Western-style untwisted knitting – a knitting tutorial

Diagram showing how to insert needle to form knit stitch Western-style

The ‘standard’ style of knitting

When I wrote about twisted and untwisted stitches, I said that I would be writing posts about the different styles of knitting (there are about eight different styles). This is the first of the series. In each post, I’ll show how knit stitches and purl stitches are formed for right-handed and left-handed knitters. I’m not covering how yarn is held – that will come later.

Western-style untwisted knitting is considered the ‘standard’ style of knitting in Western Europe or North America. In other words, when books show how to knit then this is the style shown. Also, publishers of patterns assume that the knitter will be knitting in this way. Of course, not everyone who lives in these areas will knit Western style, but it’s the commonest style, so it’s a good starting point.

Western-style knitting for right-handed knitters

Let’s just recap, for right-handed knitting the stitches start on the left-hand needle. The right-hand needle is the working needle since your right hand does most of the work.

Stocking stitch on needle, leading leg at front, RH

In Western-style untwisted knitting the leading (right) leg of each stitch sits in front of the needle.

Knit stitches – right-handed

1  Insert the right-hand needle knitwise (left to right) through the front of the first stitch on the left-hand needle.

Western untwisted knit 1, RH

2  Wrap the yarn around the right-hand needle in a clockwise direction (looking along the needle towards the pointed end).

Western untwisted knit 2, RH

3  Use the right-hand needle to pull the new stitch through the old one (from back to front) and slip the old stitch off the left-hand needle.

Western untwisted knit 3, RH

Purl stitches – right-handed

1  Insert the right-hand needle purlwise (right to left) through the front of the first stitch on the left-hand needle.

Western untwisted purl 1, RH

2  Wrap the yarn around the right-hand needle in a clockwise direction (looking along the needle towards the pointed end).

Western untwisted purl 2, RH

3  Use the right-hand needle to pull the new stitch through the old one and slip the old stitch off the left-hand needle.

Western untwisted purl 3, RH

Western-style for left-handed knitters

Starting with the basics again, for left-handed knitting the stitches start on the right-hand needle. The left-hand needle is the working needle since the left hand does most of the work.

Stocking stitch on needle, leading leg at front, LH

Again, the leading leg of each stitch sits in front of the needle, however, for left-handed knitting, the leading leg is the left leg.

Knit stitches – left-handed

1  Insert the left-hand needle knitwise (right to left) through the front of the first stitch on the right-hand needle.

Western untwisted knit 1, LH

2  Wrap the yarn around the left-hand needle in an anticlockwise direction (looking along the needle towards the pointed end).

Western untwisted knit 2, LH

3  Use the left-hand needle to pull the new stitch through the old one and slip the old stitch off the right-hand needle.

Western untwisted knit 3, LH

Purl stitches – left-handed

1  Insert the left-hand needle purlwise (left to right) through the front of the first stitch on the right-hand needle.

Western untwisted purl 1, LH

2  Wrap the yarn around the left-hand needle in an anticlockwise direction (looking along the needle towards the pointed end).

Western untwisted purl 2, LH

3  Use the left-hand needle to pull the new stitch through the old one and slip the old stitch off the right-hand needle.

Western untwisted purl 3, LH

Summary

So for knitting right-handed …

Knitting right-handed

Knit stitch

Purl stitch

Where do the stitches start?LeftLeft
Where is the working needle?RightRight
Where is the leading leg at the start?In front of the needleIn front of the needle
Where is the working needle inserted?FrontFront
How is yarn wrapped around the needle?ClockwiseClockwise
What stitches are formed?Untwisted

Untwisted

… and for knitting left-handed.

Knitting left-handed

Knit stitch

Purl stitch

Which needle holds the stitches?RightRight
Where is the working needle?LeftLeft
Where is the leading leg at the start?In front of the needleIn front of the needle
Where is the working needle inserted?FrontFront
How is yarn wrapped around the needle?AnticlockwiseAnticlockwise
What stitches are formed?UntwistedUntwisted

So whether you knit left-handed or right-handed or whether you form knit stitches or purl stitches:

  • the leading leg of the stitch sits in front of the needle;
  • the working needle is inserted into the front of the stitch;
  • the stitches formed are untwisted.

The main difference between left-handed and right-handed knitting is the direction in which yarn is wrapped around the needle. As I discussed previously, the direction of wrapping determines how the stitches sit on the needle. And since left-handed knitting is a mirror image of right-handed knitting, the direction is opposite as well.

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Lakshmi Moorty

    I really like this demonstration. Very useful. It is my kind of Knitting! Thanks for helping the Left Hand Knitters.

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