I'm the procurement manager at Continental, a fabric supplier that makes everything from jersey knit fabric to technical textiles. I don't sit around hand-knitting all day, but I do approve purchase orders and track budgets. So when people ask about English vs continental knitting, I look at it through a spreadsheet lens: which method actually saves money, which one changes the fabric, and my favorite question—does knitting or crochet use more yarn? Honestly, some of the answers surprised me too.
Basically, there are two ways to form the same stitch when hand knitting. English knitting, sometimes called throwing, holds the yarn in the right hand and wraps it over the needle. Continental knitting holds the yarn in the left hand and picks it through. If you're learning knitting continental style, you'll hear that it's faster because the yarn travels less. That can be true, but it is not always true. And for a buyer, that distinction matters.
English knitting and continental knitting both make perfectly good knit stitches. The difference is in the labor, not the fabric.
What This Comparison Is Really About
Let's be clear: this isn't a 'continental is superior' article. A knit stitch is a knit stitch. The method doesn't change the stitch structure. But it can change speed, tension, comfort, and consistency. Those four things show up in your cost sheet, especially if you're paying someone by the hour or sampling a new product line.
When I audited our 2023 sample costs, we found that about 18% of our hand-knit sample budget went to rework. A big chunk of that rework came from knitters trying techniques they had just read about online. Switching from English to continental style isn't free. It takes weeks or months of slower output before the speed increase actually arrives. That's a hidden cost, and it's easy to ignore when you're comparing YouTube tutorials.
Dimension 1: Speed and Labor Cost (English vs Continental Knitting)
Most people assume continental is faster. In some cases, yes. In others, no. It depends on muscle memory, hand size, and how long someone has been knitting a certain way.
Here's the ballpark I use when planning sample runs:
- If a knitter is already fast with English, switching to continental style can temporarily cut output by 30–50%.
- If someone is new anyway, starting with continental may get them to speed sooner.
- The technique itself doesn't lower the labor rate. The skill does.
So the first comparison conclusion: choose the style your knitters are most confident in, not the one that looks fastest on social media. A technique with a steep learning curve can be a red flag for your timeline. It's not a game-changer unless the knitter actually builds the muscle memory.
And another thing: if you're learning knitting continental style because a pattern recommends it, test it before you commit. I've seen people spend three weeks knitting slowly just to discover their tension was completely different. That's not a failure—it's a tradeoff.
Dimension 2: Yarn Usage — Does Knitting or Crochet Use More Yarn?
This question comes up monthly: does knitting or crochet use more yarn? The honest answer is that crochet usually uses more yarn for the same dimensions and stitch density. Crochet stitches are taller, and they often create a thicker fabric. My rule of thumb, based on years of ordering yarn, is that crochet can use 25–35% more yarn than knitting.
I don't have hard data from a large research study on this—yarn brands don't publish a standardized meter-per-gram table that covers every stitch pattern. But based on six years of tracking sample orders, I've seen the same pattern enough to call it a useful planning number. If a knit pattern calls for six skeins, a crochet version might need eight. For a small launch, that's a real budget difference.
Now here's the twist: English vs continental knitting does not inherently change yarn usage. The deciding factor is gauge, not handedness. If you knit continental style with a looser tension than your English knitting, you'll use more yarn and get a bigger fabric. If you keep the same gauge, the style doesn't matter. A tight continental knitter can use less yarn than a loose English knitter. So the variable to watch is gauge, not which hand holds the yarn.
The cost takeaway: knitting usually beats crochet for yarn cost. But crochet has structural strengths too—dense fabric, texture, dimensional stability—that can justify the extra yarn. And if you're choosing between English and continental, don't expect one to save yarn automatically. Test it, measure it, and let your cost tracking decide.
Dimension 3: Fabric Choice — Jersey Knit Fabric and Affordable Linen Sheets
At Continental, we get requests for fabric jersey knit all the time. People often assume it behaves like woven fabric, but jersey is a weft knit. One continuous yarn forms loops in rows. That gives it stretch, recovery, and a softer drape. It's also usually cheaper to produce than woven linen. That doesn't make it better—it makes it a different product.
The same logic applies to affordable linen sheets. Pure linen is expensive because flax fibers are labor-intensive to process. If the budget is fixed, you have two paths:
- A linen blend, like cotton-linen, can give you the breathable hand feel at a lower price point.
- A linen-blend jersey knit sheet can be even more comfortable and forgiving, but it won't behave like a crisp woven sheet.
There is no universal best option. But if you buy a knit sheet expecting it to feel like a woven sheet, you'll be disappointed. That's not a quality problem. It's a product-category mismatch.
One more thing: if a supplier calls its sheets 'eco-friendly' or 'sustainable,' ask for specifics. Per FTC Green Guides (ftc.gov/green-guides), environmental claims need to be substantiated. A vague label is a red flag. That protects both the buyer and the brand from a difficult conversation later.
So, Which Should You Choose?
Let's make it practical.
Start with what you're actually making. For hand-knit garments, choose the technique that your team can execute consistently. If you're already an experienced English knitter, the cost of switching to continental style might not be worth it. If you're new, continental is worth trying—the long-term speed potential is real.
For production fabric, the bigger question is jersey knit vs woven construction. Jersey knit fabric is stretchy, efficient, and easier on the budget. Woven linen is premium, breathable, and pricier. Neither is inherently better. They're tools for different jobs.
And for yarn budgets, knitting wins over crochet in most yarn usage comparisons. But if the project needs the structure that crochet provides, don't let a 30% yarn premium force you into a fabric you don't want.
I recommend continental-style for knitters who are early in their learning curve because it can be faster in the long run. But if you're an experienced English knitter, switching just because a blog says so is a bad reason. Technique changes are investments. And investments only make sense when the payback is actually there.
Over the past six years, our procurement policy has changed a lot. We now require quotes from at least three vendors before any fabric or yarn commitment. But the cheapest quote isn't the same as the lowest total cost. The same applies to your own skills. Use what gives you the best total outcome—speed, consistency, comfort, and end-use performance—not what sounds trendy.