EZ - 'nough said!

EZ (or Elizabeth Zimmermann) is a god or to be politically correct, a goddess. I think Barbara Walker put it best in her "Appreciation" in Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop - "Her written instructions combine two qualities all too seldom met together: they teach, and they amuse, both at once." I am in awe of EZ (and BW for that matter but that is for another post). Unlike other knitting technique or pattern books, I can read her books over and over. I don't just read them to find a specific instruction or to find a specific pattern. I read them for enjoyment like you would a novel or a biography. She states the obvious about knitting technique but it is often only obvious after she has stated it. How many a-ha or light bulb moments have you had when you are reading her books? It was several years after I started knitting in earnest and after I had read Knitting Without Tears that I realized I was knitting all wrong. "Stop knitting English style you left handed ninny!" the imaginary EZ voice in my head screamed. "Learn to knit Continental - it is the only way to knit after all."

The reason for this rant is because my personal copies of Knitter's Almanac and Knitting Workshop arrived today. I long to be on a beach somewhere with several days to read them cover to cover. Yes, this is beach reading to me. Or maybe an alpine retreat by a crackling fire under an afghan. Or maybe in an Adirondack style chair at Lake Crescent in Washington State. You get the point - I want to play hooky tomorrow so I can read my new books!

All hail, Elizabeth Zimmerman!!! or Continental versus English

5 month old Will in his new sweater, January 2009

Elizabeth Zimmerman is right (isn't she always)! Continental knitting is much less work than English style knitting. And a lefty like me, Continental is the only way to go. When I taught myself to knit, the book explained the difference between English style knitting and Continental style knitting. I remember the book clearly stating that Continental style knitting was easier/better for left handed knitters because the left hand holds the working yarn. But for some reason, I decided to learn English style. So I did and was quite successful at it until I began to explore complicated patterns. Then things go...well...complicated. You see if you are left handed and you knit English style, you have to knit everything backwards because your working needle and your non-working needle are held opposite. So if a patterns refers to the right needle, I would need to know that it meant the left needle for me. With cables and other complex stitch patterns, my knitting became a mess.

So several years ago I was on medical leave from work because of surgery and I decided to teach myself to knit Continental style. I worked on a garter stitich sweater for my newborn son. My yarn tension was better, my stitches were more even, and all in all my knitting was better. I am now on a campaign to convert all lefthanded English style knitters to Continental knitting. So join me - all you left-handed English style knitters! Come to the Continent and stay awhile.