Category Archives: spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting

March 3, 2026 · 9:55 am

Day 9 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms-Jane Austen Spool Knitter – How to Upcycle a cardboard tube into a spool knitter

If you’d like to make a large spool knitter without woodworking tools, and have a few crafting tools, then you can make yourself a spool knitter that is uniquely yours and pleasing to work with.

You need a sturdy core for the body of the spool knitter. I wound off some jute string onto a bobbin to free up a cardboard tube.

It’s 1 1/2 inches/4 cm in diameter (yours can be any diameter that you happen to have) and 4 1/4 inches/10.5 cm tall.

I bought a little bag of bamboo lolly pop sticks in the candy making aisle of the grocery store (craft stores sell them too). They’re 1/4 inches/.5 cm in diameter and 5 inches/25 cm tall.

Mark 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) from the end of 6 (or however many you want) of them.

Line up the marks so they stick out from the end of the tube.

Glue the dowels to the outside of the tube with hot glue.

Now, mix up some wallpaper glue or thin some white glue.

Tear up paper and glue layers of it to the spool knitter.

My Homage to Jane Austen spool knitter is one of the unexpected delights that has unfolded for me because of my project, the #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms. A couple of weeks ago, I picked up 4 old encyclopedias at the Re Use centre to use in papier mache projects.

What a thrill to find an article about Jane Austen in one of them. I immediately pulled her pages out and carefully tore them into sizes and shapes to fit the spool knitter. Then, I gleefully glued them on.

I waited overnight for the papier mache to dry and then added a little bit of color with water color pencil crayons and Mod Podged it.

I am absolutely delighted with my Homage to Jane Austen spool knitter!

#100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms has given me a lovely gift!

BTW- there are benefits of working with ‘larger than usual’ spool knitters and I will be showing those in upcoming posts.

2 Comments

Filed under eco crafts & green projects, Simple Little Things That Make Me Happy, spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting, the 100 day project, tutorial & how to

Tagged as #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms, #handmade, #homagetoJaneAusten, #papiermache, #spoolknitter, #spoolknitters, #spoollknitting, #the100dayproject, #the100dayproject2026, @noreen.cronefindlay, art, craft, diy, yarn, Yarn Crafts

March 2, 2026 · 10:33 pm

Days 6 and 7 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms-Upcycling bowls into spool knitters

Day 6 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms-Upcycling thrift shop bowls into spool knitters

I have been working on a whole bunch of things for
#100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms all at once and have gotten all out of order on doing posts.

Back on Day 6 of #the100dayproject2026 I started working on a series of posts about upcycling to make spool knitters.

Last summer, when I was talking with my brother Jonathan (@distinctivewoodworking) about co-creating different sizes and shapes of spool knitters, I mentioned that I often make larger than what people usually expect spool knitters to be by upcycling thrift shop bowls.

He and his son, Kieran turn a LOT of gorgeous bowls on the lathe.

Sometimes, there are ‘oops’ and a bowl goes boink and gets tossed into the firewood box.

Jonathan said: Do you want some of those to make into spool knitters?

YES yes yes, I shrieked.

So I showed him how I take an unloved bowl from the thrift shop

and sand off the varnish (because usually, the varnish on thrift shop bowls is in tough shape).

And, I drill a big hole in the base, then 6, 7 or 8 holes for pegs,

Then I glue in pegs and I draw & burn on it, paint it, varnish it and Voila!

Start spool knitting with it!

I remembered to take pics of the process with the first bowl, but doh, completely forgot to do that with the second one.

Hurrah for upcycling! I’ll be posting lots more about upcyling things to make spool knitters.

And, yes, lots of posts about what you can make with spool knitters. As I said to Jonathan today:

Context and content! Spool knitters are just shelf warmers if they don’t have a good project or 10 to inspire people to pick them up and start creating with them! So… yes…. lots of projects will be unfolding as I trundle forward with #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms

Day 7 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms-Upcycling one of a kind bowls into spool knitters

For the #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms, Jonathan sent me a box of spool knitter blanks and some bowls that were damaged when he and his son Kieran turned them on the lathe.

A Paduak pot pourri bowl has been singing to me since I opened the box, and finally, today, I drilled a hole in the base that is larger than the rip out, then 7 holes for the pegs, and did a little sanding and glued in pegs.

I was utterly gobsmacked by how freaking gorgeous it is, and there is no way that I am going to I draw or burn on it! I put a light coat of walnut oil on it, so I have to let it dry over night before I can start spool knitting with it!

