Tuesday, March 28, 2006

urgent spanish query

"el calcetero"

does this mean "the knitter"? please let me know, and thanks!

posted by amy [Knitty] @ 7:34 PM 16 comments

Comments:
I know that calcetine is sock so a calcetero would be a maker or seller of socks. I called my Dad (who is from spain) but he didn't know the translation for "knitter" in spanish.

Babelfish translated calcetero to "hosier" so the sock thing is on the right track.

I'm ashamed of my Spanish--and I was born in Cuba!!
# posted by Blogger Inky : 8:11 PM, March 28, 2006
 
Ok, mom just called back and she said knitting is "hacer punto" or to "make knitting". also it's known as "tejido" and knitting needles are "agujas de tejido"

so she said that "the knitter" would be "el (or ella) que hace de punto"

i don't know if this helps but it surely was educational for me!!
# posted by Blogger Inky : 8:14 PM, March 28, 2006
 
wow, all that research! thank you!

except it's not gonna work.

google gave me "el calcetero", and my spanish dictionary gave me "calceta" meaning knitting. so i thought we were close.

what about "el tejidor"? it's got to be a little zippier than "el que hace de punto" :-) help!
# posted by Blogger amy [Knitty] : 8:17 PM, March 28, 2006
 
I think it's some kind of sauce you put on a tortilla chip. You know, "Yow! This calcetero is muy caliente!"
# posted by Anonymous Ann : 11:00 PM, March 28, 2006
 
I agree with Inky...

calceta: hose, stocking

hacer calceta: to knit

calceteria (accent on the i): hosiery shop; hosiery (business of making hose)

calcetero: hosier

Hope this helps!
# posted by Blogger saleknitter : 11:48 PM, March 28, 2006
 
Sorry, I forgot to include another way to say knitter:

tejedor (male); tejedora (female)
# posted by Blogger saleknitter : 11:54 PM, March 28, 2006
 
There are at least 11 different ways to say "to knit" in Spanish (and counting, I am still collecting them):
hacer punto, hacer punto de media, hacer media, hacer calceta, calcetar, hacer molde, hacer agujeta, tejer, tejer a dos agujas, tejer a palillo, tricotar...
You'll find more info on the regional distribution of the different terms in my article (in Spanish):
http://ibericadepunto.com/article.php3?id_article=36

Nowadays "calcetar" is used for "to knit" only in the North-West of Spain (Asturias and Galicia). So "el calcetero" indeed means "the (male) knitter" although "the (male) hosier" is a good translation too due to the etymology of "calceta". But, while most Spanish knitters might understand the word (and I'm not even sure they might), they would definitely not use it.

Most (specially in Latin America) would use "el tejedor" for a male knitter and "la tejedora" for a female knitter, but these words are highly ambiguous since they also means "the weaver". Only context helps in understanding them one way or another.

I'm afraid there is no easy way out on this one.
# posted by Anonymous Urraca : 4:58 AM, March 29, 2006
 
¡Caramba! well, thank you, everyone, for all that info. i'm really stunned that there's no common term [or at least a few really well-used ones in conversation]. based on everyone's feedback, i'm going with La Tejedora, and will ad El Tejedor soon.

What's this for? Stay tuned. I'll blog it shortly. Thanks for all your help!
# posted by Blogger amy [Knitty] : 9:06 AM, March 29, 2006
 
El calcetero could mean either: someone who makes socks, or the place where you put your socks, a drawer designated specifically for socks.
The translation for the Knitter is more La (if is a she) El (if is a he) La/EL Tejedor

Spanish is my first language
# posted by Anonymous isela : 12:57 PM, March 29, 2006
 
well, I forgot to add the "a" at the end of the Tejedor for the female,
La Tejedora
Male
El Tejedor

I called my Gradma in Mexico to find out the exact name and that is what she says they are called.

Knitting=Tejiendo
Knit=Tejer
# posted by Anonymous isela : 1:01 PM, March 29, 2006
 
Now my Cuban grandmother taught me that tejer is to crochet (and she did a lot of it). Which has always left me wondering about knitting (she passed away before I started knitting), so all this commentary is quite interesting to me, thanks!
# posted by Anonymous Mel (aka Stick Chick) : 2:58 PM, March 29, 2006
 
in uruguay a calcetine is a sock, like an ankle sock or short sock. i don't believe it's used as a verb there. we say tejer (to knit). estoy tejiendo un par de calcetines hermosos (i'm knitting a lovely pair of ankle socks). and i am! for mother.
# posted by Blogger Sandi Purl : 12:45 PM, March 31, 2006
 
I am ashamed to be Spanish (in Zapatero´s Spain)
# posted by Anonymous hombre cabal : 5:17 AM, May 04, 2006
 
¿Carne en calceta? Para el que la meta
# posted by Anonymous victor buono : 5:18 AM, May 04, 2006
 
Evo Morales anti- español
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 12:11 PM, May 12, 2006
 
sorry, mr. bernotat
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 3:31 PM, April 04, 2007
 
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