English vs. Continental knitting seems to have less hard borders pre 20th century. Lots of British people knit using their left hand, and knitting with the right hand was the main style, at least in France, Netherlands, Sweden, Estonia, and possibly other places. Knitting sheaths have been found throughout Europe.
I have tried knitting with the yarn in my left hand while using my knitting sheath and belt, and it’s possible, even while still having the righthand needle fixed. The long, metal DPNs used are extremely flexible, so it enables me to knit almost as I usually do, except I just guide the needle with one of my fingers, rather than holding it with my entire right hand.
Thank you. Interesting to think of—I’m trying to imagine how this is done. Do you have to move the yarn with the hand that is wielding the moving needle?
I’m not surprised by the “less hard borders”. I knit closer to continental only because yarn and needles go flying if I try it the other way. Comfort has something to do with it.
I was thinking the sheath allowed for one-handed knitting, which is maybe a crazy expectation. I appreciate getting to see how it works. I can see how the sheath would increase the stability of the “still” needle and help to increase speed. It reminds me of the super long needles used tucked under one arm I’ve seen in info about old Irish knitting. Thanks again.
Ah, I can see the confusion - especially since my title was potentially misleading by describing it as "hands-free" knitting. It's more like one-hand-free!
Yes, you're right that it is a similar concept to Irish cottage knitting. Somewhere along the way the sheath was lost.
It’s definitely possible! Although, none of these numbers are verified, and from my experience old sources tend to exaggerate a lot. Having said that, these people were doing it all day, every day (except Sundays), and time was money, so I could imagine they were faster than anyone alive today.
I believe it. Today's professions have people doing inexplicably fast work. Late in her career, my mom was writing research contracts the size of a small book. It took a couple of days. Once, she had to do one where she hadn't seen the file yet. I remember her deadline panic, but she did it.
Two issues that you need to understand about the use of a knitting sheath or belt. You need to use long double pointed needles because the point of the needle goes into the sheath. Right now only the German company Addi makes long pointed needles, and you need to use a search engine to find American importers of this needle. I did this when I took up two-color brioche knitting. You can also buy American made knitting belts on Etsy. The second issue is that it is primarily used by right-handed or British knitting or throw knitting so the knitter can keep the right needle upright while using the right hand to throw the yarn around the needle.
The industrial revolution killed the need for the knitting sheath in that machines could make stockings faster than knitters. It also created the demand for highly cabled sweaters by creating high-quality cheap worsted and Aran weight wool yarn perfect for getting the stich definition necessary for complicated cables. Alice Starmore documented this in her book on Aran knitting. She showed that complicated cabled hand-knit sweaters were developed in the Aran Islands of the coast of Ireland in the 1930’s using machine made wool yarn. Marketing weasels then made up a story that certain designs were unique to certain fisherman families so the sweaters could be used to identify fisherman when their bodies washed up on shore after a drowning. By the mid-twentieth century knitters throughout the British Isles were making “Aran” sweaters to sell in shops.
I own a knitting belt that I purchased on Etsy from a woman in Minnesota who makes them herself. I don’t use it because I found that I prefer to knit on my sofa with my feet up and then rest my right needle on my hip while I knit.
Thanks. I managed to find a set of long double points on Temu (I don’t usually shop there, but like you say there isn’t much choice) to use with my sheath and knitting belt I ordered from Shetland. I am primarily knitting English style, but the flexibility of the thin metal needles means continental knitting is also quite convenient. I posted a short clip of me knitting continental style here: https://www.threads.com/@knitjonpurljon/post/DbEPXchDoAV?xmt=AQG0LBluvMKFTuXS2rTI6ASBiY9B-ZvUk8jEBX9L9DcWAA
I think learning different styles is a great exercise, as it allows you to use different muscles and see what works best for different situations. For me, I really enjoy knitting relatively simple items in the round with the knitting belt, but if there’s a more complicated pattern I am currently switching to circulars.
Oh, this makes sense! I knit Continental style, having taught myself after learning to crochet first. And I've been wondering how a knitting sheath is actually helpful! Thank you for pointing out that it makes a bigger difference with the British style.
Full disclosure, I didn’t make those - unfortunately I’m not that handy!
