When you knit 365 days of the year you deserve some special tools for the job – at least that's what I'm currently telling myself in order to justify spending a small fortune on rosewood knitting needles.
They are worth it though. Over the years I've knitted with metal needles, then bamboo, birch, casein and finally found the pinnacle of needles (in my opinion) – rosewood. I still love my swallow casein needles when knitting with wool / alpaca because their rounded smooth tips deal excellently with any loosely plied yarn (whereas a sharp pointed tip tends to encourage yarn splitting and lots of cursing!). The rosewood needles on the other hand are perfect when knitting tightly plied yarns, especially 4 ply cottons. They're light, strong and pointy tipped – everything I need to get neat, even stitches, and because the wood is dense and strong they come in the really slim sizes that I like – every increment between 2mm and 3mm. I'm a tight knitter and so have had my fair share of snapped needles and frayed tips in the past but so far these rosewoods are standing up to the job beautifully.
Whilst I was adding the needles to my basket over at Purlescence I thought I might as well go the whole hog and throw in a beautifully made Sunflower swift and a superbly useful Namaste bag buddy. The bag buddy has magnetic sides and so keeps all your wool needles and scissors safe and the swift – well, I'm wondering how I ever managed to do without one. It's beautiful and works like a dream. Amy is quite pleased too as it means that she's let off skein holding duties!
It really felt like christmas the day this lot arrived!
By the way, do you like my knitting needle holder? Made by my friend Kate as a pencil roll for Amy and pinched by me when the pencils were reduced to stubs. It makes a change for me to liberate something of Amy's – usually it's the other way round!
little cotton rabbits 
I love your needles, I haven’t tried rosewood yet but will take your word for it that they are the best, they and you certainly produce exceptional results! And a swift to, my son told me I needed a yarn winder and I told him to hold out his hands…there I already have one. He was not amused!! Hard to keep every one happy. Love the purchases, you deserve them 🙂
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Congratulations on your new acquisitions. I just keep all my bits in a nice washbag – specially chosen to blend in with my sofa! Maybe I should try some fancy needles though – I always use circular needles, so I wonder if they make them with rosewood tips?
I finally finished my bunny – not a patch on yours, but inspired by you. He’s on my blog today.
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Love all your new bits and pieces. Aren’t rosewood needles just lovely? I only have one pair but they are so super to knit with. I can’t get on at all with bamboo though, and the noise of metal ones clicking takes me straight back to childhood with my mother knitting in every spare moment.
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ooo you are spoiling yourself. A swift is a wonderful thing to have. It transformed my yarn buying when I no longer feared the skein!
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I am new to your blog and I must say that I am cotton rabbit-smitten 🙂 Loved the tiny details you put into each rabbit like the shoes and buttons on it. Will keep visiting for more inspiration and exploration. 🙂 Good day!
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I was just saying to a friend the other day that if you had told me a year ago that I would be buying posh knitting needles I would have just laughed! Now I swear by my gorgeous Knitpro needles so you can imagine my distress yesterday when I discovered my very much loved 4mm 25cm long needles snapped in half :o( – especially as only last week I had found the end of one of my circular sock needles snapped off and my interchangeable circular needle kindly looped round and round into a knot by one of my very helpful little darlings! That’s 3 casualties out of 6 sets/pairs of needles – not good going really!
Lucy x
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What a lovely treat – I’m jealous! I mostly use Brittany birch needles and have a good number of them but the rosewood ones are my big ‘knitting want’ right now. I keep dropping hints to loved ones around birthday/Christmas/general gift-giving times but nothing has materialised yet…
Enjoy working with your new equipment! 🙂
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If there’s anyone who deserves fab needles, it’s you! I am on bamboo and Brittany, because I cannot get along with metal at all.
But the skeins, I am forced to loop round my own feet, for balling. It looks a bit odd, but it works.
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I have only one pair of Rosewood needles and I agree they are brilliant. I love the Swift but only have a wool winder and my knees or the back of a dining chair at this stage.
Enjoy.
I have been crocheting so much lately instead of knitting and the Clover soft hooks are so lovely to work with. I treated myself to a little case full of different sizes but the 3.75 mm is the most used!
Love Zoe x
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Good for you treating yourself!
I must admit I too love the Swallow casein needles, they feel so nice in your hands.
Vivienne x
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The comments really already cover what I would have said: spoiling yourself is no harm when the tools will be put to as beautiful and constant a use as they will be. The joke is my buying the knit picks – we’ll see how long I’m on this knitting freak. Julie, I envy you on several levels: I have always wished that I loved to do one focused thing – and that I loved doing it so much that I could become really good at it, really skilled. Instead of marginally all right. I don’t have your design vision. Perhaps, if I had done enough knitting over the years, my vocabulary of design would be wider. But I don’t have your innate charm and gentleness. And that is the other part of the envy.
I think perhaps I also don’t have your underlying joy.
So delightful, to find things that make what you already do so much more pleasurable. I feel as pleased as if I’d given you these things myself.
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hmmm very interesting.. I knit with my old needles, someone are old like me :)! my mother was knit with these old metal needles and I’m affectionate . But i want try the wonderful Rosewood needles! I follow always your blog and I love it.
