Wednesday, April 16, 2008

what my nanna did



Often during school holidays I'd go and spent time with my Nanna, the one that taught me first to hook then knit.
She also showed me how to paint with water colours properly and to throw a pot, glaze it and how it was 'baked'. Along the way she also taught me to embroider and read music and some where during one of those school holidays we made knitting needle bangles.

How long ago I have no idea, just like how she made them. So I scratched that empty head of mine and gathered together some old plastic knitting needles, my oblong (now is n't that a word from my childhood) fish steamer which I use for dying wool and some tweezers and Zgal and I set to work.

So here is how you do it. Boil the water, throw in the needles, give them about five minutes at a rolling boil, grab a needle out with a pair of tweezers and then quickly wrap around a tin or a bottle, plunge into cold water and you have a bangle. If it doesn't work properly, just throw it back into the water again to soften and then have another go.

Yes the needles are hot, but wear gloves to do this, and no, you don't put marks on the needles when handling them, they are soft, but not that soft.

So we made 17 using needles that were in a tin in the kitchen. Yes there are needles all through the house, and I can see some more school holiday bangles being made.


ADDED: We have a competition, do you want a bangle, just go here to read the details and post a comment or send me an email!!

13 comments:

m1k1 said...

So when you talk about circular knitting needles....

Taueret said...

haha, you're waving a red rag at a bull, you realise that don't you! hee hee...

zephyrama said...

Circular needles, oh if only I could work out what to do with the short DPNs.
Taueret I ended up doing MORE tonight. Tis fun, wait till I get the Cockroach ep melting in the oven.

Jodie said...

Awesome post. Thankyou.

Rachael Elswyk said...

Oh thay are so much fun, are they knot? Thanks for the info, and you had one cool Nan!

Kate said...

These are completely awesome! Thanks for sharing how to do this with us : )

Hovawart said...

I'm thinking of doing this and then drilling holes in the bangle and adding dangles. Bangle dangles. Like a charm bracelet.

zephyrama said...

Hovawart, I hadn't thought of that one, I'd be too worried about cracking them thou, plus I have shaky hands.
But I'd love to see some if you manage them.

Sue Krekorian said...

These are so funky - and could do double duty as stitch holders, too!
Pin wrist wraps?

zephyrama said...

Sue, that is inspired. I hadn't thought about using them as stitch holders! A different pair of eyes see such different things. :)

JessicaVanDen said...

Just love this - such a cool idea! And don't you love the things nana's can teach you? I was not so lucky - but if I have grandkids that's the sort of granny I'll be!

Cat Morley said...

Hey there,

Violet has added their version of your project on crafty community Cut Out + Keep and we thought you might like to see how it turned out.

You can see their version and also import your project here (that way you'll find out when any new versions are added) :
http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/stubs/knitting-needle-bangles

Thanks,
Crafterella :)

SharonSpins said...

THank you for sharing!!! That is so crafty.
Now, only if there are glow in the dark needles....