But that’s a great point, and I would guess that some of them were designed to have duel functions. Perhaps even as spindles, since it reminds me of a French-style spindle.
This may be a stupid question, but when you finish one row, do you need to switch the needles so that the one now holding the knitting becomes the fixed needle? That is, the needle that was fixed is removed from the sheath and replaced by what was the free needle?
Yes, that’s exactly how it works. Items were usually knit in the round, so continuing clockwise while switching out the needle has quite a nice flow to it. Although, for true speed it’s desirable to use as few needles as you can get away with. In Shetland, many knitters will knit in the round with the stitches on only two needles, with the third “working” needle set in the belt. This is very difficult to do without a sheath or belt.
I’ve taken to knitting in the round on two circular needles. I was wondering how they could knit a sock in the round on only two needles. I may have to try it out myself.
Fascinating. As you say the Shetland leather knitting belt never really went away, I have seen it being used and it looks fast! It is intriguing that "upper-class English knitters took up a new way of holding their needles, gripped like a pen, wrist turned, meant to look graceful." Is that now the 'English' way of knitting? Did we all knit continental style before? A post about the different ways people knit would be interesting.
In general, we call it English style if you hold the yarn in your right hand, and Continental if you hold it in your left. I have seen the pencil-grip English style referred to as “parlour knitting”; it’s how I was taught to knit by my grandma, and she was by no means a slow knitter. Another English style, which I would argue is related to the knitting sheath or belt, is sometimes called “pit knitting” or “Irish cottage knitting”. Here a long needle is supported, often tucked into the armpit or the thigh junction, so you do not actually have to hold the right-hand needle.
How people knitted in the past is a very interesting but complicated question, since the evidence is scarce and we usually cannot infer it from historical knitted garments. Having said that, I believe that people used both Continental and English knitting in Britain, as they did on the continent, although there may well have been some general geographical trends. Once we come to the 20th century, and knitting became part of school instruction, that seems to be when things become more prescriptive.
Thanks for the suggestion about writing a piece on knitting styles. It would be very interesting, but it is definitely a huge topic. Perhaps it could be a series!
I love that you not only research and write about historical techniques, you go so far as to source the appropriate tools and put them the test. Bravo!
I wrote an article about this, too, last year after coming across the knitting sheaths at the Dales Museum and various other places. Your article is so enjoyable! Another way that this concept in knitting has survived is in “pit” knitting. My sister-in-law tucks a long knitting needle in her right armpit and knits like that. She doesn’t knit with double pointed needles. Just normal long needles. The one in her armpit sticks straight out and the other needle is the moving one. She throws her yarn English style. According to her, her mother also did pit knitting. I thought perhaps it was a Lancashire thing, but my friend’s mum knits the same way and she’s from Northumberland. These are women both in their eighties now. Thank you for a great article on a subject I love.
Wow, I just read your article and really enjoyed it. I haven’t had a chance to visit the museum yet, so I’m a bit jealous. It looks like an absolute paradise for anyone interested in knitting history.
A few people have mentioned pit knitting, and I find that really interesting. I agree it probably evolved from sheath knitting. I’ve come across knitters holding the needle with both knife and pencil grips, which makes me think there’s some overlap with Victorian “parlour” knitting styles. The preference for straight needles is fascinating too. It does seem to be quite an Anglo thing. At some point in the 20th century, sweaters also shifted toward being knitted flat, likely influenced by sewing construction rather than older knitting traditions. That’s something I’d really like to look into more.
I’ve added your article to the Further Reading section of mine so others can find it as well. Thanks for sharing it!
That’s very kind of you to add my article to further reading, Jonathan! I love your theory about flat knitting and sewing construction. I really enjoy flat knitting and I think it is because I was a sewer first. Also, I was very intimidated by knitting before I knew how to knit. But when my sister-in-law said “knitting is just a bunch of rectangles sewn together,” I didn’t feel so intimidated anymore. When I did learn to knit on double pointed needles, I felt so happy. There’s a kind of magic to it. Thank you for your link to your demonstration of continental knitting with the sheath/belt. I often switch from Continental to English knitting for different purposes, so I love to see both ways of doing one thing. I hope you get to go to the museum. If you’re ever up in Dumfries in Scotland, their local museum also has knitting sheaths. I’m so glad your article showed up in my Substack notes!
