Knitting with one needle under arm

@Luckygirl, I saw a girl - evidently a very new knitter - knitting like that on the bus, and was dying to show her how to do it so much more quickly and easily, but thought she might see me as an interfering old bag.

Tunisian crochet needle. It's very long with a hook on the end.

I am very left handed so have my own way of knitting. I think it looks awkward to others. Someone said I looked like a cow knitting !!!
I do a lot of knitting though. Just finished a jumper and starting a cot blanket.

I also sit at an angle whilst knitting Streaky. I have used the circular needles for my last three projects now and it is a much more comfortable solution for me. They also replace the need to use four needles for, ie; socks.

I was taught to knit at school, West Scotland, age 6 and taught both GDs as knitting and sewing doesn’t appear to be a craft taught at school now.

Was your great grandma from Shetland, Alegrias2? I believe that they would walk along knitting while carrying the peats home (and no doubt the baby too), as they had to make full use of time when the knitting was a way of earning money.

She was from the NE of Scotland Wheniwasyourage, but I think there was a lot of connection between there and Shetland because of the fishing. She was one of the women who travelled around the country following the fishing fleet, and they would gut the fish as they were landed. So they would knit as they walked to and from their lodgings and when they were waiting for the boats to arrive, full of fish. Just as you say, to make full use of their time to earn a little bit of money.

I have realised that's how I knit or used to knit. The needle under my left arm.

My MiL, from the NE of England, always held one needle under her arm. My mum, from Gloucestershire and my grandmother (London) didn't. I don't.

In Weardale, County Durham, the women used 'knitting sticks'. They put the end of the needle in the stick and the stick in their belt to hold it. The sticks were intricately carved and used as love tokens, too.

I love a really complicated one. With bobbles as well^.?
My mother used to knit Aran jumpers.

I've reverted to plain garter stitch - a mitred squares blanket but I hope I don't get bored with it.

Shetland women carrying peat and knitting in the above post

Streaky

This is a link to lever knitting which seems to use little movement.
www.thesprucecrafts.com/knit-faster-with-lever-knitting-2115451

It might need some perseverance to master it but could help.
There is a link within the article to someone knitting that way. You would need long needles.

I like using really short needles as I can’t get on with the under arm style.

Continental knitting would reduce the amount of arm movement, if that’s the effect anyone is after.

I knit with the needle under my arm couldn’t do it any it any other way now.

I have just ordered a set of Bamboo knitting needles, they are easier to use as the wool just glides off the needles so you can keep them close to your sides ,
Also because I have pain in the base of both my thumbs, bamboo needles are supposed to be gentler to use, the ends are pointier therefore going through the stitches easily.

I tried the bamboo needles too Lollipops but I just couldn't get on with them at all. It felt as though the yarn dragged on the needles far more than on plastic or metal needles. Wouldn't do if we were all the same, would it!

I use bamboo needles and honestly give very little thought to how I hold my arms or indeed my needles.
Surely everybody works out what suits them best - it may not be the classic “best” position, but who is to say?
I also first learned the German method from my mother who was an incredibly fast knitter but had to change to “British” knitting when at school. I can only cast on the German way however.

I use Knitpro needles, they are smooth without being slippery.

And, never too old to learn, I mastered a new way of casting on today. It's a pity I'm not happy with the mitred squares, though, and I'm going to rip them out tomorrow!

That's how I knit, find it very quick.

I’ve found bamboo needles quite variable. I have some that are very smooth but others where the yarn seems to catch. I prefer the coolness of metal needles overall and still use my ancient ones with the old sizings on them.

The best knitter I know uses the "under the arm" method: I just don't know how she manages this, but it's her way! Streaky, might you benefit from sitting on a big firm cushion, which raises you up from the big padded arms of your new furniture. (A pillow or two might work?) As a septugenarian myself, I can't imagine learning to knit in a different way!

a knitting sheath maybe, or one of those belts. recently there was a knitting sheath on one of those buy and sell antiques programmes recently

Oldbat1

I’ve been knitting since primary school but I just cannot crochet. I’ve tried. It is the tension I think I can’t cope with. I bought all the hooks at start of first lockdown watched loads of videos etc but total failure.

Me too. It ends up being really tight and the doesn't lie flat.

I love knitting really complicated patterns but with chunky wools. Never been into fine knitting. Don't do so much these days as the wool is so expensive. Costed a cardigan during lockdown. It would have cost me £120 for the wool I liked.

My mother knitted professionally (think the garments you saw on display in department stores) she always knitted with her needles under her arms. She had an apron with a pocket at the front and she could stand watching something cook while she knitted. When she needed to do something everything went into the apron pocket where the ball of wool always lived. I never managed to be any good at knitting because when I was sick of something I would hand it to her and she would finish it twice as fast as I ever could.

Your comment about your mother knitting while she cooked, Trisher, reminds me that my mother used to knit while she slept!

I suppose she wasn’t really asleep, just had her eyes closed as she knitted, but it certainly looked that way to we children.

Use shorter needles?

The needle under one arm is how I was taught 60 years ago by my mum and have knitted ever since. Now, apart from the odd request from family or friends I knit for charity via an online group. The downside for me is never feeling comfortable with circular needles- I can’t seem to get into rhythm and so knit much slower