How Hazel Tindall Knits 262 Stitches in 3 Minutes

The average sweater has around 50,000 stitches and takes 40 hours to knit.

Imagine being able to knit a sweater in just 9.5 hours.

If you knit as fast as Hazel Tindall it could be possible.

Back in 2008 she represented the United Kingdom during a knitting competition held at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, MN.

Competing against knitters from across the globe, she was able to best the current Guinness World Record holder by knitting 262 stitches in just 3 minutes.

Her secret?

Shetland style knitting.

Hazel showing off her knitting speed

What is Shetland Knitting?

Shetland knitting (not to be confused with Shetland Lace) is a form of Lever knitting which comes from the Shetland Islands of Scotland.

Much like the Irish Cottage Knitting we’ve discussed before, this knitting method was created for efficiency.

What distinguishes Shetland knitting is the use of a Knitting Belt.

These small accessories consist of an elongated leather pad with rows of holes.

A long knitting needle is place in a hole, holding the needle in place, so the knitter’s hands are free to focus on manipulating the yarn.

The principle is the same as is used in Lever knitting, where a long needle is often held in the armpit to keep it still.

With regular knitting methods like Continental and English, the knitter must hold both needles in the hands while also working the stitches.

Having the working needle (the needle which stitches are worked onto) held in place allows the knitter more flexibility to move the yarn while knitting. This results in faster, more efficient movements.

Shetland knitters using knitting belts often knit more than 200 stitches per 3 minutes!

So what do you do if you don’t have a knitting belt?

You don’t need a special accessory in order to knit like Hazel.

As mentioned before using a long straight needle held in the armpit can work in a similar way.

But you can also use the principles of lever style knitting with circular needles as well.

Start by holding the your working needle like a pencil, tensioning your yarn in the dominant hand.

You’ll swing your finger forward over the working needle tip to create a stitch.

It will take some time and a bit of practice, but maybe one day you can compete for the title of world’s fastest knitter!

🤩 Want to Learn to Knit like Hazel?

Some links in this article are affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Buying through them supports The Yarnist at no extra cost to you.