Thanks you - that’s great to have your perspective of being a sewer first. I love both seamed construction and seamless, depending on the yarn, project, and my mood. The same goes for English and continental. One of the great things about knitting is that the same result can usually be achieved through many different methods, and were the boss of our knitting.
Next time I’m in the UK I think I need to make it a knitting themed trip. Despite growing up there I was quite unaware of the knitting heritage until a few years ago.
Love that you are testing these out and reporting results and history. At the very beginning of our marriage, my husband "proved his devotion to me" accompanying me to a yarn fair (28 years later, he's still talks about it!) Maybe that's a modern version of carving a knitting sheath for your sweetheart!
A few years ago, after reading about knitting sheaths, I tried using a double ended clothes peg to anchor my right needle near my waist (I knit English style). It worked wonderfully. This can be done with ordinary straight needles, so no extra purchase was needed. It helps lift the weight of the knitting, meaning my wrist isn't under as much strain, so I can knit for longer in a sitting.
I slide one end of the clothes peg onto my jeans belt-loop, and the other end grabs the end of the needle.
It did need a slight adjustment of posture etc, but I'm a fan.
This is so cool to read about. Years ago while walking the Coast-to-coast trail, local walkers mentioned miners knitting as they walked to/from work. I could never imagine how this worked; now I can! Thanks!
Very nice work!
Fascinating…not sure I totally understand the mechanics though…would love to see a demonstration…
Thanks - I'm still all thumbs with it at the moment, but there are some good videos on YouTube showing it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J8oI5cM7Hc
Thank you!!!
Would this perhaps be impacted by the difference in the English and continental styles of knitting?
I move the yarn with my left hand and the needle with my right, so using the sheath would be very awkward.
This is a great question!
English vs. Continental knitting seems to have less hard borders pre 20th century. Lots of British people knit using their left hand, and knitting with the right hand was the main style, at least in France, Netherlands, Sweden, Estonia, and possibly other places. Knitting sheaths have been found throughout Europe.
I have tried knitting with the yarn in my left hand while using my knitting sheath and belt, and it’s possible, even while still having the righthand needle fixed. The long, metal DPNs used are extremely flexible, so it enables me to knit almost as I usually do, except I just guide the needle with one of my fingers, rather than holding it with my entire right hand.
Thank you. Interesting to think of—I’m trying to imagine how this is done. Do you have to move the yarn with the hand that is wielding the moving needle?
I’m not surprised by the “less hard borders”. I knit closer to continental only because yarn and needles go flying if I try it the other way. Comfort has something to do with it.
Thanks for sharing your research.
I have taken a short video of me knitting with the sheath, with my continental method. I can’t attach it here so I put it on threads - hopefully you can see it and it makes it a bit clearer: https://www.threads.com/@knitjonpurljon/post/DbEPXchDoAV?xmt=AQG0_9Mg_LQuBnAD752xsebypKOy2M21jxwi4zOC3Xfss5IlAelfWqO8v7h0J1Burpd4n_c&slof=1
Thank you so much!
I was thinking the sheath allowed for one-handed knitting, which is maybe a crazy expectation. I appreciate getting to see how it works. I can see how the sheath would increase the stability of the “still” needle and help to increase speed. It reminds me of the super long needles used tucked under one arm I’ve seen in info about old Irish knitting. Thanks again.
Ah, I can see the confusion - especially since my title was potentially misleading by describing it as "hands-free" knitting. It's more like one-hand-free!
Yes, you're right that it is a similar concept to Irish cottage knitting. Somewhere along the way the sheath was lost.
In my novel, I have colonial women knitting stockings like the wind… And I was told that no one can knit that fast. I guess I was right.
It’s definitely possible! Although, none of these numbers are verified, and from my experience old sources tend to exaggerate a lot. Having said that, these people were doing it all day, every day (except Sundays), and time was money, so I could imagine they were faster than anyone alive today.
I believe it. Today's professions have people doing inexplicably fast work. Late in her career, my mom was writing research contracts the size of a small book. It took a couple of days. Once, she had to do one where she hadn't seen the file yet. I remember her deadline panic, but she did it.
