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#knitting friends, this is your friendly neighbourhood incompetent man asking for advice, again:
I’m left-handed and self-taught, I learned how to knit the right-handed way and ironically could only do it English/throwing style.
I tried continental but just couldn’t crack the tension nor most of the movements to be honest.
Anyway, I want to try and learn continental, mainly because I’m older now and my elbow/shoulder start hurting after a while of throwing.
Any tips and advice gratefully received, on how to swap from 16 years of one style of knitting to another.
Thanks!
@Sobtanian i don't know if that's what is meant by continental, but have you looked into Portuguese style knitting ? i know some people that use it, and it's supposed to be very good for aging limbs, because you use your neck to help with the tension
sorry no tips for actually changing styles though, i've only ever used the same style
@araly I tried it when I was making my wife’s Saga Anderson sweater, and I didn’t quite get on with it as I found myself brining the work closer and closer to my neck.
I loved the idea behind it though and gave it a good spin, but in the end the yarn around my neck was too much to handle.
I considered clipping it to my chest but changed my mind.
@araly oh and continental means holding yarn in left hand.
@Sobtanian haha, so it's goofy style, got it ^^
@araly it really is goofy style! But the movements are much, much less (no throwing) and you’d think that, being left-handed, I should manage it 
@Sobtanian it's probably more a question of being used to it ^^ if it's anything like music, maybe you can try going extra ridiculously slow at first, on a very easy knit project, and gently pick your speed back up when it naturally becomes more comfortable ? let the muscle memory build up.
good luck goofy knitting ^^
@araly thanks!
@Sobtanian I knit English, but sometimes wish I knew Continental for carrying colors. I looked at learning Continental too, turns out some people use both. Also, knitting backwards like on bobbles. So maybe it's something that you (and I) can sort of ease into...? Bottom line, there is no right way.
PS: AM a lefties toi, but knit English like a right hander. 
@KarenStrickholm hello fellow leftie!
I wonder if we learned English style because it meant we did most of the needle work with the left. Well, I do at least. When I knit, I tend to keep the right needle almost static and I move the left needle around in relation to it.
I found that doing that, and trying to manage yarn tension in continental, was too much.
I’ve seen people use both for colour work and I envy them! I just drop one colour and pick the other.
Pain in the bum and slow but hey at least it works.
@Sobtanian Imostly move my right needle, buy am like you in difficulty managing tension in Continental. The slower colorwork, I make it mean that I am meant to slooooowww down.
@Sobtanian I am a left handed knitter who knits English/throwing style/with yarn in right hand. When I am doing two colour stranded I hold one yarn in each hand, can you try like that, and then just drop the right hand yarn entirely? Would that work for you?
@RandomYarning sadly not, I’ve tried it.
My issue is that I just cannot tension the left hand yarn.
I’ve just been practicing with at least 15 different yarn grips, and the stitches are either too loose or too tight.
@Sobtanian that's a shame, it seemed like a good way to move over, I hope you find a way that works!
@Sobtanian consider combination knitting, which is continental for knits, but wrapped eastern style for the purls (clockwise around the needle instead of counter clockwise), then ktbl on the return row.
I find it very easy as you're just scooping the yarn with the needle instead of awkwardly wrapping the yarn with your finger
@wobin yes I was considering that also. I like the principle.