4 Pin Exotic Hawaiian Golden Pheasant Wood French Spool Knitter with Loop Lifter

This beautiful French spool knitter was crafted by Dave from exotic Hawaiian golden pheasant wood. He has inset four brass pins into the top. The overall height of this spool knitter is 3 1/4 inches and the inner barrel measures 5/8 of an inch in diameter. The matching loop lifter was also crafted from Hawaiian golden pheasant wood and brass.

French Spool Knitters

Four new spool knitters were listed in our Etsy shop today.  The woods are birdseye maple, apricot, tiger maple and white ash.  Each spool knitter comes with a matching loop lifter.

The basic shape of most knitters is always a tube or spool shape with a hole in the center and different numbers of pins around the top to serve as a mini loom. While Dave has made a variety of different knitter shapes, he most commonly uses the basic shape that comes from a duck or goose call. Millions of duck hunters can’t be wrong! He has used these calls himself while hunting waterfowl and during his game warden days he checked hundreds of hunters with the calls hanging around their necks on lanyards. He doesn’t know when the basic shape of the duck call first came about but it has been round for over a hundred years and is the best design for hand holding.


When he was turning a few different game calls he noted how similar the shape was to the original “Knitting Nancy” spool knitters so he adapted the basic shape of the lower part of the game calls to be the primary shape of his spool knitters. Like duck calls, they can be carved, inlayed, burn etched or embellished in many different ways.

New French Spool Knitters with Matching Loop Lifters

These two wood and brass spool knitters with matching loop lifters have been listed in our Etsy shop today.  One is Swiss pear with pyrography, and the other is cocobolo with fossil mammoth ivory accents.

5 Pin French Spool Knitters with Buffalo Bone Loop Lifters

Three new 5 pin French spool knitters were added to our Grizzly Mountain Arts Etsy shop today.  From left to right, the materials used are:

*5 Pin Dark Pistachio French Spool Knitter with Fossil Mammoth Ivory Inlay and Buffalo Bone Loop Lifter with Peridot, Garnet and Fresh Water Pearls

*5 Pin East Indian Rosewood French Spool Knitter with Fossil Mammoth Ivory Inlay and Buffalo Bone Loop Lifter with Swarovski Crystals and Swarovski Pearls

*5 Pin Maple Burl French Spool Knitter and Buffalo Bone Loop Lifter with Swarovski Pearls, Swarovski Crystals and Czech Fire Polished Glass

Please visit our Etsy shop to view additional photos of these exquisite handmade fiber art tools made by Dave Stanbrough.

New French Spool Knitters

We have added new French spool knitters to our Etsy shop!  We have added new French spool knitters to our Etsy shop!  These include:

* Black and White Ebony with Mammoth Ivory Inlay

* Thuya Burl with Turquoise Inlay 

* Mahogany with Pyrography

Each of these spool knitters comes with a spangled buffalo bone loop lifter. 

4 Pin Myrtlewood French Spool Knitter with Buffalo Bone Loop Lifter

This beautiful French spool knitter was crafted by Dave from myrtlewood. He has inset four brass pins into the top. The overall height of this spool knitter is 3 1/2 inches and the inner barrel measures 5/8 of an inch in diameter. Dave has adorned this spool knitter with his signature pyrographic (burn etched) leaf motif.  Jo has spangled the 5 inch buffalo bone loop lifter with glass beads.  An additional photo can be found in our Etsy shop.

New French Spool Knitters

Two new French spool knitters with loop lifters were added to our Etsy shop today.  The first was crafted from cedar burl, and the second from maple burl.  Each spool knitter comes with a spangled buffalo bone loop lifter.

5 Pin Myrtlewood French Spool Knitter with Buffalo Bone Loop Lifter

5 Pin Myrtlewood French Spool Knitter with Buffalo Bone Loop Lifter

This beautiful French spool knitter was crafted by Dave from myrtlewood. He has inset five brass pins into the top. The overall height of this spool knitter is 3 1/2 inches and the inner barrel measures 5/8 of an inch in diameter. Dave has adorned this spool knitter with his signature pyrographic (burn etched) leaf motif.  Jo has spangled the 5 inch buffalo bone loop lifter with a large amethyst bead, turquoise and carved bone beads.  More photos can be seen at the Etsy.com listing for this fiber art tool.

5 Pin Cocobolo and Turquoise French Spool Knitter with Buffalo Bone Loop Lifter

5 Pin Cocobolo and Turquoise French Spool Knitter with Buffalo Bone Loop Lifter

This beautiful French spool knitter was crafted by Dave from cocobolo. He has inset five brass pins into the top. The overall height of this spool knitter is 3 1/2 inches and the inner barrel measures 5/8 of an inch in diameter. Dave has inlayed this unique fiber art tool with dots of turquoise.  Jo has spangled the 5 inch buffalo bone loop lifter with ceramic beads, rose quartz and African copper trade beads.

Native Totem Spool Knitter

Native Totem Spool Knitter

This four brass pin totem spool knitter , also called a knitting nancy, was inspired and adapted from actual Native American symbol pictographs and rock art. Dave crafted it from poplar wood, with purpleheart and rosewood accents. It is approximately 4 ½ inches tall and is accompanied by a 5 ¼ inch loop lifter made of purpleheart wood with a truestone turquoise accent ring.

The deity Kokopelli plays his flute and dances around the bottom of the knitter while above him, four Shaman hold hands and also dance in a circle to his music. Above them ,various native spiritual or mystical symbols circle the knitter. While Kokopelli is mostly known as a fertility deity, he is also known as a “spirit of music”. More photos of this stunning fiber art tool can be found at the Ebay auction listing.

Handcrafted 5 Pin Spool Knitter

Handcrafted 5 Pin Spool Knitter

Dave has made this 4 inch spool knitter and loop lifter out of Poplar and Walnut. He has also burn etched the Grape and Leaf motif all the way around it. It has 5 brass pins that will not rust. An additional photo can be found at the Ebay auction for this unique fiber art tool.

Handcrafted Oak and Rosewood Spool Knitter

Handcrafted Oak and Rosewood Spool Knitter

Dave handmade this 4 inch spool knitter and loop lifter out of oak and dark rosewood. He has burn etched an oak leaf motif all the way around it. This spool knitter, which can also be called a knitting nancy or knitting tower, has 4 brass pins that will not rust. This piece has been initialed and dated by Dave.

An additional photo can be seen at the Ebay auction listing for this item.

Poplar and Rosewood French Spool Knitter

Poplar and Rosewood French Spool Knitter

Dave has handcrafted this four brass pin spool knitter out of Poplar and dark Rosewood. He has burn etched the rose design on both sides. This spool knitter is 3 3/4 inches long and the companion 5 1/2 inch needle/loop lifter is made from the same materials. An additional photo can be found at the Ebay auction listing.

Buckeye Burl Spool Knitter

Buckeye Burl Spool Knitter

Dave has handcrafted this four brass pin spool knitter using Buckeye Burl. He has also burn etched the autumn leaf design around it. This spool knitter is 3 1/2 inches long. The companion 4 1/2 inch needle/loop lifter is made from buffalo bone.

If you would like to view more photos of this spool knitter, please visit the Ebay auction.

Native American Spool Knitter

Native American Spool Knitter

This is a recently commissioned French spool knitter with Dave's adaptation of Native American art. The pictographic designs are those commonly found in native pottery and basket making. Some of the ancient pictograph motifs are found in caves and on rocks through out the United States.

The spool knitter is made from American cherry wood and walnut, with 6 brass pins. It is approx 4 inch overall length. The 5 inch needle/loop lifter is made from bone, cherry and walnut with a turquoise accent.