Two issues that you need to understand about the use of a knitting sheath or belt. You need to use long double pointed needles because the point of the needle goes into the sheath. Right now only the German company Addi makes long pointed needles, and you need to use a search engine to find American importers of this needle. I did this when I took up two-color brioche knitting. You can also buy American made knitting belts on Etsy. The second issue is that it is primarily used by right-handed or British knitting or throw knitting so the knitter can keep the right needle upright while using the right hand to throw the yarn around the needle.
The industrial revolution killed the need for the knitting sheath in that machines could make stockings faster than knitters. It also created the demand for highly cabled sweaters by creating high-quality cheap worsted and Aran weight wool yarn perfect for getting the stich definition necessary for complicated cables. Alice Starmore documented this in her book on Aran knitting. She showed that complicated cabled hand-knit sweaters were developed in the Aran Islands of the coast of Ireland in the 1930’s using machine made wool yarn. Marketing weasels then made up a story that certain designs were unique to certain fisherman families so the sweaters could be used to identify fisherman when their bodies washed up on shore after a drowning. By the mid-twentieth century knitters throughout the British Isles were making “Aran” sweaters to sell in shops.
I own a knitting belt that I purchased on Etsy from a woman in Minnesota who makes them herself. I don’t use it because I found that I prefer to knit on my sofa with my feet up and then rest my right needle on my hip while I knit.
Thanks. I managed to find a set of long double points on Temu (I don’t usually shop there, but like you say there isn’t much choice) to use with my sheath and knitting belt I ordered from Shetland. I am primarily knitting English style, but the flexibility of the thin metal needles means continental knitting is also quite convenient. I posted a short clip of me knitting continental style here: https://www.threads.com/@knitjonpurljon/post/DbEPXchDoAV?xmt=AQG0LBluvMKFTuXS2rTI6ASBiY9B-ZvUk8jEBX9L9DcWAA
I also wrote a bit about the Aran sweater myths in an article a few weeks back, it’s such an interesting story: https://knitjonpurljon.substack.com/p/why-sweaters-need-myths?r=5dl81m
I think learning different styles is a great exercise, as it allows you to use different muscles and see what works best for different situations. For me, I really enjoy knitting relatively simple items in the round with the knitting belt, but if there’s a more complicated pattern I am currently switching to circulars.
Oh, this makes sense! I knit Continental style, having taught myself after learning to crochet first. And I've been wondering how a knitting sheath is actually helpful! Thank you for pointing out that it makes a bigger difference with the British style.
In your photo of replica tools you’ve made, the lower tool looks like a nostepinne. Perhaps it did double duty?
Full disclosure, I didn’t make those - unfortunately I’m not that handy!
But that’s a great point, and I would guess that some of them were designed to have duel functions. Perhaps even as spindles, since it reminds me of a French-style spindle.
This may be a stupid question, but when you finish one row, do you need to switch the needles so that the one now holding the knitting becomes the fixed needle? That is, the needle that was fixed is removed from the sheath and replaced by what was the free needle?
Not stupid at all!
Yes, that’s exactly how it works. Items were usually knit in the round, so continuing clockwise while switching out the needle has quite a nice flow to it. Although, for true speed it’s desirable to use as few needles as you can get away with. In Shetland, many knitters will knit in the round with the stitches on only two needles, with the third “working” needle set in the belt. This is very difficult to do without a sheath or belt.
I’ve taken to knitting in the round on two circular needles. I was wondering how they could knit a sock in the round on only two needles. I may have to try it out myself.
Fascinating. As you say the Shetland leather knitting belt never really went away, I have seen it being used and it looks fast! It is intriguing that "upper-class English knitters took up a new way of holding their needles, gripped like a pen, wrist turned, meant to look graceful." Is that now the 'English' way of knitting? Did we all knit continental style before? A post about the different ways people knit would be interesting.
In general, we call it English style if you hold the yarn in your right hand, and Continental if you hold it in your left. I have seen the pencil-grip English style referred to as “parlour knitting”; it’s how I was taught to knit by my grandma, and she was by no means a slow knitter. Another English style, which I would argue is related to the knitting sheath or belt, is sometimes called “pit knitting” or “Irish cottage knitting”. Here a long needle is supported, often tucked into the armpit or the thigh junction, so you do not actually have to hold the right-hand needle.
