Using the Portuguese style of knitting in fair isle is a unique way to keep both strands of yarn easily going at once.
This video is sponsored by Eucalan, the wool soap I trust for all of my knits – I’ve used this fiber wash for years! Eucalan is available at many retailers, you can learn more and purchase at their website here.
You can see my playlist of Portuguese Knitting videos here.
My two magnetic Portuguese knitting pins are from these Etsy shops:
BessTIME Etsy Shop
CoffeeNapKnit Etsy Shop
The hat I’m knitting in the video is called Bror. I finished this hat a few weeks ago using opposite dark/light coloring. The yarns I’m using are both Berroco Vintage Worsted.
The needles I’m using in the video are Knitter’s Pride Royale from a 16″ needle set.
What a great video!
Now the question is that pesky issue of yarn dominance. I think that in conventional fair isle, they say to make the background colour come from over and the other colour from under (e.g., a white that you don’t want swallowed by a red background). Is that correct, and if so do you reverse that in Portuguese? Or, to make this question simpler, the yarn from which hand is going to pop and which will be subdued when doing Portuguese the way you’re set up?
Cindy – I’ve tested this out several times, and the most important thing is consistency. I find that there is very little difference between the top and bottom color, but you can tell if you knit a large section with one, then suddenly switch. I find the easiest thing for me is to always carry the lighter color on top, because it’s easy for me to remember, and I won’t switch it up.
S t a c i
Thanks, Staci, and Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
This is a must try technique for me! And, yes… I am a right-handed thrower. 🙂
Many thanks. I can’t wait to test this out!
Thanks so much for this tutorial Stacie. Would it be possible for you to elaborate on this and give a little more about knitting on the reverse side actually demonstrating how the floats are caught. It would surely help my confidence level.