Continental

Seen often in Fair Isle and Scandinavian garments, this ribbing is made of as few as two two colors (one color for the knit ribs, one color for the purl ribs) or as many colors as one likes!

English

Fair Isle

Fulling is the process of felting fabric that has been made by  knitting weaving, crochet, or nålbinding.  (Felting refers to this process as applied to unspun fibers.)  Wool fibers are comprised of overlapping scales which enmesh with each other when subjected to agitation.  It cannot be undone, as many of us know who unwittingly threw that  new cashmere sweater in the washer and it came out sized for our  three year old.  Fulled garments will wear longer, and they won't unravel if a hole develops.  They are very warm, as there are no gaps for the wind and cold to penetrate.  It's amazing that when one WANTS to full something, it takes a bit of work and time.  But  it's not hard and really is fun! Certain aboriginal felters rarely use much water in this process, relying more on agitation (stomping on the fibers). Other felters use lots of water. along with their agitation.

The technique of knitting designs using only one yarn at any given time, although many yarns may be used within a row.  Bobbins may be used to hold the different yarns as the knitting progresses.  Although this method is generally worked on flat knitting, there are instances of it being adapted for circular knitting (also known as modified intarsia).  When changing from one color yarn to another, a twist must be made to avoid holes in the fabric.

Gansey, Guernsey  

a triangular or diamond shaped piece, found in underarms, at

necks, and in socks and mittens that helps contour the knitting

through the use of increases and/or decreases.

This method of joining is for two pieces of knitting that have not been bound off.  With the stitches still on the needles, the yarn is threaded onto a  tapestry needle and the yarn is "woven" through the stitches in the pathway of a regular knit row, yielding an invisible join. This method is not usually strong enough for    shoulder seams but is commonly used for sock toes. 

The beautifully intricate, gusset less mittens of Latvia are often

given as gifts.  They are characterized by a pointed tip and lots of

colors and different patterns.  Sometimes, the cuffs are scalloped or

This is a Continental style purl stitch that is made with the yarn

always held in the back of the work.  Because of the improved

angle of the yarn, the stitch is easier to complete. It also makes two

color purling on the wrong side of the work a breeze!  This method

is practiced in many of the Scandinavian countries.

All yarns are either spun in an S direction or a Z direction.  The 

two possibilities of twist direction are named for the  center section

of the two letters S and Z which characterize the angle of those

twists.

Any knitting that originates from Sweden, Norway, or Denmark,

usually characterized by stranded color work.  Because

Scandinavia had a strong weaving tradition before knitting was introduced, some garments, though not all, are created as a tube and then cut and sewn like fabric. 

"Steek" is a Scottish term for extra stitches added to a knitted garment which will eventually be cut to form an opening, such as an armhole or cardigan front.  Steeks are used in Fair Isle garments as well as some Scandinavian garments.  Some are 10 sts wide and rely on the quatlity of the wool to keep the cut stitches from raveling.  Others are made of only a few stitches and must be stabilized by machine sewing or crochet.

Developed in the 1600s in Sweden, this method creates a strong,

very warm knitted fabric.  In Swedish the term is Tvåändsstickning, meaning two-end knitting, because both ends of a ball of yarn are

used.  Every other stitch is worked with one or the other yarn, and

they twist (or twine) around each other.  While one yarn creates the

matrix of the fabric, the other yarn is free to float on the surface

creating lovely motifs.  Twined knitting can also be worked in multiple colors.

Knitting comprised of two or more yarns worked within the same

row or round to create color patterns.  As one yarn is knitted, the

other yarn waits its turn to be used, stranding along the back of the

work. 

This term refer to yarns made of wool that has been carded to align

the fibers which are then spun at a perpendicular angle to the

alignment.  This results in a lofty, warm yarn owing to the air

spaces created by the fiber preparation.

This term refers to yarns made of wool that has been carded and then combed to align the fibers and remove  the shorter fibers which would detract from the smoothness.  This results in a dense, strong yarn that is resistant to abrasion.