There is a new trend in the knitting community for Portuguese knitting where you put the yarn around your neck or over a pin on your shoulder. Andrea Wong wrote a book and produced a DVD about it, but I learned how to do it from watching a youtube.com video.
Here I am using a pin I had made at Coloring Outside the Lines Bead Store in Monte Vista, Colorado.
Portuguese knitting is a lot easier on your hands and wrists as you only have to use your thumb to flick the yarn over the needle. The yarn over the pin on your shoulder creates the correct tension.
My buddy, Salai, helped me figure out how to configure a pin using a couple of pins I already owned. We needed to get a hook below the pin so we used a fishing swivel and a earring hook. The yarn threads through the hook.
There are a few pins available online but the knitting group, Fiber Floozies, that meet at Alamosa Public Library, had their pins made at Coloring Outside the Lines, so that’s where I went to get my pins. Here’s a couple I had made. They are about three inches long. I like the fancy hook at the bottom. The yarn feeds through the hook part nice and even.
I really like knitting using the Portuguese knitting style because I can knit longer without pain in my hands and wrists….arthritis you know.
Remember, you are loved.
Is this like "continental knitting"? I taught myself to knit 50 years ago and use that way. Guess I'll check out that website to see how it works.... thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeletePortuguese knitting isn't like anything else. You hold the yarn coming from the skein in your right hand gently laying over only your middle finger and the right hand holds the needle on the right. Then the yarn goes on the hook of the pin attached to you left shoulder. Your left hand holds the project. To knit the yarn goes OVER the right needle. There is a different way to put the right needle into the stitch on the left needle but then you flick the yarn with your left thumb over the right needle and pull the yarn forward and off the left needle. Take a look at the youtube.com videos on Portuguese knitting and it gives clean illustrations. Please give it a try...you'll like it I beat.
DeleteThanks for the link, Bobbie. I'm going to try this. I knit a lot and my hands and wrists are starting to feel it.
ReplyDeleteSharon, it completely eliminated the pain in my left thumb and right wrist. It takes a little bit to get use to a different way to make the knit stitch, but after that the whole process works smoothly.
DeleteI recently I started this myself, but having trouble double decreases, kfb and increasing in general. How do you do it?
ReplyDeleteThe best way to learn those stitches is to get Andrea Wong's DVD or search for it on You Tube.
DeleteSaw something on Craftsy. I have been knitting for 60 years and didn't know about this. I tried it to do purl knitting on a Norwegian sweater I am knitting. Really great. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you heard about this helpful knitting technique. I have a cowl pattern knitted in the round on circular needles. It calls for 12 rounds of knit followed by 5 rounds of purl. Since purling with the Portuguese knitting technique is easier than knitting, I worked the cowl inside out....I purled for 12 rounds and knitted for 5 founds. When I finished binding off I just turned the cowl inside out to it's proper side out. I like having that option.
DeleteRight now I'm knitting a cuffed shawl that is "suppose" to be knit every row, but I'm using the Portuguese technique and purling every row....why not!
We are from Portugal and I have seen knitters use a safety pin rather than a "special pin."
ReplyDeleteHello, I just saw the video on you tube and learned to knit this way--very exciting. Thanks for the pictures of the pins. Just what I was looking for.
ReplyDeleteJeanie, so glad you enjoyed the post on Portuguese Knitting,. It sure has saved my wrists and fingers.
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