How to Use a Knitting Spool

My father taught me to do french knitting on a knitting spool when I was a child. I still have my favourite spool that he made for me when I was eleven. It was made from an old axe handle and I loved it so much I carved my initials and the date in it so no-one could steal it :-)

That spool had 4 nails and I have since purchased ones with 6 and 8 nails to expand the range of what I can make on them. Sure, I could just knit using the icord technique, but that's not as much fun!

You can probably find a knitting spool in the craft section of your local toy shop, if not you can get various sizes online such as the Super Knitter Knitting Spool (a 4 pin knitting spool) Yarn-A-Round Knitting Loom (a very large knitting spool), or you can make one yourself with a large wooden cotton reel and small nails.

1: Thread the yarn through your spool knitter from top to bottom.

2: Cast on by winding your yarn around the nails in a anti-clockwise direction. Don't pull the yarn too tightly or you won't be able to knit your first round.

3: To knit, wind your yarn around the outside of the nails in an anti-clockwise direction.

spool knit 2

4: Using a needle or pointed stick, lift the loop on each nail up and over the yarn wound around the outside of the nails. Continue working in an anti-clockwise direction until your cord is long enough. To cast off, cut the yarn and thread it through each loop. Pull tight to fasten off.