Portuguese Knitting

Rosa Pomar learned to knit at the age of seven and never stopped. As a child, she knitted mainly dolls and her family found it difficult to tear her away from her knitting needles. She took courses in medieval history, then subsequently in illustration at the School of Visual Arts in Nova Cirque. As the author of one of the oldest Portuguese blogs, www.aervilhacorderosa.com, she frequently addresses the subject of traditional Portuguese textiles. She carries out research in this area, especially in the field of wool, travelling around the country to visit shepherds and spinners. In 2008, she created Retrosaria, a store dedicated to the sale of fabrics and materials for knitting and sewing (www.retrosaria.rosapomar.com). Since 2009, she has created several new textile techniques, always finding ways of bringing the traditional Portuguese knitting methods into contemporary pieces.

Index 4

Preface 7

Introduction 8

The history of knitting 11

Knitting in Portugal 27

Introduction 28

Materials 30

Finishes 33

Raw materials 33

Types and traditions 38

Socks 39

Jumpers 53

Other pieces 59

Techniques 65

Materials 66

Yarn 66

Needles 69

Accessories 71

Other useful tools 71

Interpreting the labels 72

Knitting 72

Tension, density and samples 73

Starting 75

Single casting on 75

Portuguese style casting on 76

Knit and purl 78

Stitches and techniques 82

Patterns 97

Abbreviations and other terms used 98

Barrete de vilão (Villain's cap) 99

Algibeirinha pouch 102

Scarf ‘by music’ 104

Rag mat 106

Mirandês bag 108

Thrum rug 110

Minderica cowl 112

Montemuro cuffs 114

Minderica sleeves 116

Cushion 118

Poveira leg-warmers 120

Striped socks 122

Woolly hat 126

Caninhas shawl 128

Ilha do Corvo beret 130

Shell socks 134

Gloves 140

Lace collar 142

Algibeira pouch 144

Serra de Ossa leggings 146

Patterns 148

Useful Information 151

Yarns, reference books and links 152

Bibliography 153

Credits 157

Acknowledgements 159