I’m sorry for my “basic” english 🙂
Sara
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Isn’t it so funny how excited we get with the arrival of a new stash of yarn or knitting accessories I agree you deserve them but I’m not so sure I do but will most likely have to get some rosewood needles too anyway! – I was only quite recently converted to bamboo needles which I loved initially but they are now beginning to split on the ends and one needle snapped in two, annoying when you are into a project!! – must go check out the purlescence website oh dear poor debit card!!
Davina xx
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Who says Christmas comes but once a year? Looks like you have a lovely array of goodies…many of which my DD1 oohed and ahhed over…she particularly liked the look of that swift.
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Thanks for the mention! And to commenter Janet – yes, rosewood circulars are also available… in fact Colonial now do a rosewood interchangeable set. Oooooh.
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they are some awesome looking needles and its definitely okay to spoil yourself now and then!!!
xxx
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I bought some needles that you recommended from Loop and loved them until I found them mysteriously snapped in half in my bag so I went back to using my nans old metal ones which are really bent :-). Might have to save up for some rosewood ones now …
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It does look like Christmas at Cotton Rabbits HQ! Everyone deserves a treat every now and then. Rosewood needles aren’t something I’ve tried, despite all the time I’ve spent looking at them online =)
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Love the needles, especially the colours. I like rosewodd as well. Oddly I’m allergic to a lot of untreted woods (birch is the main one) but these are fine for me.
I must have a yarn winder. Sick of using a chair back…and swering a lot!
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That’s so funny that you pinched Amy’s pencil roll — it’s perfect. Your swift is gorgeous. I’m wondering if I could show it to my dad and have him make one. I’m thinking the ball-bearing? (not sure what to call that area — even if it doesn’t have any ball bearings in it) area would give him trouble though. I love that it has pegs that move in and out. Lovely purchases Julie!
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I, too, am an advocate of good quality needles! Have knitted for 40 plus years on every needle possible. My favorites are also rosewood.
What brand of cotton yarn do you use for your animals? I have some for my grandchildren from a wool/acrylic blend but not satisfied with the results.
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You definitely deserve the right tools. I’ve not held Rosewood needles, but they sound divine. I’ve been happy so far with Brittany DPNs, but you’re tempting me!
And it’s about you got a swift! I have a similar one and absolutely love it!
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I’m a new convert to rosewood needles myself having received a set of Colonial Rosewood interchangeables for my b-day a few months ago. I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the pointy
tips and their smooth finish and how quiet they are to knit with, sigh. I didn’t realize they came in small sizes too so I shall have to look them up. You certainly do deserve great tools when you are knitting to sell stuff — it should be as easy and as enjoyable as possible to do your job! And you do such a lovely job! I’m envious of your lovely wooden swift. I just bought a portable plastic one which is very functional and practical, but I still drool over the wooden ones. Enjoy your new tools!
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I have been craving a set of rosewood needles for some time and have been admiring a swift and ball winder, sigh. Perhaps they will be in my future.
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Lovely! Thank you for sharing your tools of the trade. I’m definitely a novice knitter but I know already I knit tightly. Can’t seem to help it. I should look for some of those needles. Hope you have a great weekend!
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Arent swifts the best invention! I bought mine and love it to bits! Your rosewood needles sound wonderful. I love my harmony needles the best, so smooth and light!
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Your knitting is so amazing– you deserve the best tools of the trade. Good for you!
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I am soooooo envious that my face must be a bright shade of green.
A swift is definitely on my wishlist.
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I bought a swift last year and I love it!
Isn’t it lovely to have a new bit of kit? I just bought myself a new sewing machine – it’s oh, so quiet!
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You know we don’t have that stuff over here in Australia….but they couldn’t go to a more deserving person than yourself. Never tried a swift, those fancy yarns or the Rosewood needles…love the Namaste bag buddy. great idea…OOOhhhhhhhh!!!!!!
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Ooh, lovely. Christmas has indeed come to LCRHQ! Have been eyeing that same swift for a long time but like Ali still use my toes, so good on you for indulging yourself. After all, you are a pro and pros need the right tools for the job.
Still, must ask everyone knitting with long needles — how do you hang on to them? I was converted to Addi turbos not only because they are so smooth and lovely, but also because I am a twit and have more orphaned needles than I knew what to do with! (I also like that I can fit them in my handbag, and knit on the tube).
Keep knitting gorgeous bunnies, and one day maybe one will come and live with us!
All good wishes from
Brittany
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Your needles look very pretty Julie….and your swift makes my heart sing. My grandparents used to be the king and queen of re-using. Long before it was the thing to do. They would scout their way through second hand stores for ‘nice jumpers’. They would buy them, wash them and dry them in the sun then set about pulling them down. Eventually they would end up on their frame as crinkly wabbly yarn. Then my Pop would set himself the task of rolling tight and very satisfying balls of yarn. All that was left to do was dream up what they would be knitted into next. They are some of my fondest memories of my grandparents. You have made me smile.
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I really love your needle case! soo lucky to have a great set of new needles
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Oh dear, I am yet again guilty of the sin of coveting ….!
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Knitpro do lovely circular needles. I use the single point symphonie cubics needles.
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