A few weeks ago, I was enchanted by finding this adorable little vintage Sunbonnet Sue Needlebook in a second hand store:
Poor little thing… she’s very stained, and rather frayed around the edges.
Even so, she stole my heart, and I knew that I just had to see if I could rescue and re-create her.
If you are wondering what a needle book is, it’s a rather sweet bit of stitchery history.
Needlebooks are small ‘books’ with cloth pages that are alternatives to pin cushions.
Needles are stored in the inner pages of the needlebook.
Her front and back are way out of kilter with each …read more

Have you ever wanted needles that were more pointy or less pointy than the ones in your hands? Now you can buy needles in the degree of pointiness that suits you from Signature Needles.
Choose from points labeled blunt, middy or stiletto. You also have your choice in needle size, length and even needle cap. You can customize your needle to almost your exact specifications. This is almost like the Cadillac of needles, when you think about it. I’ve never used them, but I’ve used Addi needles (another Cadillac)…pretty swank.
Image: Signature Needle Arts

I’ve only used wooden DPNs so far, but I wanted to try some aluminum or nickel plated ones. Sometimes, the yarn drags and while I like the quiet of the wood, the clacking of needles doesn’t bother me at all.
I recently bought these KnitPicks DPNs. They’re nickel plated and very smooth.
I started some socks and wanted to give the needles’ good points:

Very pointy: While I’m doing a very vanilla pair of socks right now, if you have a pattern that requires a lot of decreases, knitting through back loops and those sort of gymnastics, you’ll have no problem guiding these …read more

 
You knit, you crochet — you need needles and hooks. Now is a great time to shop for any needle/hook sizes you need because Woodland Woolworks has them on sale. Get 15-20% off almost any needle or hook — straights, circulars, double pointeds. The sale lasts until January 11th.
Image: Woodland Woolworks

I haven’t yet tried working with square needles, but the word is that they’re easier on your hands than traditional round ones. If you can’t indulge in as much knitting or crocheting as you’d like due to pain, stiffness or arthritis, they may be worth looking into.
Kollage Yarns offers square knitting needles (DPNs and circulars as well as straights) and crochet hooks. The company claims that besides comfort, you also get more uniform stitches with their square offerings.
Have you tried square needles, from this or another company? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Were you able to work faster, easier, longer? How was …read more