I just finished a batch of spool knitters in cherry for a customer. They are so pretty that I need to keep one for myself. These are probably the most elegant spool knitters I have ever seen. Solid. Beautiful. Cherry. Wood. Tantalizing grain. Gleaming. Satin finish. Oooh. I want one. And in case you want one, I have put a few in my Etsy store.
I’ve always known these spools as what you did “Corkwork” with. But you know, this is not a word you find online as a synonym for a “Knitting Nancy” or “French knitting” or “Spool knitting.” Sometimes people look at you like you’ve said a bad word when you say “Corkwork”.
A few months ago, I was visiting my aunt and it didn’t take but a few words to describe these spools and she knew the word I knew them by, “Corkwork.”
My father knew the word too. Corkwork. All I had to say was, “do you remember those little spools where you could kind of knit with them”? He said, without missing a beat, “Yea, Corkwork.”
But in the United States, you probably know the word as French knitting or spool knitting. I have written about spool knitters previously. Once upon a time I tried to stop making spool knitters — having made more than a 100 now in my lifetime. But they come back into my life in various ways.
And so, here are the most elegant spoolknitters ever made — from wonderful cherry wood!
My one caveat about knitting with spools — or Corkworking — is that you need to have the right tool to do Corkwork. This is the tool that makes the difference between easy and frustrating.
I discovered this pink thing-a-ma-jig. Sometimes you find it called a “loom hook.” It has a soft rubber-like handle that doesn’t slip in your hand like plastic or wood. And the angle of the hook is just perfect for corkwork. Wish I had this when I was a kid.
When I first started making these spools, I could find these loom hooks in craft stores like Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, JoAnn’s for $1. Not so now — you’ll find them but sometimes they are $6 or $7 — each! I had tried making a few of my own with wood handles, but it’s just not the same. And I couldn’t compete with $1.
For those of you who may enjoy Corkwork, I have a page of instructions. You are welcome to download it. Enjoy. corkwork-instructions.pdf
This slideshow requires JavaScript.