attn Katherine Knitting Sheath

On Mon, 17 Jul 2006 10:24:00 -0400, Marilyn spun a fine yarn

Coming out of lurkdom, to respond, as I simply could not resist, Marilyn! An EMPHATIC *yes*, we are enablers! (not necessarily evil, mind you, grin!) Here's MY latest "wanna-get" ... a CSM! :D Noreen

Interesting!

However, the knitting sheath *must* work with its needles. These appear to be sold as decorative items. If they were sold as *real* knitting tools there would either be needles included; or, a detailed description of what needles worked with the particular knitting sheath. Sets of steel DPN of just the right size are not as easy to come by as they were 150 years ago. Think about what needles you are going to use with your sheath before you buy. Remember, that I started by making my needles, then I developed my knitting sheaths to fit the needles. Your needles are the core of the system. The needles must be right for the kind of knitting that you want to do, and then the sheath must fit the needles!

I also note that they are quite smooth and BIG. I find that big is clumsy, uncomfortable, and inconvenient to use. I find that with (decorative??) texturing, and the friction inherent in the end-grain of the unvarnished wood, I can get enough stability from a 7 inch long knitting sheath to support 5 x 16" US # 1 needles with the weight of a gansey on them. In fact, if I am wearing jeans with belt loops, then I can notch the knitting sheath and get that stability from a sheath that is less than 6 " long. That short sheath length is real handy for bringing the working zone of long needles down into a comfortable place. My gansey is getting heavy, so I generally wear a heavy leather belt that I tuck the sheath into. The little

One real advantage of the knitting pouch stuffed with horse hair or a bundle of feathers bound together, is that they will accept a range of needles.

Dream on, Aaron. People who sell knitting tools on eBay often don't know anything about knitting. I've bought quite a few steel dpns on eBay, and as I recall, the size on the package only matched the needles inside it once. Often they weren't complete sets, though some were.

You may be right that the sheaths are intended to be decorative; many old wooden items were made as fancywork gifts, never really intended for use. I would imagine that knitting sheaths fall into the category of betrothal gift, like the traditional wooden spoons of Wales, the sailor's whittled wooden chains, or the fancy carved distaffs found in central Europe.

=Tamar

You are right about many of the folks selling knitting stuff on eBay not knowing anything about knitting. Therefore, if you have a good stash, make sure there are specific provisions for your stash in your will. Otherwise, somebody may sell your precious stash for cents on the dollar.

Those knitting sheaths *may* have been quite functional at one time. However, without the right needles (a full set of the right diameter, length, and material) they loose their functionality. And, that sheath may have been set aside because the "needle hole" was worn, and no longer held the needle snugly, but not discarded because that sheath had sentimental value.

My rule is: Start with the needles that are right for the project, and then get (or make) a knitting sheath that fits those needles.

I ended up making my steel DPN. (As you point out, the supply of good steel needles is a bit spotty these days.) And, then I made knitting sheaths to fit.

Aaron

I just want to say that I really appreciate your sharing your experiments with us. There's no substitute for actual experience.

=Tamar

Yes Aaron,

Thanks again for for stopping me from making a mistake.

Dennis

Let's not let the old skills die. We may need them again some time!

Aaron

Agree completely Aaron.

Dennis