# Homemade Knitting Abacus



## montgal (Nov 1, 2012)

I made two different ones. The first one you cut your threading material about twenty inches long, double it over and make a knot loosely by the loop end. Then you string your beads, one end goes in the top of the bead, the other end goes in the bottom of the bead, thread until you have nine, leave half an inch, knot and do the same with nine smaller beads, leave space and knot. You can move the end knots to make bracelet, of loops to hang from needles. On larger loop on one end and a smaller on the other for smaller needles. 
Then I found a you tube for making pace count beads for the military guys. It would work great for hunters also. I used heavy craft yarn that has nylon in it and made one of these except I put nine smaller bead for the top, this way I can count to 99.




 If the link doesn't work just google it. Have fun.


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## CamillaDesertMouse (Mar 19, 2011)

Good information from you and video is also helpful.

Thanks for posting.


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## blessedinMO (Mar 9, 2013)

montgal said:


> I made two different ones. The first one you cut your threading material about twenty inches long, double it over and make a knot loosely by the loop end. Then you string your beads, one end goes in the top of the bead, the other end goes in the bottom of the bead, thread until you have nine, leave half an inch, knot and do the same with nine smaller beads, leave space and knot. You can move the end knots to make bracelet, of loops to hang from needles. On larger loop on one end and a smaller on the other for smaller needles.
> Then I found a you tube for making pace count beads for the military guys. It would work great for hunters also. I used heavy craft yarn that has nylon in it and made one of these except I put nine smaller bead for the top, this way I can count to 99.
> 
> 
> ...


Totally brilliant. Thank you so very much for sharing. I'm getting (?) forgetful, and really need a row counter, just don't want to spend money for the good ones, and the small cheaper ones don't work so well. Bless you for giving me an easy answer!


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## LesleighAnne (Jun 25, 2011)

I love this. I will oh so make a couple. Technology can be very unreliable.


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## blessedinMO (Mar 9, 2013)

LesleighAnne said:


> I love this. I will oh so make a couple. Technology can be very unreliable.


 :lol: I love it when you can replicate a complicated gizmo out of strings and beads and make it work :thumbup:


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## wordpaintervs (Feb 5, 2011)

I know a lady that got one with a total 8 beads. She uses it to be sure she gets in her 8 glasses of water a day. She uses the loop for a key holder.


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## Melodypop (Jul 18, 2011)

Thank you so much, I went out a got the supplies to make them for my Son's for hiking, and for the girls for knitting. Great little extra for Christmas. They make up quickly. Also I do like the idea for the 8 glasses of water a day. Thank you for posting.

Norma



montgal said:


> I made two different ones. The first one you cut your threading material about twenty inches long, double it over and make a knot loosely by the loop end. Then you string your beads, one end goes in the top of the bead, the other end goes in the bottom of the bead, thread until you have nine, leave half an inch, knot and do the same with nine smaller beads, leave space and knot. You can move the end knots to make bracelet, of loops to hang from needles. On larger loop on one end and a smaller on the other for smaller needles.
> Then I found a you tube for making pace count beads for the military guys. It would work great for hunters also. I used heavy craft yarn that has nylon in it and made one of these except I put nine smaller bead for the top, this way I can count to 99.
> 
> 
> ...


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## hasamod41 (Sep 1, 2011)

I don't do video Do you have a picture Tutorial Thanks


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

hasamod41 said:


> I don't do video Do you have a picture Tutorial Thanks


http://sutherland-studios.com.au/free/rowcounter.php

http://www.knittinghelp.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73839

http://www.ehow.com/how_2315178_make-row-counter-bracelet.html

http://crochetuncut.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=107


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## hasamod41 (Sep 1, 2011)

Thank you Jessica-Jean I really appreciate your effort. By the way I live in Brooklyn N.Y. Where you said you grew up.


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

hasamod41 said:


> Thank you Jessica-Jean I really appreciate your effort. By the way I live in Brooklyn N.Y. Where you said you grew up.


