I hoard knitting needles. I admit it and I’m not even a little bit ashamed.
This isn’t a plea for help or a promise to purge. I’m keeping them. All of them, including those cheapie Boyles you see in that picture which I probably haven’t used in, well, maybe ever. I don’t like Boyle needles, the cords are too stiff. But I’m not getting rid of them. Why would you even suggest that?
That isn’t my entire collection of knit needles. I have my double points (of course) in every size. I also have a small assortment of straights that sit around and collect dust. That isn’t even my entire collection of circulars. No, that above is just my circulars in size 4’s to size 11’s (except for a few that are busy holding stitches in stalled out projects).
Those are the needles that have been usurped by my new set of Addi Clicks.
Its a very nice set that was recently gifted to me by a very special friend who deserves to have her very special butt kicked for spending that kind of money on me.
There are several sets of Addi’s out there for sale. This is the Lace Short Tips set. It comes with tips from US size 4 to size 11 (skips 10.5, btw). The tips are shorter than the ones you find in other sets by two inches and they have some sort of extra-special nickle plating on them. The tips join seamlessly with the interchangeable cords by plugging, twisting, and then “clicking” together.
There are five cords ranging in size from 11 inches (28 cm) to 33 inches (84 cm). There is a cord connector that lets you add one cord to another. If I use the longest and second longest cord and then add tips, I can get a needle that is just shy of 70 inches (178 cm) long. That will really come in handy when I make my next big shawl.
But I’m not getting rid of the others. Never, ever, and you can’t make me.
- There will be times when I want wooden tips.
- There will be times when I have more than one size …oh say… size 6 on the needles.
- There will be times when I need a needle for just holding stitches.
- There will be times when zombies rage across the face of the earth and no one will be making new knitting needles and I’ll be grateful for every single needle I have including those cheap Boyles.
So I’m keeping all my needles. And when my relatives call the people from that Hoarding:Buried Alive tv show on me I’m not letting that crew in my front door. I’ll sic The Feline Overlord on them. I’ll pacify them by offering up my collection of worthless CDs (that never get used because of course all my music is in my computer).
But they can’t have my knitting needles.
Or any of the five size F crochet hooks that I own.
Or the fiber stash that takes up half of my walk-in closet.
All the organize-your-life, live-simple, cleaning-up-for-love, busy-bodies out there will just have to find someone else to harass. Someone with too many shoes or a huge beanie baby collection or something. I’m perfectly happy with my hoarding tendencies, thank-you. I don’t need an intervention.
I’m a knitter. I’m supposed to have too many needles.
"There is no failure. Only feedback." - Robert Allen
18 Comments on "On Being a Hoader of Needles"
I bought a couple of plastic needles to learn with, then my mom gave me all of my great-grandma’s, still “in the original box” (I doubt that, because it’s cardboard, but my mom still swears it’s true). There’s about four of each size, and I barely use them, but I would never get rid of them.
I don’t look at it as hoarding, I see it as potential. Maybe they’ll all get used some day. Maybe. Except for that squiggly cable-hook-looking-thingy that I have no idea how to use…
But you still have it right? That “squiggly cable-hook-looking-thingy” I bet you haven’t thrown it out. lol And why would you? You might NEED it someday.
Definitely! I love cables and hope to some day actually create them… If that’s what this thingy is actually for, lol!
I on occasion gift extra needles to new knitter or my aunt, but in general getting rid of my needles? How dare you suggest it! I don’t hoard needles…. I need those needles to fight off vampires…. and for projects…
Fighting off vampires is important. Yes, we must all be prepared to defend our homes, necks, and yarn stashes from those evil creatures of the night!
I live in a small town. When elderly crafters die I frequently receive most of their supplies. I used to pass the needles, hooks and left over yarn on to my daughter when she came to visit. I had to stop that because she threatened to never return after her supply of size 4 double ended needles reached 13.
Now mind you, she won’t even consider tossing the odd needle.
Why would she? You never know when you might have a project that needs 13 dpns!!
Years ago, my aunt had a plastic bag full of knitting needles someone had given her, which she was thinking of dropping at a thrift shop, “but you knit, right? Can you use any of these?”
I said “Yes” before I even looked in the bag.
I still have all of them.
(In retrospect, I think my aunt was a little shocked that I was so greedy…oh well, I guess I can live with that. With that, and my needles.)
You did good! What a treasure trove, ie bag-o-needles. If your aunt had any idea what she had there she never would have offered them to you!
I have so many cable needles that I now have the multiples of each size bagged together in plastic baggies. Then there are the double points and the wonderful interchangeables… Chiaogoo needles are kept together (being the best needles I have ever known: they aren’t allowed to associate with the other needles in my storage cabinet!) and then there are the square double point needles in every size I could find. Guess I should put these in my will. 🙂
Ah ha! You must be one of those that tried a squre needle, fell in love, and then went scouring everywhere for MORE! Knitters either love those square needles are they just don’t take to them at all. There is no middle ground it seems.
And congrats and being a shameless hoarder!