Day 11 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms-Upcycling plastic bottles into spool knitters-The Storyteller Spool knitter
In my Day 9 post, I showed how I upcycled a sturdy cardboard tube into a spool knitter that I love as it’s an Homage to Jane Austen. At the same time that I was making the Jane Austen spool knitter, I was experimenting with upcyling a plastic bottle to see if I could make a reasonable spool knitter with it for my #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms.
The bottle has to be fairly sturdy, so I chose an empty vitamin bottle.
I wanted to see if the sharpened end of 7 lolly pop sticks would work as the pegs.
They are okay, but I prefer the blunt ends, so I won’t use the sharp ends as pegs again.
I marked off 1 1/2 inches(4 cm) at the end of each.
Next- I put 3 rubber bands onto the bottle and one at a time, I slipped a lollypop stick into them
and hot glued them to the bottle.
Then, layers of papier mache,
and decorative paper – I love that I found a delightful image of a storyteller with some bouncy kids and also a few goddess images, a few hippos and some almost invisible elephants.
Now mod podge to seal.
I had cut a too small hole in the end of the bottle, so I carefully cut the excess plastic away
and the Storyteller spool knitter works just fine!
In my Day 7 post, I showed a gorgeous Paduak bowl that my brother Jonathan (@distinctivewoodworking) turned and then, I upcycled into a spool knitter since the bowl had developed a hole in the base while being turned. I have been working on getting set up for shooting a couple of how to videos for #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms, but I keep getting distracted by being inspired…
I started wondering about a walnut bowl (another one rescued from the firewood box – yay!) that he had sent me and so, instead of working on the videos, off I went to have a little visit with the drill press. I drilled a hole in the base that is larger than the rip out, then 8 holes for the pegs, and did a little sanding and glued in pegs.
Oh my word! It’s so beautiful! I couldn’t resist drawing and burning a butterfly on it, as I could see a whisper of a butterfly in the grain of the wood.
Lovely! Just lovely!!!
#100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms is making my heart very happy!
Butterflies make me feel hopeful. May we all live in hopeful times!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Tottie Talks Crafts Blog 