Knitting Nancy
I just had a walk down memory lane over at Carolyn's blog. She posted a photo of a Knitting Nancy...sometimes called a corker or French Knitting. I think I was eight when I got mine and I would spend hours "corking" with assorted odds and sods of leftover yarn, making long lines of mismatched coloured ropes. When the girls were young, their dad made ones using old wooden thread spools and tiny nails. Now I want one again and I'd like to make my own. It won't have a cute face or yellow bonnet and I have no idea what I'll do with the yarn rope, but corking was about as close as I've ever come to knitting something and having it turn out!
*I found this one here
how does it work???
Posted by: cara | November 21, 2006 at 09:34 AM
we had one? i think i kinda remember....
Posted by: emily | November 21, 2006 at 07:23 PM
Cara, the wool starts off by going up the hole from the bottom and then there's a winding technique around the outside of the metal loops at the top (or nails, if you have a homemade one). Then it's just a matter of wrapping the wool around in a circle and using another nail or thin metal/plastic thingy something like the end of a knitting needle, you pull out and up over the nail much like making a knitting stitch...okay, this is getting really complicated. I'm going to look for online instructions that I can forward to you!
Posted by: Barb | November 21, 2006 at 07:39 PM
Thanks Barb, I really enjoyed everyones comments on the French Knitting just as I enjoyed doing the French Knitting. Looking forward to seeing the one you make.
Posted by: carolyn | November 22, 2006 at 01:53 AM
My younger sister had one of these...or something similar. She had the knitting bug when we were growing up. She also had those things that had the pegs on a little board and the strips of cloth to make potholders. I got a potholder for Christmas when I was 10...she really loved making them. now she is knitting beautiful things with lovely wools and fibers. Thanks for the nostalgic memory of this.
Posted by: Jenny | November 22, 2006 at 10:31 AM
I just had to say I looked at some of your flickr photos and love them! You have great style...and that IKEA labyrinth rug...I want one! I love labyrinths! We have a Chartres style labyrinth ina catholic cememtary not far from our home in the countryside. I posted pictures of it in my September archives. It is so peaceful to walk. I made one 2 years ago in our alfalfa pasture by mowing the paths in a grid pattern. It was amazing the energy I felt there...and animals and wildlife were drawn to it.
Posted by: Jenny | November 22, 2006 at 10:36 AM
Ah, my mom used to call those 'horsey reins'!
Posted by: VaxGirl | November 22, 2006 at 10:54 AM
I had one of these as a little girl - French knitting it was called.
I also did a lot of crocheting and pom-pom making.
Posted by: Fi | November 22, 2006 at 10:47 PM
Thanks for bringing back this memory Barb! I too spent hours with mine, and I think I was about 8 years-old as well.
It would be fun to make garlands for the Christmas tree with one of these. You could hang little decorations/charms/beads every few inches along the garland.
Posted by: Sylvie | November 23, 2006 at 11:18 AM
This brings back memories :))
Thanks for providing me with a great Christmas gift for my little girl!!
Posted by: Mirre | November 23, 2006 at 02:08 PM
Help I purchaced a kit but it came with no instructions I have no Idea what to do!
Posted by: michelle | March 21, 2007 at 09:04 PM
Hi, just doing a search on Google and found your blog. (Today is August 9th '07) I am in Australia and I collect knitting nancies (or spool knitters or dolly bobbins or french knitters, there are many different names). Did you know that you can also get these with more than four "nails"? Anyway, you might like to check out my blog http://spoolknitter.blogspot.com and another interesting site is www.Crone-Findlay.com in Canada, they sell lots of different shapes and sizes. Have fun! ...Marian
Posted by: Marian (Maz) | August 08, 2007 at 10:45 PM
Hi, just doing a search on Google and found your blog. (Today is August 9th '07) I am in Australia and I collect knitting nancies (or spool knitters or dolly bobbins or french knitters, there are many different names). Did you know that you can also get these with more than four "nails"? Anyway, you might like to check out my blog http://spoolknitter.blogspot.com and another interesting site is www.Crone-Findlay.com in Canada, they sell lots of different shapes and sizes. Have fun! ...Marian
Posted by: Marian (Maz) | August 08, 2007 at 10:48 PM