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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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-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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Summary

So for knitting right-handed …

… and for knitting left-handed.

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.