Joining Janine over at the Rainbow Hare Blog in Wool on Sunday. This week Janine's post featured a beautiful crocheted purse and a very interesting video featuring Magda Sayeg who started the Yarn Bombing 'çraze'. Like me, Janine enjoys the whimsy of yarn bombing but is torn by the fact that the yarn could be used to make items to keep people warm. (And my K4BN friends and I get a mention in this blog post! Thank you Janine!)
Now what am I going to write about this week? In a recent post, I wrote about a local yarn shop Knitch, which was closing down. At our last Knit and Natter there, I did a bit of shopping. (As you do!)
A modern day version of French Knitting! (It's very swish; you just turn a little handle and rounds are done in no time)
This one actually belonged to my first husband and somehow it was still in my craft 'stuff'. ( his mum would have packed it with all his belongings when he moved to Queensland to get married) It would have originally been used in the late 1950s...the little nails are a little rusty.
Some fellow students in my class had beautifully painted ' knitting Nancys' instead of the cotton reels, but most of us had the latter. ( a quick Google shows there are many names for these spools)
So yet another generation was being introduced to this addictive craft. 😃 .
As well as using the Knitting Nancys with my class we also experimented with making spools with cardboard tubes with paddle pop sticks taped to the top, and even fruit juice tins with either 3 inch nails or paddle pop sticks taped to the top rim.
When researching for background for this post, I found an interesting site here which is all about the history of French Knitting or Spool Knitting as it is also called.
If you have memories of French knitting you may also remember the age old problem of this craft which was finding a use for the long cords that were made. I remember my mother showing me how to stitch the cord into a coiled mat for under the teapot as it sat on the table. But often the quite long lengths of cord just languished in cupboards/drawers/boxes etc.
But then, we didn't have Pinterest in those former times did we? I had a great time checking out the ideas for how to use the French Knitting cord here. So many wonderful ideas; good job I bought that swish new spool!
Now what am I going to write about this week? In a recent post, I wrote about a local yarn shop Knitch, which was closing down. At our last Knit and Natter there, I did a bit of shopping. (As you do!)
One item I bought was this...
Oh what memories come flooding back, even when I just type the words 'French Knitting'! I 'discovered' French Knitting when I was at primary school. And I found it so much fun.
Remember the 4 tacks in the wooden cotton reel?
Years later as a teacher myself, I bought a number of the modern day mass produced knitting Nancys for my class to use.
As well as using the Knitting Nancys with my class we also experimented with making spools with cardboard tubes with paddle pop sticks taped to the top, and even fruit juice tins with either 3 inch nails or paddle pop sticks taped to the top rim.
When researching for background for this post, I found an interesting site here which is all about the history of French Knitting or Spool Knitting as it is also called.
If you have memories of French knitting you may also remember the age old problem of this craft which was finding a use for the long cords that were made. I remember my mother showing me how to stitch the cord into a coiled mat for under the teapot as it sat on the table. But often the quite long lengths of cord just languished in cupboards/drawers/boxes etc.
But then, we didn't have Pinterest in those former times did we? I had a great time checking out the ideas for how to use the French Knitting cord here. So many wonderful ideas; good job I bought that swish new spool!
