Shepherd's woodwork: Portuguese knitting pin with Mal Barbado

Teacher: André Panóias/ Mal Barbado

Date: Saturday, 28 October 2023, 10am to 1pm

Contents: Introduction to the process of manual production of a traditional Portuguese knitting pin (gancho de fazer meia), from wood branch to final piece. Participants will be able to understand fundamental techniques and use manual tools, within the context of shepherd's wood carving traditions, to make their own personal and personalised piece. They will take their piece home at the end of the workshop.

"When I started researching these subjects I couldn't understand how the knitting pins that I found in museums were used, because they were so different from the ones you can purchase nowadays. Only when I saw one being used, a few months ago in Nisa, did I figure out that the hooks on display in museums are almost always incomplete. In order to be used, these pieces must be attached with a ribbon (or in the example I witnessed, a crochet chain) to a metal pin that is then pinned to the knitter's clothes, on their chest. This pin can be detached from the clothes but not from the project being knitted, because the yarn goes through it at the start of the work and only slips out after it is cut." Text by Rosa Pomar, translated from her blog A Ervilha Cor de Rosa.

Objectives: Production of a Portuguese knitting pin.

Requirements: No previous knowledge necessary. Minimum age: 14 years old. This workshop will be taught in Portuguese, but the tutor can give instructions in English if necessary.

Material included: All materials and tools needed are included.

Withdrawals/refunds: the registration fee will be refunded to students who for some reason cannot participate in the workshop and communicate their withdrawal up to ten days before the workshop date.

Location: Rua Maria Andrade, 50A (Lisbon)

The workshop will only take place if a minimum of four people sign up to participate. In the event that we don’t reach minimum attendance of four participants until five days before the date of the workshop, the workshop will be cancelled and any participants who had signed up will be contacted for a refund, rescheduling (if possible) or shop voucher to be arranged. In the event that the workshop is cancelled by the tutor due to unforeseen circumstances, we will apply the same procedure: refund of the fee, exchange for a shop voucher or, should another workshop date already be booked, a rescheduling of the workshop.