How to knit i-cord.

Learn the quick and easy way to knit i-cord of any size, from any yarn and with any number of stitches.

There's a good chance you learnt i-cord making as a child and called it french knitting or spool knitting.

Depending on your age and/or location you may have used a wooden cotton reel ( with 4 nails in one end) or a store bought wooden knitting dolly.

The modern versions - shown here are wonderful little gadgets, inexpensive and easy to carry - but rather limited in their use.

It's also difficult to make an icord much thicker than a 12 ply, awkward with fancy yarns, and impossible to use with more than 4 stitches or to make an attached I-cord.

This is where the dpn knitted i-cord shines.

When your pattern calls for a thick yarn, a fancy yarn or more than 4 stitches use the double pointed needle - dpn -method.

Many of our exclusive HoughtonAvenue.com designed patterns use knitted i-cords to make attractive bag and purse handles and straps. Attached i-cords are also extensively used to neaten the edges of purse flaps. If you learn to knit a basic i-cord first, making an attached or applied i-cord will be a breeze.

Using 2 only double pointed needles - not circular needles - cast on desired number of stitches in the normal manner.

Your stitches are now all on the right hand needle, change this needle to your left hand - but don't turn it around.

Push your stitches to the right hand end of the needle ( the yarn tail will still be on the left hand end).

Next : Firmly pull the wool as shown in the below picture and knit all the stitches.

This will feel a little awkward at first, but you'll soon get the hang of it.

Keep repeating this process to knit the i-cord until it reaches the required length.

Cast off (bind off) in your usual manner.

You now have the know-how to make an i-cord of any thickness, with any number of stitches, using any type of yarn you desire.

However, if you're a gadget kind of person, or if your fingers find knitting icords difficult, try spool knitting.

Crone-findlay.com spool knitting is a wonderful source of information and make and sell a range of spool knitters. This link will open in a new window, simply close the window to return to this page. Note - if a new window doesn't open hold down your Ctrl key and try again.

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