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

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