If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Dogwood as a material for knitting neeles
I have finished the first set of dogwood knitting needles and done some
knitting on them. I consider dogwood to be the very best material that I know of for knitting needles. It is like magic! It is warm to the touch, light, wools slide easily, so you can knit as fast as you want, but there is enough friction to easily work stitches and stitches are not falling off the needle. My trial needles are not materpeices of craftsman ship and have some "nicks" in them. In any other wood, such nicks would cause significant snags of the yarn. However, the dogwood just does not seem to snag. First, my source of wood was an Eastern Flowering Dogwood, C. florida. Second, the wood is very easy to work and finish. Third, now that the wood is dry, it seems to be quite hard and durable. For ease of wood working, the needle blanks should be whittled to shape and size while the wood is quite green. Then allowed to dry for a few days before final sizing and finishing. The only tools that I used to make my needles were, pruning shears to collect the wood and cut it to needle lengths, a wood chisel and mallet to split the wood, a utility knife to whittle to shape, a knitting guage for sizing, a fine cut wood rasp to smooth the points, 100 grit sand paper, fine sand papaer, fine steel wool, furniture polish with bee's wax and a cloth to polish the wax. Total time per DPN was about 15 minutes. And they seem to be very tough. I just laid one across the edge of the 3/4" high door sill into my office and stepped on it. It just bent. Now, they may get more brittle as they finish drying, but I expect them to remain fairly tough. It looks like the old fellow knew what he was talking about, and dogwood may be the best wood for knitting needles. It is worth the effort to go find it, or rather it is worth the effort to send your woodworker out in the snow to find it. Since the grounghog says we have some more winter comming, we have some time to make a few knitting needles. Aaron |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
I looked at the needles we have for sale in the Chatham Arts Council,
and the tag says they are birch. They are beautiful and wonderful to touch. I haven't seen any birch trees growing around here (central NC) that are the standard, white barked ones I knew in NY state. But we have lots of River Birch, which are quite a different tree. If I ever meet the artist of the needles, I'll ask a bunch of questions.... and recommend them to try the dogwood. Kira |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Kira Dirlik wrote:
I looked at the needles we have for sale in the Chatham Arts Council, and the tag says they are birch. They are beautiful and wonderful to touch. I haven't seen any birch trees growing around here (central NC) that are the standard, white barked ones I knew in NY state. But we have lots of River Birch, which are quite a different tree. If I ever meet the artist of the needles, I'll ask a bunch of questions.... and recommend them to try the dogwood. Kira Paper birches (the white ones in NY state) don't grow as far south as NC, Kira, they don't even live very well here in Maryland, to my sorrow. We have one badly infested with borers, planted by the (northern) person who originally owned this house. River birches, or heritage birches, grow well in the south (our river birches are quite healthy), but no matter how people talk about how interesting the peeling pinkish brownish bark is in winter, nothing beats paper birches for breathtaking beauty. I remember them fondly from my Michigan childhood. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Hello Agrea and Kira - I found it very interesting that knitting needles
could be made from the wood of my favourite tree - however since we have neither dogwoods or birch here I guess I will never be able to get my " woodworker" to have a try to make some God Bless Gwen -- Gwen Kelly "Kira Dirlik" !! wrote in message ... I looked at the needles we have for sale in the Chatham Arts Council, and the tag says they are birch. They are beautiful and wonderful to touch. I haven't seen any birch trees growing around here (central NC) that are the standard, white barked ones I knew in NY state. But we have lots of River Birch, which are quite a different tree. If I ever meet the artist of the needles, I'll ask a bunch of questions.... and recommend them to try the dogwood. Kira |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
I've been reading with interest about Dogwood being a good material for
knitting needles. A friend of mine in NC has a Dogwood tree, and I wonder if it would make good knitting needles. http://www.angelfire.com/ca5/calgal/ThomDogwood.html Mona |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
I have material for a baby quilt now decisions | Trudy Utterback | Quilting | 3 | November 3rd 04 06:56 PM |
lining material for a bell pull | [email protected] | Needlework | 6 | April 22nd 04 02:57 PM |
February Sale at Material Pleasures | Dana | Marketplace | 0 | February 5th 04 08:43 PM |
November Sale at Material Pleasures | Dana | Marketplace | 0 | November 9th 03 12:54 AM |
Raku FAQs | Tom Buck | Pottery | 0 | July 20th 03 04:49 AM |