you may have read here I had to sharpen as they were sloppily made. I got about 45 needles for about $40 US. Among these were two sets of circular knitting needles in two lengths, but I did like them because the clear vinyl tubing cables were sticky and the yarn would not slide on them easily.

Just solved that problem. I needed an unoccupied set of #3 us needles for a necktie I’m working on and grabbed one of these in desperation. Then it occurred to me to put a little oil from my forehead on the cable to occupy the tackiness with some molecules other than my yarn. It worked! I put on just a tiny bit and rubbed my fingers back and forth until they moved smoothly, and now as I knit the yarn doesn’t drag on the tubing. It doesn’t feel oily either.

We all know knitting is a great way to relax (except when you mess up or can’t figure out the pattern or you have to rip it all out AGAIN or ….). I know from my own experience I find myself sighing in relief after just a couple minutes of knitting. Well, scientists at the Institute for Knitting Research and Technology – just kidding, that doesn’t exist (yet).  The following article at psychologytoday.com gives great insight into the different modes of the mind, and I believe the element of mindfullness the article mentions is all about why knitting is generally relaxing. In a nutshell it puts you in a present moment, observational mind state. Read more here.

I stopped by Gail Knits, the LYS near my home looking for inspiration. I just finished by Christmas gift blitz of six scarves and two shawls in three weeks (all on superbulky yarn and or large needles, so don’t be that amazed) and want to knit something for myself. I’ve been eyeing a leaf lace pattern for a scarf, but try and try again I keep messing up, not liking the yarn, not liking the pattern, wanting to change the pattern and not getting it right, and ripping everything out about ten times by now. Something was wrong. I had what I’ll call “knitter’s block”. Nothing would cooperate: not my hands, not the yarn, not the pattern.

It was the fiber. I wasn’t doing what I really wanted to do with the yarn I like. I was reminded of this at Gail’s store when I found the Eco Alpaca and Eco Duo by Cascade. NIIIIIIIICE. It’s single ply, which to me is wonderful, old world, “real” yarn, not the “city-fied” stuff they make by the millions of miles nowadays. I like the feel and vibe of natural fibers, especially naturally dyed or non-dyed. I love the hand spun look of single ply yarn as well. Comparing them in the store, even the beautiful blends that have tencil or some acrylic in them, they just aren’t right. They feel like they are made of plastic, and they are. They are plastic yarn. This is not real.

I have come to  a point where I am just not satisfied with synthetic fiber. As nice as it can look, as affordable, colorful and easy to get as it all is, it just isn’t real. And I think that is something of a theme in my life development. I want real. I want real me, real friends, real purpose, and real fiber in my knitting just underlines realness in all the rest.

What I want is my single ply, undyed alpaca reversible cable scarf I planned last summer but never bought the yarn for it. That will be my next project. So the other, artificial yarn I have I will use up for Christmas gifts and experiments. Yes, artificial, like flowers made of polyester and plastic. It’s not yarn snobbery, but wanting real stuff. Like real tile, not vinyl flooring, or real wood doors, not moulded mdf printed with wood grain and texture. Real chicken nuggets, not injection molded reconstituted chicken substance. And so on.

I’ve been doing another of that great scarf pattern but I’m starting to realize I don’t like the look of the double decrease, which is supposed to mirror the sk2p (slip one, knit two together, pass slipped stitch over). It doesn’t look as nicely defined as the sk2p. I’m going to try k3tog instead, which is supposed to lean right, as well as my own concoction: k2, slip new loop back to left, pass next unworked loop to the right and drop off left needle, then slip new loop back to the right. I haven’t had time to try this yet, but wanted to post it here in case you are trying the pattern and want to see if it looks better before I can get back to you on it. Happy Knitting….

By the way, I’m also adding a 2+2 cable crossover in the middle for added vine effects.

I almost always try to modify patterns or design my own stuff. I can rarely do something as designed, and when it comes to knit ribbing my experience is that where it asks for p1k1 ribbing I know that will just not pull in very tightly. I’m currently looking for a pattern for fingerless hand warmers things and I want them to hug my hands, or the hands of whomever I’m making them for. That way sizing is not such an issue. They size themselves.

One pattern I found has some nice cables along the wrist and at the knuckles but nothing on the back of the hands, and the whole thing is done in p1k4 ribbing, which doesn’t make sense to me either. So if I use that one I will certainly reverse the locations of the cabling and switch it to p2k2 ribbing at the wrist and knuckles. I will probably change the cables to two columns crossing instead of four, or maybe find a way to transition from the ribbing to four column cables.

So be brave and smart. Try swatches of the p1k1 and p2k2 ribbing and you will see the difference.

By the way, I know ribbing can be a bother in English or Continental knitting styles, but it’s pretty easy in Portuguese knitting style. Portuguese knitting is pretty easy to learn and I always use it for ribbing or any pattern that has a mix of purls and knits. There are a few tricks, which I write about on this blog, so check it out.

Related articles

• Projects ” How-To’s ” Quick Knit Wrist Warmers (cutoutandkeep.net)
• Projects ” Creations ” Fingerless Mittens (cutoutandkeep.net)
• A Bunch of Scarves, Some Cable Knit, and a Shawl (knitforbrains.net)
• Fixing and Preventing Ladders after Cables (knitforbrains.net)