I tore over to the computer and fired off a ‘WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE’ message to Jonathan to tell him how I am absolutely swooning over this glorious spool knitter. Wow. Just wow….

I also informed Jonathan that he is a bad influence, because the two of us just keep whipping up more and more ideas and I can barely keep up! I love feeling inspired! and #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms is definitely doing that for me!

Day 5 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms-what are you doing? she asked

Hmm, someone messaged me asking me what I was doing with my 100 day project andwhy?

Well, first- I have adored spool knitting since I was a little girl.

Spool knitters feel innocent and sweet and oh, my word! Those feelings are desperately needed nowadays!

And, second: Some Family stuff: My nephew, Kieran is autistic and is really good at doing woodwork with his Dad, my brother, Jonathan. (@distinctivewoodworking) who carefully mentors him with the lathe.

So, bringing those elements together: We decided to co-create some nifty stuff, and it’s kind of challenging but inspiring & wonderful, too!

(BTW I’m working on tutorials on how to make upcycled spool knitters, too, because that feels important).

I’m having a blast designing vunderbar goodies for spool knitters & exploring intriguing small looms!

The 1st spool knitter in this series is my wish for us all:

May you be well

May you live in Peace.

May you be happy,

May you be safe

I find her very comforting

Of course, this project is also about making stuff with spool knitters.

These Simple Tiny Spool Knitted Angels are quick & easy. I love them.

The pdf pattern is in my etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/48409301/pdf-pattern-for-tiny-spool-knitted-angel

So, here’s to joy, and to 100 days of spool knitters and spool knitting and little looms and to all good things!

Days 4 and 3 and 2 of 100 days of spoolknitters and little looms

Days 4 and 3 and 2 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms

For this year’s 100 Day Project, I am co-creating with my brother, Jonathan (@distinctivewoodworking) and his son, Kieran.

They are turning the parts for small looms and spool knitters on the lathe, and I am doing all kinds of things with the wonderful wooden elements.

We are calling it: #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms

I am posting it here and on IG @noreen.cronefindlay

Here’s where I am at on Day 4 and working backwards to Day 2:

Oooh… painting! Here are a couple of little spool knitters and the beginnings of a little loom that I painted today.

Day 3 was frustrating:

The rheostatic pyrography machine that my lovely husband built me more than 35 years ago went kaput.

Oh no! my Luvie had to rebuild it for me so I could carry on burning the drawings into the spool knitters and little looms.

I spent Day 2 of the project working on getting a LOT of holes drilled and then fine tuning the insides of 17 small spool knitters in preparation for tapping in and gluing the nails into the holes.

Doesn’t sound like much hard work, but really, it is.

Then it was time to start drawing. Yay!

I am having so much fun…. 🙂

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Filed under Loom & looms & small loom weaving, spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting, the 100 day project

Tagged as #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms, #fibreart, #fibreartist, #littlelooms, #smalllooms, #spoolknitter, #spoolknitters, #spoolknitters #littlelooms #smalllooms#woodworking#fibreart#fibreartist#fibreartistsofinsta#100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms, #the100dayproject2026, #woodworking, @distinctivewoodworking, @noreen.cronefindlay, hand weaving, hand woven, Noreen Crone-Findlay, small loom weaving, weaving

February 22, 2026 · 10:32 pm

The 100 Day Project 2026- Co-creating spool knitters and small looms with my brother and nephew

In June of 2025, my brother (Jonathan Crone -an awesome woodworker- https://www.instagram.com/distinctivewoodworking/ and I started talking about making spool knitters and small looms together.

We live in different cities and provinces so we’ve been sending each other tons of drawings, photos & “What if messages”. Hurrah for the miracle of the interwebs!

Jonathan and his son, Kieran have been turning lots of wonderful things on the lathe.

Jonathan shipped me a small but heavy box of treasures in January.

AND.

The courier managed to loose the box! EEK!

Eventually they found it & delivered it.

Whew!

Our spool knitting/small loom adventure is in gear now!

I am excited about it, but a little anxious, thinking- oh my word-can I handle doing #the100dayproject right now? (Living with chronic illness and other commitments and life in these turbulent times. oh my).

Well, fingers crossed-

Here’s Day 1 of Two Crones and One Crone-Findlay Making Spool Knitters and Small Looms Together Across Many Miles.

Not a snappy title for my100 day project- but if I come up with a catchy title, I’ll post it.

