Yes, the old professional knitters did knit very fast and I have discoved an old film of round-about 1935-1945 which showed just how fast they did knit. I have permission from the British TV Channel 'Talking Pictures' to work on their film, and here is the result. This film should really blow the minds of knitters who have been searching for just such evidence as I have here discovered.

I am working now on a follow-up showing the actual knitting method they used, and it is like nothing I have tried before!

A note below informs me that the film may have been shot at a different rate and therefore the modern view may be just a bit too speeded up. But even if it is just a bit speeded up, it is still a wonderful skill.

I shall be delighted if you would LIKE this video and add yourself as a subscriber as I continue to discover more gems on the ways of knitting.

I sell knitting belts, which I handmake using natural materials, leather stuffed with horsehair in the traditional way. I also import steel knitting needles from the far East and make them up into sets of 4 or 5 from the top size of 5 mm down to 1.5 mm. Go to my shop at https://BygoneYarnyStuff.etsy.com to see all these and many old British patterns reformatted for international use.

I blog on https://woollywoodlanders.blogspot.com and have already discovered that the King of England advertised for knitted clothing for English soldiers who fought Scotland's Bonnie Prince Charlie's army; and the girls who knitted stockings for the Nazis to save themselves from the gas chambers.

A Shetlander gave me this information - see below - " I can identify the two knitters outside standing next to the hay. On the left is Tina Clark, and on the right is her sister-in-law Euphemia "Phemie" Clark neé Peterson. The two plus and Johnnie Clark (Phemie's husband, Tina's brother) lived together in what is now my Grandfather's house in Heylor, Northmavine, Shetland. Tina is an old woman in this film, but is still seen in other films made around the same time period carrying heavy kishies (traditional Shetland baskets carried on the back) full of peats, and knitting at speed as she walked. The film was made in 1932 by Jenny Gilbertson, a pioneering female documentary maker. Tina passed away in 1977, age 107. The original film from which these clips are taken (showing the whole process from sheep to garment) is available to view on the National Library of Scotland website here: https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/1129
Hope this helps!"

Thank you so much, Shetlander.