Knitter's POLL

I knit English/American/throw style, but I don't drop the right needle. (pause for knitting and looking at the needles.) Well, I do let go of the needle but my left hand kind of holds it up, it doesn't hang loose.

Alison

Hi! Must put my spoon into this soup. So Auntie Nora knits in English way and I knit in Continental way. But...on the other hand, method does not mean that much. Knitting is what means. I know you know what I mean. Best: Pirjo

Well, since my right needle is standing/propped up on my right thigh, I usually have the side of my right thumb against it so it doesn't flop around or go anywhere. Oh well, I never did claim I did things the way most people do. Makes life interesting. ;-))

-- Carey in MA

Carey i must say i have read about this Thigh ?needle technique , in some other list ,, it is very interesting ,,, mirjam

Mirjam... that is sort of the way I knit too. With the right needle held in the crease of my right thigh where it joins the hip. :o)

Gemini

You got it, Gem. If I didn't knit that way, I'd probably spend so much time getting my needles back in order after positioning the working yarn for the next stitch, that I probably would get frustrated and not knit at all. (That's not to say that I do all that much knitting to begin with, but I have been known to make a sweater or two on HK needles.)

-- Carey in MA

So glad to know I'm not the only person who knits that way. You are the first person (other than me) who I have ever heard about who does it. I don't knit in public... guess I'm a little too embarrassed to have people see the way I knit. LOL

Gem

Carey and Gemini i think this is some American /Canadian invented technique , you both are AMAZING , trued it and couldn`t do it ,,,, mirjam

Gem, all knitters are surprised at how different each one knits -- it's fascinating ! Sometimes it brings out our quirks ;) , but most agree that knitting is knitting, and something is made by hand.

_ _ _ _ _ Millie snipped-for-privacy@eagle.ptialaska.net Death has no beard.

Mirjam, even if it were a method you could do, if it weren't comfortable or enjoyable for you, you would go back to your own way. I figure if I want something done really fast, I have my knitting machines. If it's cables, I have knitting needles, since I think doing anything more than simple cables on anything other than a large-gauge machine would kill my eyes and back. I currently have pictures up of my machine-knit sweaters, and a couple of hand-knit ones I still have(knit about 12 years ago) if you care to look. They're in the folder labeled "Knit Items." (Not great picture-taking, but ...) But I can't remember how the 'knitting needle in the right thigh crease' worked with the long cirular needles. Probably had so much knitting bunched up on the needles and in my lap that it held the right point steady for me! ;-))

No, it goes back a long way in the UK. I think it's a substitute for using a knitting stick to hold a double pointed needle. When knobs were made on the ends of needles for flat knitting, they didn't fit into the knitting stick (or knitting belt, in Shetland) so people got the long needles and held one under the right arm or propped it up somehow. Threads magazine did an article a long time ago about different ways people hold the needles.

=Tamar

I was just going to say that I know a lady who knits holding the right needle under her arm.

BonnieBlue

Yes i knew one as well , it was my late mother Who by the way learned her knitting in Paris while she went to Elementary school there . I mean Paris France .... mirjam

Paris, Illinois, Paris, Tennessee, Paris, Texas.... there's LOTS of 'em, Pam ;)

Noreen who was feeling about 75% better till about an hour ago... hope I'm not relapsing! :(

That was what made me add the last sentence , i suddenly realized You have Parises in Usa as well mirjam

Paris, Ontario, Canada

Gemini

My mother as well as my mother in law held one needle under their arm. My mother in law was a champion knitter of socks sweater and even bathing suits, anything that could be knitted she did it. She was also a very fast knitter as well. Talking and knitting......and watching TV all at the same speed....LOL

Els

In Ontario as well. Just like Amsterdam, and Toronto, are names used all over the place, I think Vancouver is another one.

Els