We are often asked why our knitting needles cost the same or more than larger steel knitting needles. It may also explain why we do not always have the size needle you want in stock and ask you to check back in a few days.
All our needles are individually hand made in small batches, not mass produced. It is necessary to remember that the thinner the wire the more unwieldy and bendy the needles will become, so there is an optimum length for all needles and we find this is generally about 5 to 6 inches (12.5 to 15 cm) long.
Making a knitting needle
Firstly we polish the steel wire and then cut it to the required length. The ends of this wire are then rounded off to remove any burrs. Next the point is put onto one or both ends of the needle, depending whether it will be single or double pointed.
These pointed needles are then polished on two machines, each giving an increasingly smoother finish to the needle. Before we are satisfied each needle is checked to make sure the point does not stick into a finger, either point down or when held in a position for knitting. This can cause sore fingers for us, but hopefully not for you!
When we are completely satisfied the needles will be hand polished with metal polish to remove all the previous polish residues. At this point the single pointed needles will have the colour-coded knobs stuck on. These single pointed needles are left to set for 24 hours, so the knob and the needle are well joined.
After 24 hours the needles are given a final wax polish, any needles with loose knobs are rejected at this stage. Double pointed needles are given the same final wax polish.
NOTE: To keep your needles in top condition we suggest you polish the needles occasionally with a wax based household polish. This final polish also removes any grime and natural oils (that can trap dirt) from fingers, which have handled the needles.
Finally the needles are paired or made into sets of four and packaged ready for sale.
Making cable needles and stitch holders
These follow the same processes as above, but are bent into shape prior to packaging.
Knitting needle size comparisons
