Rake Knitting Patterns

Who does not remember the spool-knitter of his childhood, perhaps a home made affair—a large empty spool with four wire brads driven in around the opening at one end—on which one made an endless rope of colored yarns, to use, maybe, for reins when playing horse. Our ex-service patients in the army and public health service hospitals have seized upon the principle of this toy, and have applied it in making “rakes” of various sizes on which they have “knitted” a large number of articles, from silk neckties to wool shawls, caps, sweaters and capes. They have found real interest and pleasure in this pastime. The patient flat on his back in a plaster cast, sometimes with the use of only one hand, has been able to make garments as attractive and well-made as the man who is up and about.

The results of their experiments in “rake knitting” have been so very worth while, that I have wanted to make them available for the use of the sick and convalescent everywhere. Therefore I have prepared this pamphlet of patterns. It does not pretend to exhaust the possibilities of “rake knitting,” but merely offers a few patterns which have been used successfully in knitting with two and four-fold yarn.