How people knitted in the past is a very interesting but complicated question, since the evidence is scarce and we usually cannot infer it from historical knitted garments. Having said that, I believe that people used both Continental and English knitting in Britain, as they did on the continent, although there may well have been some general geographical trends. Once we come to the 20th century, and knitting became part of school instruction, that seems to be when things become more prescriptive.
Thanks for the suggestion about writing a piece on knitting styles. It would be very interesting, but it is definitely a huge topic. Perhaps it could be a series!
I love that you not only research and write about historical techniques, you go so far as to source the appropriate tools and put them the test. Bravo!
I think sometimes you only understand by doing, especially in knitting. Plus, it’s fun!
I wrote an article about this, too, last year after coming across the knitting sheaths at the Dales Museum and various other places. Your article is so enjoyable! Another way that this concept in knitting has survived is in “pit” knitting. My sister-in-law tucks a long knitting needle in her right armpit and knits like that. She doesn’t knit with double pointed needles. Just normal long needles. The one in her armpit sticks straight out and the other needle is the moving one. She throws her yarn English style. According to her, her mother also did pit knitting. I thought perhaps it was a Lancashire thing, but my friend’s mum knits the same way and she’s from Northumberland. These are women both in their eighties now. Thank you for a great article on a subject I love.
Wow, I just read your article and really enjoyed it. I haven’t had a chance to visit the museum yet, so I’m a bit jealous. It looks like an absolute paradise for anyone interested in knitting history.
A few people have mentioned pit knitting, and I find that really interesting. I agree it probably evolved from sheath knitting. I’ve come across knitters holding the needle with both knife and pencil grips, which makes me think there’s some overlap with Victorian “parlour” knitting styles. The preference for straight needles is fascinating too. It does seem to be quite an Anglo thing. At some point in the 20th century, sweaters also shifted toward being knitted flat, likely influenced by sewing construction rather than older knitting traditions. That’s something I’d really like to look into more.
I’ve added your article to the Further Reading section of mine so others can find it as well. Thanks for sharing it!
That’s very kind of you to add my article to further reading, Jonathan! I love your theory about flat knitting and sewing construction. I really enjoy flat knitting and I think it is because I was a sewer first. Also, I was very intimidated by knitting before I knew how to knit. But when my sister-in-law said “knitting is just a bunch of rectangles sewn together,” I didn’t feel so intimidated anymore. When I did learn to knit on double pointed needles, I felt so happy. There’s a kind of magic to it. Thank you for your link to your demonstration of continental knitting with the sheath/belt. I often switch from Continental to English knitting for different purposes, so I love to see both ways of doing one thing. I hope you get to go to the museum. If you’re ever up in Dumfries in Scotland, their local museum also has knitting sheaths. I’m so glad your article showed up in my Substack notes!
Thanks you - that’s great to have your perspective of being a sewer first. I love both seamed construction and seamless, depending on the yarn, project, and my mood. The same goes for English and continental. One of the great things about knitting is that the same result can usually be achieved through many different methods, and were the boss of our knitting.
Next time I’m in the UK I think I need to make it a knitting themed trip. Despite growing up there I was quite unaware of the knitting heritage until a few years ago.
Love that you are testing these out and reporting results and history. At the very beginning of our marriage, my husband "proved his devotion to me" accompanying me to a yarn fair (28 years later, he's still talks about it!) Maybe that's a modern version of carving a knitting sheath for your sweetheart!
Ha, maybe! Or at least tolerating the chaos that comes with this hobby! 😂
A few years ago, after reading about knitting sheaths, I tried using a double ended clothes peg to anchor my right needle near my waist (I knit English style). It worked wonderfully. This can be done with ordinary straight needles, so no extra purchase was needed. It helps lift the weight of the knitting, meaning my wrist isn't under as much strain, so I can knit for longer in a sitting.
I slide one end of the clothes peg onto my jeans belt-loop, and the other end grabs the end of the needle.
It did need a slight adjustment of posture etc, but I'm a fan.
That’s wonderful! I will share this in case other people want to try.
This is so cool to read about. Years ago while walking the Coast-to-coast trail, local walkers mentioned miners knitting as they walked to/from work. I could never imagine how this worked; now I can! Thanks!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing that.