"SlinkyToy" wrote in message
. ..
Most people knit a different gauge with each hand. Nothing to worry
about,
as long as you don't try to convince us that you ALWAYS knit to gauge with
the recommended needles and yarn

Snip

Thanks for the input.

Most of my needles are hand made, and not truly standard sized. I can't
claim anything.

Stainless steel is more flexible and less heat conductive (warmer to touch)
than most of the metals that are the metals for commercially made metal
knitting needles (aluminum and plated brass). Thus, I find SS more
comfortable to knit with. A local hardware store has 50' coils of
stainless steel wire for only a couple of dollars. One diameter is very
close to US size 1 or UK size 13. I've started making SS knitting needles
out of it.

The hard part is getting the wire straight. I bend it as straight as
possible with my hands, and then lay it on a flat piece of hard wood and
gently tap the high spots with a wooden or brass mallet. This also work
hardens the metal to make it stiffer. Then I grind the points on a bench
grinder (you could use a grinding wheel in an power drill) and use 600 wet
or dry emery paper to produce a fine mat finish. People that like a smother
finish could add a 1200 emery paper step. A good home handyman can make a
set of a dozen 18" UK size 13 DPN in a short evening for a materials cost of
less than $5.00. A set of 5 DPN for hats and socks could be made during the
commercials in a football game. SS washers could be easily silver-soldered
on the ends to serve as knots. Christmas is coming!

These SS needles will not break - even if you run the truck over them a few
times! Being solid metal they can be polished or mat finished to your
heart's content. The mat finish picks up lanolin from the wool which
provides lubrication without being slippery. You can also bend them for CN.

However, these needles scream for a needle case. Think about sitting on one
: )

Aaron