How to French Knit in a Spool

An old wooden thread spool makes an excellent homemade spool knitter.

French knitting, also called spool knitting, produces a strong cord of yarn that can be coiled for coasters, trivets and rugs. You can make your own spool knitter with a wooden spool found at craft stores and a few supplies found around the house. The width of the finished cord will depend on the thickness of the yarn used. Children over the age of 6 -- with an interest in yarn crafts -- will love spool knitting.

Things You'll Need

• Wooden spool
• Four small nails
• Hammer
• Wooden skewer
• Scissors
• Yarn

Instructions

1. Hammer four evenly spaced nails into the top of the wooden spool, leaving half-an-inch of nail showing. Cut the wooden skewer to measure 6-inches long from the pointed tip to the end; or use a small crochet hook or knitting needle.

2. Drop the end of the yarn through the center of the spool, allowing a 2-inch length of yarn extending from the bottom of the spool. Wrap the yarn closest to the skein -- the end coming from the top of the spool -- around each nail clockwise.

3. Bring the yarn strand to the front of the first wrapped nail. Insert the pointed tip of the wooden skewer under the wrapped yarn and pull it up over the new strand of yarn -- into the center of the spool -- for the first French knit stitch. Repeat with each nail.

4. Continue moving the yarn to the front of each nail and pulling the previous strand over the new strand with the skewer.

5. Pull the yarn tail at the bottom of the spool slightly after each stitch. The knitted cord will emerge from the bottom of the spool.

6. Once one round is complete, continue bringing the yarn in front of each nail and pulling the first stitch over the new yarn with the skewer. Continue making stitches around the spool nails, round after round.

References

• “Fun with Your Child”; Mary A. Mapes: 2005
• “Kids Knitting”; Melanie Falick; 2003