There is something very special about something that is made from hand, especially in an era of mass-produced goods and people who are too busy even to make a meal from scratch. Ed Jenkins lives in Scotts Mills, Oregon, west of the Cascade Mountains, near my childhood stomping grounds. He and his wife Wanda have chosen to live simply and to lovingly produce these extraordinary large-gauge, hand-turned, heirloom-quality knitting needles, along with spindles, and hairpin lace looms.
The needles are made from Maple trees that are responsibly harvested by a farmer who lives close to their home and who mills the wood himself. The needles are beautiful to hold, with a hand-sanded and buffed surface that allows the yarn to slightly linger on it without slipping off.
As I have only been knitting for three months (and have had the needs only that length of time), they have not yet taken on the beautiful patina wood gets over time.
You can visit Ed’s and Wanda’s website at:
http://jenkinswoodworking.com
There is also a great video of Ed hand turning needles on YouTube which is at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qlwYgosoTU
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