How to Knit Portuguese Style

If your hands ache from knitting or you feel clumsy or slow, Portuguese-style knitting might be for you. With this easy technique, the yarn passes around your neck (or through a pin attached to your shirt), the tension is made with your right hand, and right needle stays in front for both knit and purl stitches. And it's easy for both right- and left-handed knitters.

You'll be surprised at how fast ribbing goes. And because your fingers have less to do than in English style (throwing) or Continental style, you're less likely to get cramped fingers. Good news for knitters with arthritis.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• knitting needles (any size, any type)
• yarn

1. 
    
   yarn position

   Loop the yarn around your neck so your ball of yarn is on your right, and the yarn coming around your left side is attached to your knitting. Holding both needles, loop the strand of yarn on your right around one finger on your right hand. Now pull your hands away from you a bit until the yarn becomes taut.

2. 
    

   Knit stitch: Pass the right needle tip under the left strand of yarn and up through the first stitch, but keep the right needle in front of the left.

3. 
    

   Use your left thumb to flick the taut left strand over the right needle tip.

4. 
    

   Pull that loop of yarn down through the stitch and slip the stitch off the left needle.

5. 
    

   Purl stitch: Pass the right needle tip over the left strand of yarn and down through the first stitch, keeping the right needle in front of the left.

6. 
    

   Use your left thumb to flick the taut left strand over the right needle tip.

7. 
    

   Pull that loop of yarn up through the stitch and slip the stitch off the left needle.

8. To alternate between knit and purl is now just a matter of coming at the stitch from below (knit) or above (purl). An easy way to remember whether the right needle passes under or over the left strand is that if you come up through the stitch from below (knit), you must also dip below the left strand. If you come down through the stitch from above (purl), you must also pass above the left strand.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to keep the right needle in front of the left.
• If you prefer not to loop the yarn around your neck (long hair can get tangled in it), you can attach a brooch to the left side of your blouse and pass the yarn through that instead. Use a type of pin or brooch that doesn't have a coil that the yarn will catch on.
• If you make a gauge swatch, use the Portuguese method for the swatch, too. If you use a different technique, your tension may be different and affect the gauge.
• Don't allow the taut yarn around your neck to pull your head forward or you can end up with neck pain.
• If you find yourself with an unwanted yarnover, it just means you passed the right needle over the left strand when you should have passed it under, or vice versa.

[vintage]

on 9/3/2009 I like knitting, i will try this, good article 5*

[lkrause2]

on 5/2/2009 I was just reading that learning a new skill can sharpen the mind. This is a great idea - the pictures make it very clear and easy to follow! Thanks! 5*

[sonni57]

on 5/1/2009 I didn't know Portuguese had a different style of knitting thanks for the update.

[mizbizb]

on 3/30/2009 Thank you for demonstrating this method in such a clear manner. I had tried following the videos and actually was able to do it, but not easily or smoothly. Additionally, I prefer a very tight tension to my knitting and wasn't able to achieve that. Your explanation was all I needed to succeed. Thanks again!!!