Wednesday 14 September 2011

French knitters...

I like france and knitting, and you know what I really like...French knitters!!! Also known as knitting nancies, spool knitters, tricotins and many more names worldwide. These simple wooden dolls that allow you to knit a continuous tube strike a chord in many people's childhood memories. I really like them and when an exhibition opportunity came up with the brief of 'tradition and technology' I knew I wanted to do something with these knitting nancies.


Armed with lots of images of various knitting nancies, a knitting machine, some wool and some (techno) thermoform yarn I began on my 'knitted nancies', there was a lot of trial and error but I finally got the art of machine knitting with wool along with and very springy plasticy yarn down to a T. Heat setting the yarns around objects to give them the shape you see below was also a challenge, and I am happy with the end result!


Another knitting nancy related project that I am super-happy with is the tattoo I got from the lovely Sunny Buick. Here I am post tattoo in Sunny's studio in Paris!

This is my only knitting related tattoo (so far, he hee) and I am really happy with it. The word underneath is 'tricote' french for knit.

If you like knitting nancies and could look at pictures of them all day, check out this blog, dedicated too spool knitting, it's great!


4 comments:

Tante blaa said...

Love this! I really like the Knitting nancies that looks like a mushroom. I made a tube to cover the cord on my headphones on it :)

I have to say, I love your knitting projects and I have followed you for a long time (found your page on myspace years ago). Your designs are so inspiring!

crazyhaberdasher said...

Hi from Oz!
This is Maz of the spool knitter blog. Enjoyed reading your post very much but I do think it took a lot of courage to get such a big tattoo of a knitting nancy, although it IS a great tattoo. I am also the current moderator of the worldwide Yahoo Spoolknitter Group and I have a huge favour to ask of you .... can I have your permission to use your photo of your faboulous group of knitted knitting nancies for the group Homepage? (so very charming and very clever work!!)... it will be up for around a week if you accept.
There are also heaps of great photos to enjoy on my other group on Flickr Spool Knitter (link on blog). Hoping to hear from you and thankyou for your time, cheers, Maz

Knit and Destroy said...

Hi Maz,

Greetings from England and apologies for the delay in replying, I don't check my blog often enough.

Yes, of course you can use my photo for the group homepage, just make sure you tell everyone (the whole world of spoolknitters) who made the knitted nancies, he hee!!!

Thanks

Kandy x

crazyhaberdasher said...

Hi Kandy!
Thanks so much! I will add your link to the photo description and tell everyone that the talented Kandy made these fabulous knitted nancies!
Do you intend to make more? ... cheers, Maz