4Real Forums: Knitting needles

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Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry

Topic: Knitting needles

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Elizabeth
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Joined: Jan 20 2005
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Posted: Aug 27 2007 at 8:10am \| IP Logged

Mary,
The knitting needles you included in your gift bag for the raffle were really beautiful. Can you point me in the right direction for getting (or making) some of those?

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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)

Elizabeth
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Real Learning

Joined: Jan 20 2005
Location: Virginia
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Posts: 5595

Posted: Sept 01 2007 at 8:45pm \| IP Logged

Mary??
Mary Beth says if we're gonna knit, she wants needles like those

.

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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)

Mary G
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Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
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Posted: Sept 01 2007 at 10:27pm \| IP Logged

Elizabeth -- I'm sorry -- somehow I missed the first post!

They're really easy to make -- get 3/4" round dowel and cut two equal lengths -- approx 12". Sharpen one end of each with a pencil sharpener (if you use a hand-crank one you won't trash your electric -- don't ask how I know

). Sharpen till a blunt tip -- not super sharp like you would a pencil, more like a pencil tip after using for a bit.

Sand the fire out of the dowel -- you want the tip and body of the needle to be VERY smooth so the yarn doesn't catch. If you wrap the sandpaper round the needle and rub up and down, you'll get a nice smooth needle. The tip should be sanded in the direction of the grain to avoid roughening.

Oil with mineral oil, baby oil or even canola -- and rub to a fine sheen.

Glue either a button to the bottom -- or you can make a sculpey bead to fit the bottom before you oil and then glue it after the bead bakes -- or some other "stopper" so that the stitches don't fall off.

And you're done!

Now, you just have to practice, practice, practice.

BTW, you can use a different dowel thickness, it's just that 3/4" makes about a US size 10 needle which works well with worsted weight yarns ....

Holler if you need any further help....

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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)

my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!

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