Tips or tutorials for continental knitting?

[AinmÁlainn]

Happy new year!

I've hurt my right shoulder so knitting has become difficult and frowned on by my physio I've been trying continental as a compromise, but it's so hard! I can't get the tension right or hold the needle with my middle finger and the yarn on my first finger. I know practice will help but I wonder if there are any tips or tricks that might make it easier? Any suggestions gratefully received, I really don't want to give up knitting.

I’m a crocheter generally and my knitting is poor so I thought I’d try continental - think I need thicker needles but can’t seem to get purl at all so feel your pain

Don’t lift the first finger on your left hand at all. Saw someone do this after all the videos with the left first finger pointing at the sky, and that is so hard.
Makes sense when you try it.
you sort of hook the needle round the yarn that is on the first finger

I haven't even tried purl yet, reindeesandchristmastrees! Interesting you say that, isthewashingdryyet, I think that's what I started doing last night and it was easier. It's a bit like driving, as soon as I start trying to think about what I'm doing it gets worse.

I started this when I broke my right middle finger. I only do this style now, its a game changer. Purl is harder to get, don't think there's anything for it but practice. For the knit as another poster said don't lift finger on left hand at all, its more of a picking movement than lifting.
I also knit 'looser' at first with continental but now its the same tension with both.
Persevere, you will get there!

When you knit English style, your technique may mean that the right needle moves around as you insert it and then lift the stitch off the left needle. When you knit Continental style, you may find it helpful to keep the right needle completely still and move the left needle to and around the right needle.

Also, when I knit English style (which is most of the time) I do the complicated winding where the yarn goes backwards loosely around my little finger and then in and out of the fingers of my right hand. When I knit Continental style (generally when I knit rib) I don't usually bother with this, just in and out my fingers and twice around my index finger. The tension is different this way and I can hold my index finger in a more relaxed manner and closer to the needle.

Good luck with getting the technique sorted!

just don't sit still not doing shoulder exercises for long periods. Getting your shoulder sorted is WAY more important.

another thing to look at is sitting in a different chair to knit, it can make a big difference (bith to knitting & to your shoulder)