chopstick/dowel knitting needle tutorial

[compulsivelycrafty]

Those are awesome. I'm going to have to try that. I'm sure they're an extra pleasure to knit with as well.

[chris_wass]

If anyone has a Cost Plus near them, they have long bamboo chopsticks for doing wok cooking with that are only a dollar. I guestimate that they are about the same gauge as US 11 needles.

[grrl13]

that's so funny, cuz I learned how to knit on  chop stix. I didn't have any needles yet, so i grabbed them out of the kitchen drawer.  good idea to spruce them up!

[kmj44]

I made a few pairs, but found that no matter how much I sanded, they kept catching on some little bit of wood sticking out.  But then I wanted to amke some bracelets out of clear poly and had some left over, so I coated the sticks with it, continuing right over the bead (extra strength!) and voila!  Non-catching knitting needles!

[craftypixie]

I made some Knitting needles with dowels and put polymer clay on the bottoms they catch a little bit so I will try the wax paper.
the extra work is defintely worth it because the end result is fabulos!!!!

[tinygoatstacker]

Yesterday, I made knitting needles out of bamboo skewers. They're nice & long, and have turned out to be a perfect size 5 needle. I highly recommend them... except make sure to sand down the pointy end. I stabbed myself a bazillion times just casting on.
The fimo clay is a fabulous idea! It looks great

[kategirl]

oh, here's something helpful...

http://www.purplekittyyarns.com/info/knitting-needle-conversion.html

it has conversions for needle sizes and millimeters.  so, you can find a dowel or chopsticks that will give you the right size needle!

[kawaii]

this is  a really really really awesome idea. i've been trying to figure out ways of not spending $50 + at the LYS on needles because i love the bamboo needles, and those are like $14 a pair. evyl. i am totally planning on making these and will post pics when i have gotten off my ass to do so. ^_^

[HardCandy63]

Ohh...hair pins. I totally see it, i learned a bad habit of using a pen to hold up buns in my hair...but these are so much better!

[moderatelyso]

If you want to consider this in an entrepreneurial fashion, look at www.knitknack.com.  I found this site yesterday and was absolutely stunned at the prices of plain knitting needles with pretty ends!  But!  If you're the one making the knitting needles, maybe the ridiculous prices aren't such a bad thing after all...