Great idea, Lori! I’ll have to try that!
I use a stitch holder with a little hook on it from a jewelry making kit that I attach to my bra strap under my shirt. When I’m not knitting, I just tuck it in! It doesn’t stretch my clothes or put stress on my neck.
Gina,
Thanks for posting this information. This young lady is amazing and I’m getting ready to try this method RIGHT NOW. I hope it works on something that I’ve already started the Continental way…
So much easier on your hands.
Best regards,
Adrienne
I have had tingling/numbness in my ring and baby finger since the middle of December and after being sent to one Dr after the other I was finally sent to a nerve specialist and found out that what I had was Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. It is caused by leaning on the elbow too much, which I do on my computer desk, and leaning on my chair while knitting. I think this may be the problem with a lot of knitter’s out there so I am posting this link for you to check out and maybe some of the reader’s out here will find relief by watching how they knit and stop putting so much weight on their elbows. You may want to check with your doctor if you are having the same thing. There are exercises to do besides stopping leaning on the elbow so much. I’m going to post both links.
http://www.assh.org/Public/HandConditions/Pages/CubitalTunnelSyndrome.aspx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6cIcuLnYrc
Hope this helps other’s out there
I just glanced at the title and it said Learned Portuguese. I was thinking like language and road trip to Brazil. I was picturing myself sipping some exotic drink with a little umbrella at a beach in Rio de Janeiro. Ah, well. I guess I’m just getting sick of snow. lol
Seriously, though, it would be a good idea to post how to videos of Portuguese knitting. I’ve been reading about elderly knitters who have had to give away their needles and yarn to younger knitters because of arthritis. It breaks my heart. It’s like having to put one of your kids up for adoption, to have to give up something you love so much. Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author of the Little House on the Prairie books, had to give up knitting because her arthritis got so bad. If money is an issue, I’d be willing to send you a little for this great service.
I’m an Eastern knitter and there’s only one site that I found that’s not combination knitting and has some practical information. I found nothing on how to cast on for Eastern knitting. I had to figure that out for myself, as well as how to adapt for some of the decreases. One of these days, maybe I’ll write a book or figure out how to use the webcam that’s built into my new netbook and post it on Youtube. Hey, Sheldon! Are you out there for us technologically challenged?
I think there may be a few videos on youtube for Russian knitting, which is a form of eastern; there are a couple there for Portuguese in addition to the one linked in this thread.
I posted links to videos of Portuguese knitting as the very first post in this thread. They’re on YouTube, but linked. So go back to post 1 in this thread and click on the links! You can still KNIT!
Thanks for the tip on Russian knitting. I checked out the Youtube videos. But fyi, it’s not the same thing. The Russian knit stitch is continental. The purl stitch is similar to Eastern, but the yarn is held in front. Eastern does both knit and purl with the yarn in back of the needles. The yarn is never placed in front. The orientation is different. Russian, continental, English, and Portuguese has a left stitch orientation while Eastern stitches are right slanted on the needle. You other style knitters would say our stitches are backwards. I think I worked out all my Eastern techniques issues, but thanks for the help.
Thanks for explaining the differences.
Actually, with Portuguese knitting, the stitches are EXACTLY the same as with English or Continental. I interchange them all the time. I don’t know about the other styles, as I am not familiar with them.
I have just learned this technique exists. Even though I am in the middle of a project (I’m a thrower), I’m going to practice this like crazy till I have it right! It’s so exciting 
Thanks!
Thank you so much for these tips. I only heard about this method today, but I’m really excited, because I’m another knitter struggling with carpel tunnel and shoulder problems despite switching to continental (which did help a lot at first) a while ago. I’m in the middle of knitting a jacket, so that will have to be finished in the same method before I go on to learn this, but hopefully I will have fewer problems in future. Thanks again.
I hear you when it come to Arthritis and wanting to still knit. My hands were very painful and some knitting styles will irritate joints which are sore, as particular joints act up for me in the winter more than in warmer weather, I knit past the stiffness. When I tried things out, could not knit like the Yarn Harlot which is Cottage Knitting. I can do it now, just find it awkward for me.
I found for that the casein protein in dairy products could contribute to Arthritis in sensitive individuals, and it was hard for me, but I gave up dairy for a long time. But it made a big difference in the pain in my hands and also other joints. I substituted several of the plant milks to make change of diet easier. I can cheat now but know my hands will tell me when I need to get off of dairy again.
I have a wheelchair, it wasn’t only my hands. I use that wheelchair now just to transport big bags of dog food from the garage to the kitchen where the dogs eat. I like being wheelchair free a lot. Don’t use my cane now either.
For me I have found that I benefit from changing knitting styles as I can still get soreness and so I don’t irritate any joint and have it start screaming in pain, I switch to another knitting style or knit backwards.
I have been an English/American knitter so worked to knit looser as the added tension made knitting harder to enter small stitches too.
Knitting backward was out of necessity to do Enterlac and so I know how both right handed and left handed.
I also find that using a Combination or Eastern European hand hold for Continental knitting is good for my fingers as it puts no tension on them. I do not have to use that stitch mount unless it is practical for me. Who cares what mount the stitch has if you know how to make the knitting comes out right and your fingers feel good.
Flicking is a right-handed knitting method in which the yarn is never put down, nor the right hand needle to complete the stitch, it either requires stretching the index finger to do or to find a pivot point as the needle moves backwards to catch the stitch. It resembles the Continental in that you then are picking the yarn, but it still requires bringing the yarn to the front to purl. Flicking can be done in knitting backwards for Continental knitters also. Knitting backwards is actually purling but from the front of the work.
Videos list these methods as also mirror knitting, knitting without turning or even left handed knitting. Lefties often have better videos on how to knit going the other way.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
The good news is that my hands are much better now. I try to knit every day as it maintains my fingers’ function.
The link is my video for flicking.
Had to try it, the stitch is very even despite just trying it. Haven’t watched all the video links. You are very thorough. I found a small drapery hook which I can attach to my t-shirt which works perfectly (wouldn’t try it with any expensive clothing). This hook works to hand pinch pleat drapery, not the kind which does the pleating for you if you have the drapery tape backing.
Super helpful, I can see I will make lots of use of this.
I’m thrilled to have found this thread. I just started practicing PK 2 days ago and I love it. I am an English knitter for around 11 years now and I have Arthritis in my hands and regularly will get numbness in my middle fingers, ring and picky fingers. Giving up knitting is NOT an option. So I am going to try to learn Portuguese knitting. Although I have some hesitation on how my English stitches transfer over in this style of knitting.
I have spent the last two days searching online for a book on teaching myself everything I would need to learn but there only seems to be one book right now and at this time is not in my budget .
Going back now to check on the links you’ve posted .
I’ve been looking for Portuguese Knitting Abbreviations , like the knitting abbreviations found here :shrug: but no luck .
I went to my local library today to see if I could find a book on Portuguese knitting , no luck. The librarian checked online to see if any surrounding library’s may have any thing on PK , she even checked with one of our local community colleges , no luck there either.
Nana, my impression is that the abbreviations are the same as the ones listed in any knitting glossary. It’s the [I][I]way[/I][/I] in which the stitches are made that’s different.
Are there special abbreviations for Portuguese knitting?