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Corking

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wendy
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Wendy

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Who remembers corking!
I bought this a few weeks ago from a craft fair I thought I would save it untill my granddaughter is old enough to have a go. The problem now is there are no wooden cotton reels, they are all plastic. Thats how we made ours with four nails. My brothers would have competitions and hang the corked wool out of the bedroom window to see who's was the longest. I think there was some cheating where scissors were involved. I can't remember what we used to take the wool over the nail head was it a pin? I made a few coasters I remember and a scarf for my doll.
 
Hi Moma P. I bought the very same plastic corker that you have shown years ago when my daughter was small and we had a go with it. Years and years ago when it was a fad in Brum you would see girls sitting around corking
and one girl in my class in junior school made a respectable handbag that was quite unique in many colours all out of wool and the corking method. I found this site which explains it. I would really have to think aboiut it before I could start.
https://www.allfreecrafts.com/kids/corker.shtml
 
Thanks for the link Jennyann as I need a refresher course. By the way the one I bought is wood I thought it was so nice as it wasn't plastic.
 
You bought back some memories for me, my mom used to make me one out of a cotton reel it used to keep me quiet for ages, and thanks for the link I had forgotten how to do it.
 
'elf 'n safety will have something to say about the pins Ladies!!!!!!!

Don't do corking in the BRAroom:rolleyes:
 
Moma P said:
Who remembers corking!
I bought this a few weeks ago from a craft fair I thought I would save it untill my granddaughter is old enough to have a go. The problem now is there are no wooden cotton reels, they are all plastic. Thats how we made ours with four nails. My brothers would have competitions and hang the corked wool out of the bedroom window to see who's was the longest. I think there was some cheating where scissors were involved. I can't remember what we used to take the wool over the nail head was it a pin? I made a few coasters I remember and a scarf for my doll.
Click to expand...

Moma
Our Gran taught us to do Corking when we lived in Aston and we did it for years, tried to get my Lads to do it when they were young no interest at all:)
 
OOOOooh yes, I spent hours corking, Wendy. :)

I used a broken knitting needle to put the wool over the nails.
 
Thanks Di, now I remember it was old knitting needles! I think I will have to have a go!
 
Hi Everyone, you know I'm so glad I found this site, its incredible what your all coming up with. Its bringing back so many happy childhood memories that lay in the back of my mind!
Yes I remember corking well, Granma taught me how to do it and gave me one of her old crocher( I know thats not how you spell it but for the life of me I cant think how) hooks. Many happy hours corking in my favourite red and yellow colours ( Birmingham Speedway) to make rosettes, hair braids and such like. Aaaaaaaaaah I remember it well!
 
Alf beat me to it..... Lots of lads used to do corking too, I remember craft lessons at Burlington Street and doing corking. Dad fitted us up with a cotton reel with the little nails in, but sadly thats all I remember, I wouldnt know where to begin now, least of all make a rosette for the Brummies speedway Jude. (I USED TO GO TO PERRY BARR, I WAS BORN INTO A FAMILY OF BRUMMIE SPEEDWAY SUPPORTERS)

If you cant get a wooden cotton reel perhaps you could find a chunk of pine curtain pole going spare, easy to cut a peice off and drill through its centre.
 
It is really wonderful the way members' posts revive long forgotten memories, as has been said corking was quite a fad, we used old wooden cotton reels with four nails in the top, and the "spiral" came out the other end. My friends and I had used to compete to make the longest and tried to do a piece as long as our street, Copeley Street, it only had ten houses each side but I don't think we reached our goal.
 
I remember our mom teaching me and my little brother how to make pom poms we would spend hours making different colour variations using all of her odments of wool, this really does bring back all of those memories, thanks to all of you.
 
:blush:just found this bit about corking. our mom used to get me and ourkid to do it but she always had to start it off for us as we couldn't quite grasp that bit.
 
re corkin

Yer.we made yards and yards,as rod said,a cotten reel and nails.Dad made rugs,by poking bits of wool into a sack bag.this forum gets the little gray cells working again,dont it pete
 
Korking.

:010: Don't tell my husband but he was very good at it. I used to do it and use a pin to pull the wool over the nails. Used to make tea pot stands. Ta ta. Jean. :010:
 
Happy days

A winters pass time, gosh that takes me back..Cat:grinsmile:
 
Sylvia we use to make them as long as we could then Mom or Gran would sew them together and make mats to stand Jugs & Vases on.
 
I remember posting about a girl at my school who made a handbag out of corking in many different colours. It was quite something and a lot of work
no doubt:)
 
I used a pin too Jean to pull the wool over the nails - but I soon got bored with it - rather read a book. . .
 
Anyone remember we use to make what they called Tanks with Cotton Reels a bit of Candle, elastic band and two match sticks.:)
 
i gave my granddaughter a sewing box complete with corking "dolly".i had to stop and think how to start off but we soon got going .shes aiming to make a circular rug.....we used to spend hours with old wool unravelled from jumpers bought at jumble sales .boys did corking as well as girls and knitting .one of my sons was very good at making cushion covers too. cant see todays boys doing anything like it though.
 
Gosh 6his brings back memories i was the best corker in our house the girls were to slow and lacked concentration
 
My brothers used to have competitions on how long they could get it. They would hang the corking out of the bedroom window. It got a bit nasty when they used to cut the end off each others though........that's boys for you.
 
Wendy, thanks for resurrecting faded memories of Corking. My brother who is ten years older than me had a lovely girlfriend who taught me corking, she also brought me home-made toffee apples and other little gifts. I was very dissapointed when my brother didn't marry her. Anthea.
 
My god, corking; I did miles of the stuff when I was a child. Well perhaps not miles but I did yards of it. It was made into table place mats and all sorts of things. This was the sort of thing that gave kids some sort of pride in achieving something. I did try again after I retired because I had a knee and a hip replaced and was quite static for a short time while I recovered. I made it into a small blanket type thing for covering the legs to stop any draughts because I get cold feet and legs due to type 2 diabetes. I made quite a length of the stuff and stitched it to a small sheet of smooth material. I started in the center and atatched each row to the previous one as well as to the material. It lasted a few years but it got dumped when the central heating was fitted. I could have purchased a throw for a couple of quid but I wouldnt have made that would I.
 
Stiticher your 'throw' sounds lovey and would have been much warmer than a shop bought one. I only managed to make a pencil case and some drinks coasters with my corking. Note to self keep me eye out for a wooden cotton reel.
 
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