Alyssa
Do you have a pair of knitting needles that have gone dull? Have you gone for the cheap needles instead of splurging on a more expensive needle and then found that your needles aren’t as sharp as you need? Most knitters don’t realize that you can sharpen your knitting needles.
All you need is 400-grit sandpaper, 800-grit sandpaper, and a bit of candle wax.
To start, grab a pair of dull needles and some 400-grit sandpaper. I prefer to use 400-grit sandpaper because it’s just a low enough grit to sharpen the knitting needle quickly without roughing up the surface of the wood too much.
Place your 400-grit sandpaper on a solid and level surface and begin “drawing” back and forth with your knitting needle. You’ll want to spin your needle as you do this so that you’re evenly sharpening the end of your needle.
To maintain the shape of the end of the needle, you will want to angle your needle so that it is almost parallel to the sandpaper. Gradually angle your needle up to a 180-degree angle as you continue to sharpen it. Remember to continue to spin your needle.
When you are happy with the point of your needle, grab the 800-grit sandpaper.
The 800-grit sandpaper will help smooth the surface of the wood and reduce the likelihood of snagging on future projects.
Use the same process as you used on the 400-grit for the 800-grit. You will not need to sand as long with the 800-grit sandpaper.
Finally, take a small amount of candle wax and rub it against the point of your knitting needle. This is important because you have sanded off the protective finish on the needle and need to replace it. This step will also increase the smoothness of the needle and get rid of any chance of snagging yarn.
Now, you have freshly sharpened knitting needles! Leave a comment if you use this technique.
