How to knit - Basics of knitting - by ARNE & CARLOS

January 2022: My New Year's resolution is to learn to knit! I love crochet, but I admire knit creations for their flow and softness.
I’m encouraged by the comments here by other crocheters. I do prefer to hold the yarn in my left hand. 😊

Awesome, thank you so much.

After knitting for 75 years, I'm now learning how to do Norwegian. To purl is like grabbing the cat off the top of the door. Do it fast or the cat will get away.🤗

When you knit from your finger on the left hand, how do you keep the yarn tight on your finger?

I learned to crochet first so knitting is a challenge (especially keeping that finger down!) My grandmother/grandfather and my dad are from Trondheim so I'm hoping knitting is in my blood. I love this method but I had a question about "slipping" the first stitch, how and why that's being done? I've never seen that before but I am new to this. My purling is getting better but I am truly struggling with the knit stitch. I'm going to watch the knit stitch revisited again.

Been listening to your You Tube videos while knitting, lots of fun to listen to you guys! What needles do you like to use?

Thanks for the clear and relaxed instruction. I am an English style knitter and have knitted Fair Isle in the round with reasonable success, watching you knitting in the Norwegian style demonstrates such an economy of movement that delights. Which makes me wonder, why, when knitting colour work with yarns held in each hand, do you not hold the yarn in the right hand the same way as you do in the left?

Great demonstration, Arne. I will try tensioning the way you are holding the yarn.

I love your red sofa! My favorite color!

Im not sure what way mine is but when knitting I don’t go in front of stitch but behind. Is that wrong. I learned from my mom. (She was born in Poland but was in Germany during WWII ) maybe influenced by both countries.

Arne, why do you not knit the first stitch? And when you do the purl side, do you slip first stitch also.? Is there a reason for this?

Sigh. I am a closed-hand Continental knitter. My technique is exactly as yours, except for the purls. I have tried to master this purl technique, but depending on the yarn, things get messy on the thread retrieval. Also, I found that even with tight tensioning, my purls will come out much looser than my knits. So after much practice, I still revert back to the other way of purling (in Continental style) with bringing the thread to the front, but I don't lengthen (or point) my index finger. I keep it close to my work as I would with my knits. It seems to make the motion really fast, tensioned correctly (for me), and doesn't strain my joints. But still... It is bothering me after years of practice that I can't do my purls YOUR way! Ha! Some of the fun in knitting is actually learning and mastering different techniques- even if you don't use them. I haven't quite got this one yet!

Hi Arne. I am just starting to learn Norwegian style knitting. Do you always slip the first stitch off every new row? Is that how you get the working thread to be on the right needle? I can’t work out why mine is always on the left! Takk :-)

Thank you. Tusen takk ! Very helpful. I do have a question. Why do you slip the first stitch each time you turn your work instead of knitting them?

Hello you two, knitting season is on it's way, so I'll revisite your books and vidéos. Shall I finally come to knit my beloved Magnus and the christmas balls?????? Send you love!

Canada uses millimeters too!🇨🇦

This is THEE best tutorial ever. You go nice and slow, give clear instructions and the close up is perfect. TY very much.

Excellent thank you

Very good and not too fast.

When starting new videos a review is always welcome because l have been knitting 20years and you have TAUGHT me so much.

The way I learnt in school in Sweden was also the Norwegian way it seems, never seen the other one :O

Thank you a lot I also know how to kneet . The first sweater I had knited for a barb when I was six ;. I think mot of us are looking on your sweaters that you wear in order to " steel" the pattern )

I still can't follow your instructions on knitting the sweater and the sleeves at the same time, just can't get it. I wish you would do a video on this and show how it's done.

I am new to watching You thank you to Miss Kate from the last homely house👏👏. I am learning a new way of knitting and I feel it it easier. Happy Knitting from Virginia Beach Virginia

Okay, I'm having a bit of a (welcomed?!) challenge learning the Norwegian way, knitting right-handed Norwegian way as a left-hander. Wow! Seems easier to knit Norwegian left-handed, so I will just keep practicing, as it's nice to be able to go both directions 🙂

Why do yo slip the first stitch? Do you have to cast on additional stitches to account for the slipped stitch?

I learned in the air.. double wrap yarn gives better control on tension. Still crochet with my finger up in the air. Controls tension for me. Posh way is continental knitting. I do this way...learned from Walmart... taught myself to knit book/leaflet. $10.00

I javecalways knotted English style for many years, but when knitting on double pointed needles or colourwork, the Norwegian way makes do much more semse. Thanks for this! I learned something really cool today 🙏❤️

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Hej! I think you all are wonderful! Thank you for your videos! I was wondering why you slip the first stitch, but see that you responded that it creates a neater edging. But, do you always do this? Do you need to add an extra stitch for this? What happens if you are knitting in the round? Do you always slip the same way even if you are on a purl row? Tack.

I've been trying to knit Norwegian for a few weeks and didn't get it until this video. You two are great teachers and wonderful to watch. Thank you so much.

Hi Arne & Carlos, I’ve searched your videos and can’t seen to find anything. Do you have a tutorial for plain stockinette? I’m struggling to make the edges neat with the Norwegian purl. :(

Tip for holding the yarn. I start and it feels comfortable for a couple of stitches but than it starts to feel tight and I struggle to pick up the yarn.

Hi from the US. Just started to teach myself how to knit, 8 years after this video. Couldn’t get the tension right so I started knitting Norwegian way because I couldn’t get the hang of knitting with the yarn extended above my fingers. Thank you for validating what I felt was wrong, or cheating. Now I will have to try Norwegian purling. This is terrific. Thank you! 😊

Thank you for the purl stitch. I do pick like you do but I hated rib stitches because of the purl stitch. Now I have to practice and work on rib stitch patterns.

The first method is known as continental and the other one is English, or pickers and throwers.

If you put the ball thread on the needle to do your purls, it’s faster.

Another way to add a stitch is knit the front and back of a stitch.

Do you know Portuguese knitting way?

You should try the Portuguese way of knitting, specially the purl. It's the easiest of all.😊

You make it look so easy. The purl still looks difficult

Besides the teaching - I love the sofa 🙂. I can knit, but think I might need to relearn to improve. So this video is very helpful

Yes, getting anxious 🙌 is not how we knit 😅and I remind myself it's not a race - accuracy of each happy stitch - I'm a tight knitter 😂 gotta relax ❤ enjoy the journey & put love into our projects - not a race!

I have just watched your knit and purl video, I have got the knit stitch the Norwegian way but it's much looser than the English style, but I just can't get the Norwegian purl 🤷

I use the same cast on method, but I only use my thumb and one needle...

Why do you slip the first stitch?

I am wondering: when doing the knit stitch does the needle scrape across the pad of the finger? Just struggling to understand how close or far the needle is from your fingers. Asking because I find that as I knit it tends to be super close to or scraping along the pad of my finger and my hand gets in the way.

I am just discovering Norwegian knitting thanks you guys and Shufflebead.
A friend taught me to knit 30 something years ago but I had all but parked my needles because my hands, fingers wrists hurt so much.
I only knitted blankets as baby gifts every now and then BUT I am now discovering a stress free way to knit and purl thanks to you guys.
I will continue to watch.

Why do you slip the first stitch?