Another way

When I was in Ohio this past July, my Buckeye pals took me to a knit shop in Columbus where I was introduced to a new (to me) style of knitting. It is way of holding the yarn around the neck or through a hook pinned near the shoulder and using your thumb to throw the yarn around the needle.

According to Andrea Wong, who teaches the “Wong Way” technique at the knit shop, this style is popular in Greece, Portugal, Turkey, Egypt and Peru.

The shop owner demonstrated the technique to me since Andrea wasn’t there. I tried it and was immediately hooked. What a great way to knit. I had been knitting in the English style (slowly) and had tried Continental in the hopes of knitting faster. I just couldn’t master the left hand, finger-sticking-out Continental thing. I felt jerky and out of control.

Andrea calls this style “Portuguese knitting” because a Portuguese woman taught her mother. I have really taken to the technique – my speed has increased and my tension is even and smooth. It took me only a day to get used to it. It seems so natural to me.

There is very little hand movement because you use your thumb to move the yarn without taking your hand off the needle. The movement is very efficient.

Andrea sells an instructional DVD and a knitting pin on her website. It certainly is worth checking out. Both items are high quality and Andrea is very charming.

My only problem is remembering to take the knitting pin off my PJs before I go to bed. And just in case you are wondering, the pin goes through the washer and dryer just fine!