# How to Purl the Easy Way



## SharAnn (Aug 14, 2011)

From YouTube via Pinterest. I don't knit continental, but if I ever do this method looks easy.



__ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/19421842118083832/


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## Jules934 (May 7, 2013)

Continental purling is even easier than falling off a log!!!!! (And leaves no black-and-blue marks!!!!!!!!!)


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## grandmann (Feb 4, 2011)

SharAnn said:


> From YouTube via Pinterest. I don't knit continental, but if I ever do this method looks easy.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

NOTE! That's the way my grandmother taught me; it was the only way she knew to purl. It is, in my experience and opinion, faster, BUT unless you knit into the back loops on the next row, your stitches will be twisted. In plain stockinette, this just makes for a somewhat more sturdy and solid fabric - great for growing kids during the Great Depression. The problem is that working cables, lace, and just about any such stitch-manipulation pattern will give you a different look if you don't work into the back legs of those purled stitches. My grandmother did NOT teach me that; so far as I know, she didn't know it. She never did anything other than the ribbing on sweater ends (waist, neck, wrists) and stockinette. She never used a pattern either.

I'm the one who went into fancy stitch patterns; I learned from a book. My finished squares did NOT match the look of the photos in the book. I was very unhappy, until I learned about the twisting. Instead of learning to work into the back leg, I relearned to purl so that my stitches followed the more conventional method. 

Mind, my mother also learned from my grandmother, and my mother also worked the same squares from the same book I was using (though we were each unaware of what the other was doing knitting-wise). Her squares worked, twisted stitches and all. Why? Simply tension. She knit loosely; I knit tightly. 

Have fun!


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## Irene P (Sep 20, 2013)

Thanks for sharing this. It will be a good reference for future use.


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## SharAnn (Aug 14, 2011)

Thank you Grandmann and Jessica-Jean for the helpful information. Right now I'm trying to crochet an Indian blanket and I think that's all my brain can manage at one time (I only know the very basics about crochet.) In the future though, I know this advice will come in useful.


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## Sewalaskan (Sep 7, 2013)

Awesome, thank you


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## desireeross (Jun 2, 2013)

I knit like that. Super fast.


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## desireeross (Jun 2, 2013)

Jessica-Jean said:


> NOTE! That's the way my grandmother taught me; it was the only way she knew to purl. It is, in my experience and opinion, faster, BUT unless you knit into the back loops on the next row, your stitches will be twisted. In plain stockinette, this just makes for a somewhat more sturdy and solid fabric - great for growing kids during the Great Depression. The problem is that working cables, lace, and just about any such stitch-manipulation pattern will give you a different look if you don't work into the back legs of those purled stitches. My grandmother did NOT teach me that; so far as I know, she didn't know it. She never did anything other than the ribbing on sweater ends (waist, neck, wrists) and stockinette. She never used a pattern either.
> 
> I'm the one who went into fancy stitch patterns; I learned from a book. My finished squares did NOT match the look of the photos in the book. I was very unhappy, until I learned about the twisting. Instead of learning to work into the back leg, I relearned to purl so that my stitches followed the more conventional method.
> 
> ...


 :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## Elenor (Jan 30, 2011)

I can't get any tension doing purls this way.


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## SherryH (Apr 4, 2011)

Thank you for the link, looks very interesting. Also thank you Jessica-Jean for the helpful information.


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## knottydoll (Aug 17, 2011)

She mentions that it's much faster....I enjoy knitting so why would I want to knit faster as then the enjoyment would end much quicker!


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## Ermdog (Apr 24, 2014)

Jules934 said:


> Continental purling is even easier than falling off a log!!!!! (And leaves no black-and-blue marks!!!!!!!!!)


 :thumbup: :lol:


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## barbdpayne (Jan 24, 2011)

That looks a bit like the Argentine purl except without the tensioning pin. It isn't the same as combined or Russian purling so I'm not sure you have to knit into the back of the stitch on the following row, but I'd have to actually work a few rows to know that for sure. With Combined, you definitely have to knit into the back or your knitting will "skew" and never hang straight.


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

barbdpayne said:


> ...With Combined, you definitely have to knit into the back or your knitting will "skew" and never hang straight.


Unless your own knitting tension is loose to begin with.


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## stitchingfree (Oct 30, 2012)

I'm a Continental knitter, & just tried the method in the video for purling. I didn't get twisted stitches. She wraps her yarn counter clockwise, not clockwise as in the Combination method, so stitches were mounted correctly. Anybody else get those results? Doesn't combination purling just dip the needle & drag the yarn through without wrapping it over the top of the needle, in effect making the yarn go in a clockwise direction? On the other hand, it would be a pain to purl this way unless you were doing a whole row of purling. Can't imagine doing it for ribbing, lol.

Judy in N. B.


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## standsalonewolf (Dec 1, 2011)

that's how i do it


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## lindseymary (Oct 29, 2011)

Jessica-Jean said:


> Unless your own knitting tension is loose to begin with.


Wonder if this would tighten up my rather loose tension? I knit English "flicking".Lindseymary


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## Alta Grama (Apr 16, 2012)

I purl like the video when I have long stretches of purling. Works great for me.


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## desireeross (Jun 2, 2013)

stitchingfree said:


> I'm a Continental knitter, & just tried the method in the video for purling. I didn't get twisted stitches. She wraps her yarn counter clockwise, not clockwise as in the Combination method, so stitches were mounted correctly. Anybody else get those results? Doesn't combination purling just dip the needle & drag the yarn through without wrapping it over the top of the needle, in effect making the yarn go in a clockwise direction? On the other hand, it would be a pain to purl this way unless you were doing a whole row of purling. Can't imagine doing it for ribbing, lol.
> 
> Judy in N. B.


When I knit back and forth I knit combination purl, however when knitting in the round I knit as in the video


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## Revan (Jun 29, 2011)

Thank you so very much!


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## RP1019 (May 23, 2014)

When she mentioned this is useful if you are doing a purl garter stitch, all I could think of is: Why would anyone do a purl garter stitch? I am sure there must be a pattern somewhere that call for it, but I am at a loss to think why.


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## desireeross (Jun 2, 2013)

RP1019 said:


> When she mentioned this is useful if you are doing a purl garter stitch, all I could think of is: Why would anyone do a purl garter stitch? I am sure there must be a pattern somewhere that call for it, but I am at a loss to think why.


With combination purl, I purl way faster than I knit so garter stitch for me purling makes sense.


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