Home | Tutorial Index | Patterns
This mini tutorial is for sharpening your own needles and making your own mini dpns or cable needles, born out of this related post.
Materials:
- Rasp (optional) – it’s really rough and can make filing things down really fast, especially if it won’t fit into a pencil sharpener
- Pencil sharpener (optional)
- Sharp box cutter or Xacto knife
- Sandpaper with different grits. You can buy the multi-pack ones from the hardware store. I like to make sure that I have at least a 600 or 800 grit sandpaper in the mix to make a super smooth finish.
- Broken or extra knitting needles made of wood or bamboo, and/or knitting needles with tips that are too blunt for your liking
- Scrap piece of silk or cotton woven fabric.
Instructions:
- Mark the desired length of your needle. Using the knife, score around the needle, pressing hard. Continue to press and cut around the needle with the knife until you either cut all the way through or can easily break it.
- Use the pencil sharpener to sharpen tip. If you don’t have one, or your needle does not fit into one, then hold the needle at a slight angle and sand the tip on a rasp or rough-grit sandpaper, making sure to rotate and turn the needle as you sand.
- Once you get close to the shape that you want, switch to a finer-grit sandpaper (a higher number) and sand the tip, making sure to rotate and turn the needle as you sand. Repeat this step with progressivly finer sandpaper, and ending it with a final sanding with a 600 grit or higher sandpaper.
- Repeat with the other end of the needle if so desired.
- Wipe off any dust. Rub and polish the tip by rubbing it fervently with a scrap piece of silk or cotton fabric. You’re done!
Speak!