string thing

[shaggystu]

i spent most of the day at mother's house yesterday sorting through all her sewing stuff (scavenging really!) and one of the things we cam across was this:

which brought back childhood memories of many a happy hour spent making what i can only describe as string. the problem i've got now though is that neither mother nor i can remember how to get the thing started. having no idea what it's called doesn't help, goggle searches for "string thing" don't help a great deal. so, could someone tell me either what this thing's called, or even better, tell me how to start if off?

cheers

stuart

 

[Toddy]

"French knitting" or "Knitting Nancys", ought to find you instructions.

like these ones,

http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/knittingnancys.html

Yours is actually on that page

cheers,
M

 

[Marttiini Girl]

Hi Stuart it's called French Knitting, not sure why the French would need miles of knitted string though

http://www.how-to-knit-guide.com/french-knitting.html

 

[Marttiini Girl]

opps beat me to it

 

[Ogri the trog]

Two turns around, then move the bottom loop over the top one - winding the cord/string/wool around as you go - ad infinitum.

Very difficult to explian but I know what I mean

Ogri the trog

PS I seem to recall them being called "French Knitting Dolly's"

PPS beaten to it again!

 

[shaggystu]

nancy! that's her name!

thanks for the help folks, quite a pleasent surprise to see one identical to mine (although in slightly better condition) on the link that toddy provided, mine's got to be at least 25 years old.

i shall go hunt for wool and a crochet hook and try and work out what it is that the french need miles of knitted string for!

cheers

stuart

 

[Tengu]

Yes, Id like to know too.

My mother had me make miles of the stuff, but to what end??

BTW, if anyone wants to make one out of a wooden reel, I have plenty

 

[John Fenna]

Gad - I made one by banging some brass pins around the edge of a wooden cotton reel...I made miles of the stuff from the ends of balls of wool my mother had...helps if you are OCD....
It ended up as xmas decorations.....

 

[shaggystu]

Gad - I made one by banging some brass pins around the edge of a wooden cotton reel...I made miles of the stuff from the ends of balls of wool my mother had...helps if you are OCD....
It ended up as xmas decorations.....

your mother and my mother studied at the same school of parenting, although i seem to remember that my miles of french knitting anded up on the knitted toys my mother sold at craft fairs, she'd probably have the social round these days for employing child labour!

cheers

stuart

 

[Matt.S]

Oh that brought back some memories! When I was a kid my grandad took a holesaw to an ok 2x4 and added four finishing nails to the 'core' to make me one of these. I spent many an hour watching TV with them while turning yarn into ropey stuff. I miss them both.

 

[John Fenna]

your mother and my mother studied at the same school of parenting, although i seem to remember that my miles of french knitting anded up on the knitted toys my mother sold at craft fairs, she'd probably have the social round these days for employing child labour!

cheers

stuart

Only if she paid you ...otherwise it is known as "slave labour" - cheaper in the longrun but still liable to have the law down on you!

 

[Toddy]

I got taught to make the cord so that my gloves could be sewn to a length of it that was slid through the sleeves of my coat to stop me losing the blooming things

The cord was used for gathering clothing, hoods, the waist of babies knitted trousers, that kind of thing.
We used to coil it up, stitch it together and make mats for putting hot pots down onto.
Basically it was just a hand/eye co-ordination toy for children that made sort of useful things.

These days I use one to let kids use up the wool they've spun into a length for a friendship bracelet.

cheers,
M

 

[shaggystu]

Only if she paid you ...otherwise it is known as "slave labour" - cheaper in the longrun but still liable to have the law down on you!

maybe they didn't study at the same school of parenting after all, if they had you'd never have asked such a question, you'd already know very well that "work is it's own reward"!

.....These days I use one to let kids use up the wool they've spun into a length for a friendship bracelet.....

i like that idea a lot, could well be something for the folk festival i'm involved with for next year, there's always a million screaming kids to keep quite while the serious drinking's done

cheers

stuart

 

[Kerne]

Could you use one to make natural cordage? There's a thought!

 

[Tengu]

I never had my mittens on a string.

I had such a deprived childhood.

 

[Tracyann]

I use string and coil them round for placemats, or if get really adventurous after weaving bath mats use it for edging, it makes a nice change.
I had hours of fun with these as a kid, I can't actually remember the last time I saw one lol

 

[asemery]

Back in the early 1950's these were popular in my area (eastern Pennsylvania, USA) with both boys and girls. We made our own from empty wooden spools and brads. Thanks for the memories. Tony

 

[tenderfoot]

Ive seen big ones used with paracord to make items like bracelets hat bands and belts to make a decorative wearable item that can be unravelled in time of need to provide good quality cordage.