You're welcome!
Brooklyn's a great place to grow up; at least, it seemed so to me from age zero to eleven.


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## blessedinMO (Mar 9, 2013)

Jessica-Jean said:


> You're welcome!
> Brooklyn's a great place to grow up; at least, it seemed so to me from age zero to eleven.


A great place. I went to school in Brookly, and my first job was there also.


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## hasamod41 (Sep 1, 2011)

I lived most of my life in Brooklyn N.Y. The only thing I miss is Walmart, Jo-ann,& Michaels.


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

hasamod41 said:


> I lived most of my life in Brooklyn N.Y. The only thing I miss is Walmart, Jo-ann,& Michaels.


I haven't lived there in ages, but what I miss is the foghorns and the proximity of the ocean. I lived in Midwood as a child and spent a couple of years as a young adult in Bayridge. Foghorns were comforting background sounds.
Montreal has a large harbour, but the foghorns never sound! If I want to swim in the ocean, it's actually closer to drive down to Staten Island's South Beach than head east to Canada's coast. Can't drive across Maine; there just aren't any east-west roads in that state!!


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## blessedinMO (Mar 9, 2013)

Jessica-Jean said:


> I haven't lived there in ages, but what I miss is the foghorns and the proximity of the ocean. I lived in Midwood as a child and spent a couple of years as a young adult in Bayridge. Foghorns were comforting background sounds.
> Montreal has a large harbour, but the foghorns never sound! If I want to swim in the ocean, it's actually closer to drive down to Staten Island's South Beach than head east to Canada's coast. Can't drive across Maine; there just aren't any east-west roads in that state!!


I lived near Bayridge my last year of school. I miss the ocean above everything else. I grew up in Long Island surrounded by water, and now I'm totally land locked.


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

blessedinMO said:


> I lived near Bayridge my last year of school. I miss the ocean above everything else. I grew up in Long Island surrounded by water, and now I'm totally land locked.


I feel your pain.


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## blessedinMO (Mar 9, 2013)

Yes. I'd love to dip my toes, and have a fresh fish now and again.


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## blessedinMO (Mar 9, 2013)

I miss digging clams for lunch.


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## hasamod41 (Sep 1, 2011)

Jessica-Jean said:


> I haven't lived there in ages, but what I miss is the foghorns and the proximity of the ocean. I lived in Midwood as a child and spent a couple of years as a young adult in Bayridge. Foghorns were comforting background sounds.
> Montreal has a large harbour, but the foghorns never sound! If I want to swim in the ocean, it's actually closer to drive down to Staten Island's South Beach than head east to Canada's coast. Can't drive across Maine; there just aren't any east-west roads in that state!!


Doesn't Road 309 go across Maine USA. East to west?


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## hasamod41 (Sep 1, 2011)

Now I live in Boro Park not far from Bayridge. My son lives in Bensonhurst not far from Bayridge


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## blessedinMO (Mar 9, 2013)

hasamod41 said:


> Now I live in Boro Park not far from Bayridge. My son lives in Bensonhurst not far from Bayridge


I lived near Boro Park many years ago.


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## hasamod41 (Sep 1, 2011)

blessedinMO said:


> I lived near Boro Park many years ago.


Than you wouldn't recognize it now. It's almost a city by itself.
If I never left my neighborhood I wouldn't miss anything. Every store that I need is within blocks away. And I don't go to the ocean to swim. I go to my neighborhood "Y" to swim.


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## blessedinMO (Mar 9, 2013)

hasamod41 said:


> Than you wouldn't recognize it now. It's almost a city by itself.
> If I never left my neighborhood I wouldn't miss anything. Every store that I need is within blocks away. And I don't go to the ocean to swim. I go to my neighborhood "Y" to swim.


To be sure. I can't even imagine.


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

hasamod41 said:


> Doesn't Road 309 go across Maine USA. East to west?


If it does, it's not in Google Maps.

