French Knitting

I remember doing this as a kid, with a little doll spool and a ball of the most scratchy yarn, plus a little competitive edge between my sister and I as we tried to see who could knit the longest piece. French knitting (or spool knitting) is a skill you can put down and pick up again a few weeks later and easily know where you left off. The knitted pieces you create are amazing for creative play for children and weaving into bigger projects. Give it a go and see how you get on. There are also loads of wonderful how-to videos for kids on YouTube like this one… click here

If you’ve given finger knitting a try, this is a great next step. It’s the same up and over movement.

This spool is made from a piece of hazel I drilled through the middle. I then added 4 little nails into the top for the pins. My clever husband made me some hawthorn spikes to use.

Materials Needed:

• A spool (a tube with 4+ pins in the top)

  • You can also use a loo roll with 4 lolly sticks taped to the sides.

• A needle (a pencil works well too)

• A ball of yarn

Your knitting spool should be something like this. A tube with 4 or more pins on the top.

Start by making a knotted loop (a slip knot) and hook it over one of the pins.

Make a loop around each of the remaining 3 pins.

Move the yarn in towards the hole, loop around the pin once and on to the next pin.

When you get back to the starting pin, make a second loop on top of the first.

You’ll have a top loop and a bottom loop on the pin.

Bring the bottom loop up and over the top loop.

Keep wrapping the yarn around each of the pins on top of the loop which is already on the pin. (confused yet?! eeks, I hope not!)

Each time you have 2 loops on one pin, bring the bottom loop over the top.

As you look into the spool you’ll have this awesome pattern emerging.

You’ll start to see the knitted piece coming out the bottom of the hole. It’ll have a lovely stretch to it when you give it a little tug.

Continue until… you run out of yarn!