As the experienced knitter knows, virtually ANY smooth, pointy sticks could serve as knitting needles if you’re not picky — chopsticks, barbecue skewers, pencils (except for the messy lead points), sharpened dowels, etc. So what’s the point in getting ones that have special features (inch measurements drawn on them, or glow in the dark), are super lightweight (how heavy is a needle, anyway), or are dolled up in some way (what does the yarn care how pretty the needle is)?
That’s what I thought for years, happily clacking along on my grandmother’s old aluminums. Then one day after reading someone rave about the slick grace of Addi turbos, I tried them and was enchanted.
Then I bought my first bamboos. Then baleen …
*sigh* An obsession was born. Now that I have way more knitting needles than I’ll ever really need, I’m starting to look longingly at the truly beautiful ones I see mentioned occasionally on blogs and knitting websites. Thought I’d share a few sigh-worthy ones with you. Maybe it’ll inspire you to treat yourself or a knitter you love. Enjoy!
Needles fit for a queen (and, hey, I guess kings can knit too) - Wouldn’t a pair of sapphire-tipped straights gleam like a pair of silver arrows in a skein of purple and blue Noro Transitions silk/wool blend? Almost too pretty to knit with. (Almost.) I think these beauties from Celtic Swan Forge will go on my ever-lengthening wish list. Studio owners Molly and John Swan Sheeran specialize in hot-forged and mirror-polished tools for fiber artists. And according to their website, there have been some instances where they have traded their exquisite craftsmanship in bronze DPNs for some fabulous hand-knitted socks. HMM! Let the bargaining begin …
A monstrous craving - That’s what I’ve got for these little darlings. They are made from scratch, hand sculpted of Fimo clay and sealed with a tough baked glaze finish to fit atop Surina wood needles, and merrily adorning the pages of KPixie.com. Maybe our UFOs won’t be such BUFOs if we pop these into the skeins. Hat’s off to designer Lynell Koser for making me smile. Also see more designs on the needle page at the artisan’s site, YarnRescue.com.
Glow to love ‘em - These straight acrylic needles from Needle Lite (via KPixie.com) brighten up along the whole length of the needle, not just the tip. Batteries last about 48 hours (way more than my knitting fingers) and the LED bulb is supposed to shine on for up to 50,000 hours. Okay, it’s official now — we can knit ANYWHERE. And aren’t you proud of me for resisting the comment, “What a bright idea!”
Color-soaked birch - Brilliantly stained straight needles from HottRodz.com are finished with a high-gloss clear coat for smooth, lightweight knitting. Ocean Blue is the favorite tint for the rest of their knitting universe, but I’ve gotta go with my heart’s desire – Volcanic Red. (Then again, I could always peruse their custom orders page and grab me a pair of dice-topped babies, couldn’t I. Vegas knitting, anyone?)
Lime and orange flower power - I get lost all the time while surfing among the cool stuff that artisans sell at Etsy.com, and I just had to bookmark these smoothly sanded and waxed darlings. These knitting needles from Twisted Wrist Designs are orange and lime clay balls dotted with metal flowers, all protected with a clear coat and firmly attached to hardwood dowels. They’re more than kinda groovy — they’re my bag, baby.- From Russia, with love - I can just imagine these gracing my knitting space — wooden needles that are handpainted in Russia and imported by a couple of Maine sheepherders who’ve traded around the world since 1985. As their site explains, “Peter Hagerty and his wife Marty Tracy started buying wool from the Soviet Union back in 1985 in hopes that through trade they could help diffuse the threat of nuclear war. Since then they have worked with shepherds in Russia, Kyrgyzia, Israel and the West Bank, as well as in Montana, Ohio, Texas and Maine. By working with people who tend livestock every day, they hope to find a common ground that slowly leads to mutual understanding and economic interdependence. After twenty-one years, their goals remain the same.” (You can’t get much cooler than that. )Designs vary from whimsical to more traditional ones that have a flavor of Russia. Note: If you see a set of needles that you love, better order it now, as the inventory and the artists’ inspirations both change constantly. Recommendation: The short 10-inch versions are ideal for children learning to knit. See just a few of the needletops below.
- For blossoming knitters - I think fairies who ply the fiber arts (and of course they do) must pick knitting needles as pretty as these ones topped with pink and white whimsical flower designs from ShopKnitch.com. They’re made from fine bamboo and vintage German lucite; tell them the size you want and they’ll pick a floral design for you. And the site has soooo many more other beauties displayed in a vase on their main needles page. (Note: I will add a photo here if that site owner grants permission; request pending.)
- The crystal-clear choice - Namaste needles of tough borosilicate glass may look insubtantial, but they’re supposed to stand up to daily use. Designs on view at Purlescence.co.uk include dotty glass balls, globes of delicate pastel swirls or rich earthtones, cones containing twists of color, and even hollow tubular needles that remove the weight of glass but retain its beauty. Back story: Thank Namaste owners’ wayward needle-chewing dog for the inspiration to design glass needles instead of his favorite wooden ones.
- I’m too sexy for my knitting - Well, at least I will be if I use these Bella Blue needles in a glam leopard pattern. They even come wrapped in their own black marabou feather boa. Bella Blue is a wholesale-only company, but I found these needles online at YarnHeaven.com (scroll down their needles’ page).
Homemade glory - Click your knitting needles together and say, “There’s no place like home!” It’s so much fun to make your own decorative knitting needle toppers that I think every knitter should give it a try at least once. I recall a weekend a couple of years ago when I desperately wanted to do some knitting on large needles but didn’t have any big enough. I also didn’t want to drive through holiday traffic to a nearby town for the closest yarn shop. And, of course, patience is NOT my strong suit. So I tripped over to Wal-Mart with my trusty knitting gauge, measured dowels until I found just the right size, and also threw a packet of Sculpey clay into the cart. Some sanding, sculpting, and assembling later, and the rest is the history of my most massive two pairs of knitting needles. See the website of QuidNunc.org for an excellent tutorial by Michelle Harlan; hers are much prettier than the ones I made! (Note: These can get *really* heavy, so I suggest you make small sizes rather than the big honking knitting needles I made. Mine looked more like I was working hedge clippers when I was slogging through my project!)
Happy knitting to you! ~ Carolyn, aka “Loopy”
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