This has got to be one of the easiest projects I have done so far. Of course I used some bought materials and some found materials, which happened to fit very well together.

I decided to make some knitting needles to go with my little felted knitting bags that are designed to hang on your wrist.

All I did was buy some 4mm thick dowel pieces (at a local $2 shop) and glue some wooden beads on the end as a stopper. The pointy end was achieved by using a pencil sharpener to give it a point then sandpaper to smooth the whole thing out. I was lucky enough to find a few beads with 4mm holes in them, which made the whole process much easier. In the end I also used some of my beeswax and olive oil furniture polish to give the needles a smooth feeling.

I made some short needles too. Kids often have trouble with long knitting needles and find it much easier to manipulate short, thin needles. The traditional method is to give a beginner really thick needles to allow them to see the stitches clearly, but I have found that children have difficulty with the heavier needles and don’t usually have sight issues anyway. The wood is also a bit more ‘grippy’ so it holds the stitches on the needle better; there is nothing more frustrating for a new knitter than dropping stitches.

 

I like that these little needles have been made by me and so will give my knitting kits a personal feel. I am selling them at our local market, with a free knitting lesson (on the spot) if needed. Maybe I will list them on Etsy too (without the knitting lesson). Maybe I can find a way to give remote knitting lessons? I will have to think about that.