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Sunday, November 08, 2009

Corking!

No Corking isn't anything at all to do with Cork!

When I was a kid, I used to do Corking....I was beginning to think that I was the only one to call it this...but I looked it up on Google and there is it..there is even a brand new book out called Corking for Kids!...and even hubby says that he called it that too in London.

I bet most of you have done this. I used a large wooden cotton reel that dad had hammered 4 nails into the top...and used up all the bits of thread that mum had left over. I made yards and yards of it...nowadays called French Knitting.....there was not an awful lot that could be done with it...it was just fun to watch the colour changes appear from the bottom of the reel.

Mainly we sewed it into coiled mats.

We would never ever have thought of making necklaces or bracelets...partly I suppose because wearing a length of itchy wool wasn't that much fun and partly because necklaces were pretty much made of standard stuff like metal and pearls and beads...and that was that!

Nowadays when kids try anything new, the first thing they make is a necklace or bracelet. There are such fab materials out there that anything will look great.

Soooh....

My first class was French Knit Necklace with Ingrid De Vane and we were to make a necklace. First we had to choose a pack of 'thread'. As usual I was spoiled for choice, I am so bad at choosing...I want them all! My goodness she had so many packs of braids, hand picked for their beauty.

She showed us how to use this new fangled gizmo Clover Wonder Knitter, we attached two strong magnets to the bottom of the thread for weight and we were up and running....one lady had bought one last year and still couldn't figure it out!!





We were soon finished and Ingrid showed us how to glue the end caps on to finish the necklace, a brilliant idea.





Typical of me I thought everyone else's looked nicer!!

After that it was back to Ingrid's stand to buy all the necessary gear. She has the most fab selection of large beads to thread on the necklaces, the fittings, hundreds of braids all measured into lengths and would on to cards by Ingrid and her daughter.
She also makes necklaces out of fine wire an beads..but she was sold out of the wire.
I should have taken better photos of the stand.



These were my purchases from this stall and others selling great goodies.



A closer look...
...end caps, magnetic and not....anybody know where to get these?



...the beads...so hard to choose just a few..






This one was just too hard to resist..


...this was a cheap pack of tubular ribbons and glitter threads to play with!....


.......hubby retorted that it was all to play with!!

It wasn't until I got home and played with the beads on my necklace..that I realised that it is gorgeous after all!!






Even the abalone shell looked good, they said it wouldn't match!

Bit difficult photographing yourself, needed a beautiful necked model!! Oh well!

Will tell you later what my second workshop was.

Lots of you wondered how I took the photos of the exhibition...no I wasn't suspended from the ceiling, if you look at them again you will see that there is a balcony running all the way round the hall.

The Lace Guild had a stand on the balcony, there was tatting on display but the tatters were missing....looking round the show. There was no tatting workshop that day.

Tatting supplies at the show were as I had been told almost totally absent. Two booksellers had the same half a dozen books that I already have. Not a single ball of good crochet cotton..couldn't even find a fine crochet hook.

So I just had to feast on other things!!

I HAVE to be strong and get back to my tatting and resist the urge to do my Corking!!

12 comments:

  1. My interest is perked :) I may not make neckalces but the original idea of sewing into rugs may work nicely for me. I have a cat that always needs more to play w/ :) But those neckalces are amazing!!

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  2. I like to mess with my knitty knobby (what they call it here) I used thin transparent thread and beads it gives a totally cool effect!! Great job I love your creations!!!

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  3. The necklace IS beautiful!I've never seen those magnetic clasps. I, too, succumbed and bought a wonder knitter, TWO years ago, and I have never learned how to use it. But my granddaughter and I each have a yellow plastic "Bee" knitter from Spotlight, and she enjoys watching for the colour changes in the cord. Not sure whether you could use thread with an ordinary French knitter, though, I think the pegs may be too far apart.
    I have a stash of wooden reels, from my grandmother's sewing box - I always hunt for them in junk shops!

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  4. Hi, Pam,
    for more ideas on what to do with "spool knitting", "corking", "French knitting", or whatever you'd like to call it, do a search at this site:
    http://www.blisstree.com/hankeringforyarn/

    Noreen has a book of critters that you can make with spool knitting.
    Fun stuff.
    Katie V. in Creedmoor NC USA

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  5. I love your Corking necklaces. They look pretty cool looking. I wonder if you can use a knitting machine. I have one that looks like a doll with four nails or something sticking out of the top. I haven't looked at it in awhile now. It is an antique one. Maybe you know what I am talking about..but I wonder if that is like what your plastic things are. Also I love the shell bead too. I know myself I couldn't resist that...but I love your choic of colors in your necklace. Gee just think something new for you to get into huh?

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  6. lovely lovely lovely! Makes me want to go and get one of the clover thingies too!

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  7. Hi Pamela, Your Spool Knitted Necklace is awesome. I never thought about using the cord like you did. And I love the abalone shell bead, I wouldn't have been able to resist it either. I use to make the cord when I was young too. I used a very large spool from thread and my Dad put the nails in to also. Now when my daugter was little I bought her a mushroom spool knitter and I was using it not long ago just messing around with it. I might have to find some special cords and try making a necklace like yours.

    I still wish I could have been at the huge craft show with you. So much to see and to buy!!!

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  8. LOL! We called it spool knitting too.

    Your necklace is gorgeous and I love the idea of changing the bead to change the look.

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  9. Hi Viv,glad I sparked you interest, will wait to see what you do.

    Hi Heather,not heard it called a knitty knobby, must try your idea.

    Hi Maureen, we all buy this stuff and put away having never actually used it. Workshops are great. I saw the bee knitters somewhere at the show I think. Still as much fun for kids as ever. I still have my stash of wooded reels too.

    Hi Kate, I explored her site..great but couldn't find a book of critters or solid info on any of her books.

    Hi Sherry, thanks...a knitting machine ..would take away the fun!
    Too many something news to get into! no good at all.
    Yup the lady does sound like the same thing. antique too, wow!

    Hi wicked tats, way to go!

    Hi Carol, I never thought about using fancy braids either. I have a tat friend who makes wire and bead ones. Good old dads cant beat them!
    The thing about this one is that the hole in the middle will take the wider braids.

    Hi Gina, changing the bead and using it to add weight is genius!
    Spool knitting seems to be a common name, not one that I had heard of.

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  10. You made a beautiful necklace. How do you get the thread tucked into the endcap? Did you glue it in? It's so neat and tidy. I have a spool knitter (that's what we call it) but I never knew you could make such beautiful items with it. I can't wait to give it a try now. Thanks for the post on this topic!

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  11. Hi Tatteristic,
    Ingrid did it for us, she half filled the cap from a glue gun then twisted the necklace end into it and puched it in with her scissors. She said you only get one chance with it!! and that she would normally bind the end of the necklace with thread first.
    Glad this has spurred you to try it.
    I am still looking for cheaper end caps! these are super but expensive.

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  12. Hi:
    Very nice. I love the beads you picked especially the last one. Awesome!

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