The name of the knitting and crocheting technique "broomstick" comes from the English language, literally this word is translated as "broomstick". Indeed, a very thick knitting needle is used as an auxiliary tool for knitting. However, this handicraft appeared not in England, but in Peru, from where it was brought to Europe in the 18th century.
Tools and materials for knitting in the broomstick technique
Prepare the necessary knitting tools. It is preferable to make the canvas using a special thick knitting needle, but this device is quite rare in stores, since knitting using the broomstick technique is not yet very common in our country. Instead of a thick knitting needle, the needlewomen have adapted to using other handy tools, for example, a ruler or a knitting fork, they even knit with fountain pens, plastic water pipes or a vacuum cleaner handle. You also need to stock up on a crochet. Its number is chosen depending on the thickness of the yarn.
The choice of yarn for knitting in the Peruvian technique is quite wide. Beautiful, openwork things are obtained from thin and fluffy threads, such as angora or mohair; twisted yarn of medium thickness made of wool or acrylic is also suitable for work. A fabric made of yarn with sectional dyeing looks very impressive.
How to knit a canvas using the broomstick technique
Make a chain of ordinary air loops. Their number must be a multiple of five. After that, pull another chain through the air loop and throw it over a thick knitting needle. In the same way, pull the loops from all the air loops of the chain and proceed to the first element.
Insert your crochet into the first 5 stitches of this row and work in one single crochet. Then in the same loop, make 4 more single crochets. As a result, you should have 5 stitches from five stitches knitted together. In the same way, knit all the other loops of the row.
To knit the second element, pull one loop from each loop of the previous row and put them in turn on an auxiliary thick knitting needle. Then again knit 5 stitches with one single crochet and make 4 more of the same stitches in the same loop.
Knit in this technique quite quickly, since one row as a result turns out to be wide, its width will depend on the size of the auxiliary tool that you will use when knitting.
A wide variety of products can be made using the broomstick technique. Scarves and stoles look very beautiful and elegant. Such a canvas is used to create ponchos, openwork summer coats, capes, cardigans and tops. In addition, using this technique, needlewomen create original accessories: handbags and bracelets.
