Friday, February 26, 2016

The Early Workbasket ~ French Knitters

Welcome dear friends to the last 
Friday in February!

I have some exciting "Bee~u~tee~ful" news to share...

Several names have been chosen for the main series 
title, which I'm having a hard time deciding on!

 Spring is such an exciting time of the year, especially  
the buzzing of the humble, busy little bees!

I love displaying bee skeps on my back porch, and 
watching the little bees land on one flower to the next!

I'm so "un~bee~lievably" excited about getting this
series up and running!

So, if you love bees & skeps, flowers & beekeeping,
houses & alphabets...the first sampler is
scheduled to be released hopefully in
July!

This is NOT going to be a club, but a series
of samplars that will be released to my three
Distributors and also available through 
my little Etsy Shoppe.

I'll bee posting updates over the next few months
as the times draws nearer!

~*!*~

Just back from the print shop earlier today...
Hope to have Humble Hare Handwork Club kits
all kitted and ready to ship on Monday & Tuesday.

~*!*~

The Early Workbasket ~ French Knitters...
Busy little hands are happy little hands!

Did you love working with your hands at a very young age?
I sure did, my lifelong passion starting as far back as I
can remember!

Anything tedious made me so happy!
Coloring (always making sure I stayed within the lines), 
jigsaw puzzles, drawing, making pot holders for my relatives,
crocheting (made a full size bedspread in Granny Squares at the age of 8),
embroidery, making barbie doll clothes...my list could go on and on! 

French knitters are a perfect tool to 
inspire creativity in a young girls childhood...
Early French Knitters were often embellished 
as little folk with simply faces!



Bright colored paints were used...
Just the perfect size for a little child's hand to hold onto! 



Typically from Europe, Germany and Poland... 
Later ones were also available in America.


These are getting harder and harder to find...
They are very desirable and sought after by collectors!


Typically a French Knitter will have four pegs...
Original pegs would be either metal or wood, some have
been replaced over the years with nails or screws.


They were also made in "Bakelite"...
What endless hours of fun I had as a child knitting these long
 snake shaped coils, and then sewing them into useful
  things like coasters, rugs for my doll house, etc.


If you don't have one of these little tools,
you can easily make one out of an old wooden spool...
Simply tap into the top four nice smooth rounded
brass nails, and ta~dah you have one!


Any blunt pointed needle or stick will work for
 turning the thread/yarn over the nails...
I'm hoping to get my little granddaughter Rachel 
interested in trying this the next time she visits!


Hope you enjoyed today's feature on French Knitters!
The primitive one on the far left had 8 pegs...I gifted 
this one to my friend Lori Brechlin from Notforgotten Farm
last year for her birthday.

~*!*~

Weekend Soul Food...

She looketh well to the ways of her household,
and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Proverbs 31:27...KJV

~*!*~

Wishing you a Bee~u~tee~ful weekend!
Kindly, Tammy





10 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. I love bees and bee skeps as cross stitch subjects! My husband and I have kept honeybees in the past.

    Very much looking forward to the upcoming shipment.

    Marilyn Kay

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  3. So looking forward to the bees!

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  4. Tammy, I own an Estate company that empties up to 20 homes & cabins per year. I have had many of these but didn't know what they were and some were really fun. I'm sure I didn't sell them for more than a few dollars if even that. I'll have to keep my eyes open now for you. You have put a few things on that I know I held in my hands a time or 2. I wish I could come for a crash course!! Have a great weekend. Krissy B.

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  5. Hi Tammy, I live in England and was a little girl in the 1950s. My friends and I each had a cotton bobbin with 4 nails in and oddments of wool to make 'cork wool' (as we called it). We didn't actually make it into anything though, just one long multicoloured 'worm'! Happy days though!

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  6. You have a great collection!
    I have 1 from my childhood, but it's just painted a plain color.
    Makes me want to get it out and play. :)
    Marilyn

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  7. ...and it holds not only a special place in my heart, but it is displayed behind glass on my shop counter for all to see :)
    xoxox & Blessed BEE ~
    Lori

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  8. What I am wondering is where is the Granny Square bedspread now?!

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    1. Dear Vickie,

      Yes, I still have my old bedspread, it's packed away in my mother's old cedar chest...I'll have to pull it out when I get some spare time! When I do, I'll share some photos of it here on my blog! Blessings, Tammy :)

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  9. More darling gadgets from your bountiful collection. I've been a lifelong antiques collector, and now I wonder how many little gems I have overlooked for lack of knowing what they were; these little knitters for example. Love bees, adding about 200 to the hives this year. I look forward to seeing your new patterns!

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