French Knitter & Wonder Knitter
with instructor Steve Butler
Class 131
What is it?
Think back for a moment. You’ve been on the cutting edge of creative expression for most of your life. Everything from home décor to fashion accessories to all types of craft applications. But when and how did that creative fervor start? For many of us it was with the encouragement of mom or grandma. Sewing, knitting, crochet and crafts. One of the “creative toys” my friends and I enjoyed at the time was a wooden spool that had four rounded metal pegs protruding from one end. By threading the yarn up through the center of the spool and then wrapping the yarn around the pegs we could maneuver bottom loops over top loops. As a result we were able to form some very cool woven strands. Today we would call them I-cords. As children nothing usually became of these I-cords. But as our creative vision developed, they became stunning pieces of jewelry, elegant scarves, clever hats, attractive belts, beautiful throw rugs, cute coasters, decorative place mats with matching table runners and so much more. All of these pieces resulted from knitted I-cords, are undeniably attractive and have almost unlimited applications. To take you to the next level of I-cord creativity, Clover offers the ultimate in I-cord tools. Clover’s French Knitter and Wonder Knitter are designed to accommodate both realized and emerging creative I-cord technique.
What does it do?
The Clover French Knitter and Wonder Knitter are amazing tools that allow us to easily knit I-cords with an almost unlimited variety of yarns, cords, ribbons or strips of fabric. We can even add beads!
French Knitter – The French Knitter is a very handy creative tool designed to help us produce I-cords to match any creative vision. It comes complete with a comfortable handle that can be held securely and without undue fatigue. The diameter of the interior cylinder is large enough to accommodate an extensive array of fibers ranging from monofilament threads to fine yarns to ribbons or even to leather cords. It also enables the application of beads. The French Knitter is provided with three separate knitting heads with either four, five or six pegs. Changing knitting heads allows us to select the shape, stitch size and diameter of the i-cord needed for any specific project. The last component of the French Knitter is the pick. This well designed tool allows us to manipulate our knitted loops easily and precisely, making quick work supporting our creative effort.
Wonder Knitter – The Wonder Knitter handle is shaped to make it comfortable to hold in our hand for those long knitting sessions. The large interior core allows us to use knitting mediums from very fine to really bulky materials including the attachment of beads or other decorative items. The handle is also fitted with a handy yarn guide mounted on the side that feeds the yarn onto the knitting heads and allows you to apply tension during the knitting process. The rotary wheel articulates with the handle and allows you to turn the knitting head with the flick of a finger. The Wonder Knitter is supplied with two interchangeable rotating heads, one with three pegs and one with six pegs. This allows us to adjust the diameter, stitch size and appearance of our final knitted product. Lastly a pick is supplied that is designed to enhance our ability to easily engage each formed loop and manipulate them into place. Easy is good.
How do I share it?
One of the coolest aspects of the French Knitter and the Wonder Knitter is that they are actually fun to work with. Additionally, their use is easily mastered, projects work up fast and they allow us to produce an amazing spectrum of creative expression. Fashion accessories, home decor objects, jewelry (complete with beads if desired), toys, purse handles, decorative shapes, the list goes on and on. It’s something that can be used by knitters of any age or skill level and is a great introduction to knitting for kids. A “Friendship Bracelet” class is a natural way to garner the interest of the younger set of knitters. Displays showing the variety of applications of I-cords to fashion, crafts, home decor and jewelry is a natural way to enlist the interest of the not-so-younger set of knitters. Put one out with some yarn and let your friends play with it.
