I recently discovered my grandmother's spool knitter in a little box of treasures. I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but until that day, I had never used this clever tool. Now, I'm spool knitting everything.
Thanks to Skacel for providing the addi FlipStix and Schoppel Zauberball Crazy yarn used in this tutorial. These products are available locally at many yarn shops and online at Makers' Mercantile.
Before You Begin
Spool knitters are also known as French knitters. They are basically a tiny knitting loom that can be used to knit miles and miles of tubular I-cord. And what can you make with I-Cord? It can be used for everything from belts and bag straps to giant, squishy yarn. (I spool knit a 15 yard long I-cord and use it, along with a pair of giant 15 mm needles, as a visual aid when I am teaching small groups to knit.)
Materials
- spool knitter
- dpn
- yarn needle
Manufactured French knitters usually come as a kit that includes all of these parts.
How to use a Spool Knitter/French Knitter
Recommended Pattern
Ready to try this technique in a pattern? The Little Birds Phone Pocket Pattern shown in this lesson has videos to help you learn more about:
- Turkish Cast On
- Finchley Graft
- Knit I-Cord
- Spool Knitting