Knitting Stick...

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You did read that right - this page is all about knitting sticks.  Never heard of one? A knitting stick is a tool used by knitters to secure one needle and take the weight of their knitting.  These handy little gadgets help serious knitters to knit quickly (some can knit as fast as three stitches per second - that is 180 stitches per minute!) and also makes it easier for them to knit on the move - while they are walking around.

I often knit as I am walking (on the way to work) with short circular needles but find it difficult if there is any weight on the needles.  A knitting stick or a knitting belt could/would solve that problem.

My knitting stick...

Yes, I do have one.  Not that you can buy a knitting stick exactly.  

When I read about them in one of my Shetland Lace Knitting books I did a bit of research and although I could find explanations of what these tools are and how they are used, I could not find one for sale anywhere so I had to improvise a bit.

I did a search on Etsy and I found a store that makes and sells these lovely wooden shawl pins.  

© StrengthHonourWares (Etsy Store)  | My Knitting Stick

So I ordered one (third from bottom) to see if I could modify it slightly to use as a knitting stick.  All I needed to do was to drill a hole in the top of the pin to accommodate the double pointed needles I use for knitting lace. 

It works quite well and it is beautifully made so a lovely addition to my knitting tool-kit.

Elizabeth Lovick demonstrating the use of a knitting stick...

Elizabeth Lovick from Northern Lace has made this video that demonstrates the use of a stick to aid your knitting.

If you are interested in trying different knitting styles, knitting with a stick (or a belt) is definitely something you could try.  It feels kind of weird at first as you manipulate the left hand needle to form the stitches rather than the right but once you get used to the new movements you can ready speed up your knitting!