I am so inspired & really excited about these co-creations.

Here are a couple of pics of the box, with the packing paper and some bags of bits and pieces pulled out already.

Sorry, the pics don’t show how much amazing stuff there is for me to make magic with.

All shall be revealed over the next 100 days!

Doll making as a healing art

In the past week, we have added several friends and relations of relations to our healing prayers.

As part of my meditations and prayer work, I focus my mind by creating healing dolls.

I pour my love and healing thoughts and images into the making of a healing doll.

Stitch by stitch, I make a doll that I quietly, gently and peacefully pour my thoughts and intentions of wellness, loving kindness, tenderness, inspiration and insight into.

Sometimes, the doll is for a specific person, and sometimes, it is simply a response to feeling the call to make a sacred or healing doll.

I never sell these dolls- I give them to a person that feels right for it.

I wrote the book: Soul Mate Dolls: Doll making as a healing art many years ago. It’s out of print now.

Over the years, since the publication of this book, I have continued to work with the sacred art of doll making for my own contemplative practice, but also professionally.

I have taught many workshops, and I have designed many patterns for people to continue to make dolls that are focused on healing themselves and others.

And, now I am working on a whole new book about the healing power of mindful doll making.

Until it is released, here are some of my designs that are available on my website http://www.crone-findlay.com and in my etsy shop. The link to my etsy shop is below each of these dolls.

May doll making be the source of great happiness, healing and wholeness for you, my friends!

The crocheted Angel of Compassion link to pattern on etsy: Link

The Crocheted Angel of Healing dolls: LINK

The Crocheted Angel of Peace: LINK

Weaving with simple looms, such as the peg or stick loom is very meditative, and I find that weaving mermaids is an excellent way to focus my thoughts on healing body, mind and spirit: LINK

Simple tools can be used to make sweet little dolls that provide great comfort when tucked into a pocket, and they are so easy to pop into an envelope and mail to a friend:

The spool knitted tiny angels are so easy to make, but full of love, too: LINK

As are the Friendship Fairies: LINK

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay www.crone-findlay.com

And, I mustn’t forget the Menopause Fairy!

After all…. the Tooth Fairy takes away teeth and leaves a gift of money, right?

Well, the Menopause Fairy takes away all manner of things and leaves behind the gifts of laughter, wisdom and compassion, as well as soooooooooo much more!!!! LINK

And, if the healing involves some deliciously wild energy, then perhaps a Wild And Wooly doll is in order: LINK

If you feel a connection to Goddesses, I have designed a knitted pattern for the Venus of Willendorf.

I love holding her in my hand- she’s just a perfect little handful of the Feminine Divine energy! LINK

And Venus of Willendorf inspired Goddesses to Crochet: LINK

There’s also the Minoan Goddess of the Bees to knit: LINK

There are so many women from history who are powerful role models and whose strength, dignity and wisdom are deeply inspiring and offer great hope. One of them is the Empress Theodora….. LINK

May the work of your hands bring you soulful and engaging ways of healing your heart, mind, body and spirit and may it bring joy and peace and healing in countless ways to your family and friends, too!

Blessings abounding!!!! With love, always, and all ways! 🙂

2 Comments

Filed under crochet, doll & dolls & dollmaking & doll making, gifts & easy to make gifts & presents, knitting, Peg and Stick Loom weaving, spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting

Tagged as crocheted dolls, doll, doll making, doll making as a healing art, gifts, hand made dolls handmade dolls, healing, knitted dolls, making dolls for healing, Noreen Crone-Findlay, peace, spool knitted dolls

September 19, 2012 · 12:05 am

Soumak-Pouch-Weave-Along-Part-6-Edging-Cords

Part Six of the Soumak Pouch Weave Along is all about the edging cords for the pouches.

You can use purchased braid like the Kreinik cord on the edges of this pouch:

The edging is 3/8 ” trim: # 170 Natural Pewter
http://www.kreinik.com/kshop/product.php?productid=17023&cat=0&page=1

Or you can make your own edging cord:

Starting at the left hand side, the cords are:

Square cord spool knitted with 2 colors on 4 pegs,

Cord Spool knitted with 3 pegs

Kumihimo cords – the directions for how to braid the round cords come with the Kumihimo kit from Mirrix

Tubular Peyote stitch cord- instructions are available in beading books and when you google ‘tubular peyote stitch’.

And last, but certainly NOT least, and definitely the fastest, easiest cord of all to make is the Simple Twisted cord, using the method that I have developed, using a spool and a crochet hook.

