French Knitting - money saving?

Rabbit

Does anyone know where to find cheap wool? just want a selection of colours to make it more interesting.

Got to try and remember how to finish off next LOL.

I can't believe how my daughter has spent all afternoon doing it (off school - not been very well). Definitely a good cheap passtime for a rainy day!

Glad

how about expanding on the placemat idea and making beanie hats, all the kids are wearing them now

culpepper

if I remember rightly ,you finish off by taking the new stitch from one nail and hooking it over one to the left or right depending which way you knit,then you knit the old one on the nail with 2 on,and then another new one over that which you put on the next nail etc,Im sure its something like that.
I used to do them when I was about 8.

Queenie

Check your local charity shops for cheap wool (or a jumper you could unpick!) - I picked up a bag of assorted mohairs for 50p, all full balls just all different colours.

Rabbit

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions and advice. We managed to finish it off ok ta and I will be scouring the charity shops now for some bargain wool.

toozie_2

I've still got mine! A red wooden doll with bent double pins in the top. A few years ago my daugher made a wierd cap in school, and used the french knitting to make coloured "stringy bits" dangling from the back of the hat!!! Got her an 'A' for imagination!

Reverbe

I have just recieved my french knitting set bought from ebay as I thought it would be an easier start than the normal knitting I have been struggling to teach myself.

It contains no instructions aside from a few incomprehensible pics ( very useful for a kids set - NOT). I have tried from sites on the net but they all say different and some are not very easy to understand at all.

This one I thought was pretty easy to understand but once you do it for a while there is no way that it comes out in a loop.. in fact it unravels...

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

I really want to get cracking on this as once I have mastered this I want to go on to real knitting again.I never had any family that did anything crafty nor could they knit or sew or crochet so it isnt in my blood as it were.

Can anyone help me? Thanks.

MissB_2

You've got to keep it tight to help it form the base knot, from my vague memories of doing this...
You hold the 10 cm that's coming through the dolly tightly in the same hand that's holding the dolly and keep the work taught as it starts to come through. Once everything's tight and working OK, it's alright to let it go a bit.
B
x x x

Reverbe

Thanks Miss B. To be honest I can't even seem to get started. it just tells you to pull the wool through which took me ages but I did and then wind round twice and pull the bottom one over the top but by the time you get round to doing that with all 4 it just unravels???

hazy_baby

I got taught to start off slightly different to that. I have the wool hanging down the centre of the reel, but i loop the wool around the 4 pins one by one then begin to 'french knit' once ive been round once and the second line of loops begins on the pin.........so you have 3 pins with one loop then the 4th has 2.....hook the bottom loop over the top and move onto the next pin