Once upon a year, we drove from Montreal to Rockport, Maine. In those days of paper maps, I planned a *paved* route across Maine's hinterlands. Well, many miles (hours!) of supposedly paved roadway were anything _but_! Someone lied to the mapmakers, and no one actually drove that road to verify that it was actually paved with anything other than native rock and dirt. It actually would have been a faster and more comfortable trip to drive the interstates almost down to Massachusetts and back up to Maine!! Any attempt at a straight-line route founders.


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## Goldengate (Jan 30, 2013)

I still just make a line with a pen or pencil on paper in groups of five, the old fashioned way. Works for me, so I won't be needing any new contraptions to complicate things.


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## hasamod41 (Sep 1, 2011)

hasamod41 said:


> Doesn't Road 309 go across Maine USA. East to west?


I meant Road 302


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

hasamod41 said:


> I meant Road 302


This is what Google Maps spits out today. It looks about like the route I used thirty-odd years ago. I doubt I still have the maps I used back then to check for sure.


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## hasamod41 (Sep 1, 2011)

Jessica-Jean said:


> This is what Google Maps spits out today. It looks about like the route I used thirty-odd years ago. I doubt I still have the maps I used back then to check for sure.


If you want to go to N.Y. from Montreal you take a route which will take you #87 Which is the New York Thruway.


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

hasamod41 said:


> If you want to go to N.Y. from Montreal you take a route which will take you #87 Which is the New York Thruway.


Actually, the NY Thruway runs between NYC and Buffalo. The I-87, north of Albany, is called the Northway, is toll-free (unlike the Thruway), and has no service plazas; you must go off the highway to find gas or food. I know it very, _very_ well, since we use it to go visit the two of my mother's four daughters who still live in NYC. When I first moved to Montreal, I used to hitch-hike monthly down it to see my orthodontist in Queens for 'adjustments' on my braces; I returned to Montreal by bus. (It never even entered my mind to attempt hitch-hiking _from_ NYC!)


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## blessedinMO (Mar 9, 2013)

Jessica-Jean said:


> Actually, the NY Thruway runs between NYC and Buffalo. The I-87, north of Albany, is called the Northway, is toll-free (unlike the Thruway), and has no service plazas; you must go off the highway to find gas or food. I know it very, _very_ well, since we use it to go visit the two of my mother's four daughters who still live in NYC. When I first moved to Montreal, I used to hitch-hike monthly down it to see my orthodontist in Queens for 'adjustments' on my braces; I returned to Montreal by bus. (It never even entered my mind to attempt hitch-hiking _from_ NYC!)


 :roll:


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## blessedinMO (Mar 9, 2013)

blessedinMO said:


> :roll:


No kidding :!:


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## Goldengate (Jan 30, 2013)

What happened to the knitting Abacus? Lost by the side of the road?


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## blessedinMO (Mar 9, 2013)

Goldengate said:


> What happened to the knitting Abacus? Lost by the side of the road?


I think it has been discussed as far as it can be?


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## hasamod41 (Sep 1, 2011)

Jessica-Jean said:


> Actually, the NY Thruway runs between NYC and Buffalo. The I-87, north of Albany, is called the Northway, is toll-free (unlike the Thruway), and has no service plazas; you must go off the highway to find gas or food. I know it very, _very_ well, since we use it to go visit the two of my mother's four daughters who still live in NYC. When I first moved to Montreal, I used to hitch-hike monthly down it to see my orthodontist in Queens for 'adjustments' on my braces; I returned to Montreal by bus. (It never even entered my mind to attempt hitch-hiking _from_ NYC!)


 You remind me of me. In my teen I hitch-hiked in the summer to the Castskills back and forth.


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

hasamod41 said:


> You remind me of me. In my teen I hitch-hiked in the summer to the Castskills back and forth.


I wish I could claim to have been a brainless teen when I did that; I was 23/24 and _still_ brainless! Sometimes, being tall/big can give one a different mental take on what shorter/smaller folks would consider dangerous/risky activities. I survived!


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