You will need a cord that is about 15 inches (37.5 cm) long to go around the sides and upper edge of your pouch.

The instructions for how to attach them to your pouch will be in the final installment of the Weave Along: Finishing Techniques.

Here are some videos that I have made to help you make your decorative edging cords:

How to spool knit a cord with just 3 of the 4 pegs on the spool knitter:

How to spool knit a square cord with 2 colors on a 4 peg spool knitter:

How to make a twisted cord with a spool and crochet hook:

Hope your pouches are coming along nicely! 🙂

1 Comment

Filed under jewelry, Loom & looms & small loom weaving, spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting, tapestry, tutorial & how to

Tagged as how to make a twisted cord, how to make decorative cords, how to spool knit square cords, Mirrix looms, Noreen Crone-Findlay, Soumak Pouch, Soumak pouch weave along

April 26, 2012 · 10:29 am

A video showing the Woven Women Mermaids Song tapestry

I am working on a large series of woven and mixed fiber media pieces that I am calling: Woven Women.

I am almost done a fairly large piece, called: Mermaid’s Song:

She’s large- 6 ft by 2ft, and hard to photograph in my studio, so I figured that I would show a video of her.

I used small looms, knitting, crochet, tatting, spoolknitting and flower looms to make her, along with copper foil work.

Some of the looms were: 2 inch square vintage weave it loom, potholder loom, pinboard looms, Martha Stewart loom and flower looms.

http://www.crone-findlay.com copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

And, here’s the video:

Remember: The size of your loom doesn’t limit the size of your finished piece!

Happy weaving! 🙂

25 Comments

Filed under crochet, knitting, Loom & looms & small loom weaving, spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting, weaving & handwoven, Woven Women tapestries and woven works

Tagged as beads, crochet, fiber art, flower loom, freeform, hand spun, knitting, memaids, Mermaid's song, small loom weaving, spool knitting, tapestry, textiles, weaving, Woven Women fiber art collages, Woven Women multimedia tapestry by Noreen Crone-Findlay

February 18, 2012 · 2:52 pm

How to spool knit without a spool knitter

You can use spool knitted cords to decorate and embellish your crochet in a million different ways.

One way to do a thicker spool knitted or i cord is to use several strands of yarn held together.

And, if you don’t have a spool knitter, not to worry! You have your fingers!

I have made a video tutorial on how to make a spool knitted cord on just 3 of your fingers.
It works great!
🙂

Here’s the video tutorial:

4 Comments

Filed under eco crafts & green projects, spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting, tutorial & how to

Tagged as corker, corking, crone, findlay, finger spool knitting, fingers, how to make a cord, how to spool knit with your fingers, icord, spool knitting techniques, spool knitting without a spool knitter, strands of yarn

January 2, 2012 · 11:01 pm

3 new video tutorials about spool knitting and potholder loom techniques

I took time away from blogging over the Christmas holidays, but I have been a busy bunny making video tutorials.

Here’s a video tutorial on how to stitch spool knitted cords to woven or other finished edges:

And, another how to on stitching things together- this time, it’s how to stitch potholder loom squares and motifs together

Here’s a video tutorial on how to spool knit with the Martha Stewart loom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWoYAs-L3yM

How to spool knit on your fingers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-nEfmge_Ygvi

And, there are lots more spool knitting video tutorials on my youtube channel: LINK

So there you have it Lotsa video tutorials…. hope they are helpful!

1 Comment

Filed under Loom & looms & small loom weaving, potholder loom, spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting, tutorial & how to, weaving & handwoven

Tagged as how to, how to spool knit with the Martha Stewart loom, how to stitch potholder loom squares together, how to stitch spool knitted cord to finished edges, Martha Stewart loom, Noreen Crone-Findlay, video tutorial

Category Archives: spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting

Day 9 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms-Jane Austen Spool Knitter – How to Upcycle a cardboard tube into a spool knitter

Days 6 and 7 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms-Upcycling bowls into spool knitters

Day 5 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms-what are you doing? she asked

Days 4 and 3 and 2 of 100 days of spoolknitters and little looms

The 100 Day Project 2026- Co-creating spool knitters and small looms with my brother and nephew

Doll making as a healing art

Soumak-Pouch-Weave-Along-Part-6-Edging-Cords

A video showing the Woven Women Mermaids Song tapestry

How to spool knit without a spool knitter

3 new video tutorials about spool knitting and potholder loom techniques

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