Strictly Complicated

Here's one for my knitting friends!  How sweet is this little old German yarn braider?  Apparently every young girl sat with her "Stricki" in hand and made long ropes from grandma's yarn in the early days.  This must be something like latch hook or maybe those potholder weaving loom things that most American girls try their hands at one time or another...

Despite the box saying that it's "from 5 years" I struggled to understand how to get started with the basic instructions and the plastic needle.  Like whatever!  Maybe if you're a 5 year old German engineer for cripes sake...hmmm... I guess I'll have to coerce one of my Deutsche friends to demonstrate this ancient technique.  

Oooh...video footage opportunity...

If you can get it rolling, it creates a tube instead of just a simple chain but I'm not sure if you could then take the tube and wind it into concentric circles and make a rug as the box implies.   This packaging was apparently designed before "truth in advertising" was really an issue.

How cute is the graphic of the little ball of varrigated yarn with it's curly tail?  And just for good measure it's marked as a "good toy from Munich."  Well there you have it.

Comments

[Sarah]

They still make those! Just saw one at the toy store here in Norway - almost bought it for a birthday present, but was skeptical that it was too difficult for a six year old. One of my daughters comes home with these knitted tubes all the time from school, I think she knows how to use it.

[Veronika]

I can knit, I like knitting, it's relaxing etc but I've tried using this damn thing only once and miserably failed to understand how to use it, got stressed about it and never tried again :)

[Jenny Lee Wentworth]

Ya, I wouldn't have a clue what to do with that little doll. She's really cute though! Hope you find someone to help you. Have a great weekend TJ!
♥Jenny

[Robin]

I think I need to get one of these! This could be a very cool addition to my crocheting.

[Tally]

In Hamburg we call it "Strickliesel".
I just found some in my school in an old box, but have to admit I myself had to look for the instructions. Hopefully I will find my own from decades ago eventually.

For sure nowadays the 5 year old children are normally not able to work on a Strickliesel. Even a lot of my 6th graders can't tie a decent knot :-(.

Happy stricklieseln!
Grüße aus Hamburg
Tally

[Anne]

That's adorable, but I think it is more complicated than learning to actually knit! My niece has one of those and she knows how to use it.

[TJ]

Crazy hey? Tally, send me your address and I'll send you a copy of my instructions with a little mail art love...!!

[iHanna]

Oh how cute it is! The box is as awesome as the stricki itself. what a find!

[nicole]

Yeah, Strickliesel is what we call them near Frankfurt, too. My son had to make rope for an art project in school in 3rd grade with the thing. Only homework I ever went and gave him a hand with.
I don't know how to start it either though. I think the teacher started them for the kids, once it's set up it's easy enough though. Try finding a video on youtube. I think in english they're called knitting tubes or i-cord makers.

[Helen]

O this reminds me of my childhood, I made some with different colors and my mother sewed the cord in a round form. It is called 'punniken' in dutch.

[Maz in Australia]

Also check out these sites -
Flickr Spool Knitter
Yahoo Spoolknitter
and my blog - http://spoolknitter.blogspot.com
... cheers, Maz in Australia