French Knitting-Tolletjie Brei

Do you know what French Knitting is? Do you know the “how” of French Knitting! Well, a couple of English people in London didn’t know about it…and one or two said they know about it, but have never done it and would love to do it. Here’s two of my pics where I started it only to show them… we used to do that in our school in SA with the Grade 3 children. Whenever they were finished with their work and had nothing else to finish, they could get their French Knitting from the chair bags (for non-Saffas reading here…a chair bag slips over the back of the chair and the school children put all sorts of stuff in there, e.g. pens, diaries, colouring pencils etc. but some of them would even put their sandwiches in there and forget about it…and then it goes rotten! hehe..I used to let them check their chair bags on Fridays). They loved the French Knitting and even the boys were keen to doing it…for some it was a bit tricky but once they started to get the hang of it..it was easy peasy. I’ve found a site and copied the info here for you to know what it’s about and how you can start your own. A few years ago we bought some kit – like what you see on 4th image, but it didn’t last long. I prefer the good old fashion way of French Kitting! Has your child got fine motor problems…let him/her do some French Knitting!

Tolletjie breiwerk is baie goed vir kleintjies om te doen, dit het ook sy voordele in vir die kind wat so bietjie fynmotoriese-koördinasie-probleme het. Soms kry jy die kind wat fyn-motoriese probleme ondervind wat ook hiermee probleme ondervind, maar sodra hulle dit baasgeraak het, kom daardie probleme ook sommer gou uitgestryk, daarom glo ek dat dit ‘n goeie terapeutiese manier is vir kinders met fynmotoriese probleme om hulle daarin te help. Kinders wat fynmotoriese probleme het, het soms ook ‘n handskrifprobleem. Arbeidsterapeute skryf gewoonlik verskillende oefeninge voor en ek dink hulle kan tog ingedagte hou dat hierdie ook iets is wat ouers kan probeer, maar, nie alle ouers het die geduld/tyd om met die kind te gaan sit en tolletjie-brei te doen nie! Stel tog bietjie voor by jou kinders/kleinkinders se skool dat die onnies bietjie dit met die kinders moet doen.

Image: willowfabrics.com

Image: toyday.co.uk

“French Knitting Reels”
Equipment: Wooden cotton reels
4 x Panel pins about 1 to 2 cm long
Hammer
Poster paint and paintbrushes
Spray varnish
Wool & crochet hook
Method: Paint the wooden cotton reel with a *cool* pattern, and when the paint is dry, spray varnish the whole reel.–(you don’t have to!) Then hammer in the 4 panel pins at one end of the reel, to a depth of 3-4mm, in the shape of a square. This completes the knitting reel. Now for the knitting!

1. Make a *slip-knot* with one end of the the wool around one of the pins, push the short end down through the hole in the middle of the reel, then wind the long end of the wool once around each of the remaining pins, turning the reel as you work.
2. When you reach the first pin, turn the reel so that a *row* of wool is just above the previous loop on the pin.
3. Using the crochet hook, pick up the loop on the first pin and slide it **over** the wool just above it. Turn the reel so that the next pin is facing you.
4. Repeat the last action “indefinitely*, or until the “piece of knitting” is long enough to make an article with when sewn together..or have fun! Source: http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/net02833/sewing.htm update: this site doesn’t exist anymore! – sorry!

Another GREAT video here – http://www.bbc.co.uk/blast/fashion/french_knitting/117595

image: knitforvictory.blogspot