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The Joy of Working with Ebony

The Joy of Working with Ebony

There are many different options when it comes to knitting needles and walking into your local knitting store can sometimes be overwhelming. There are needles made from metal, bamboo, driftwood, plastic and carbon fiber. But there is something special about ebony. Something that keeps you picking up the project that’s on your special needles, and continuing to look for patterns of the perfect size so you can use them.

What makes ebony needles so special?

Ebony is a tropical hardwood that is finely textured and has a mirror finish when polished. Due to its durability and beauty, featuring black or brown colors, it has become highly valuable as an ornamental wood and used for only the highest quality furniture, piano keys, string instruments and chess sets. Due to its beauty, Ebony has become a victim of unstainable harvesting with many species becoming more and more threatened. When purchasing products using Ebony, it is important to ensure that they implement sustainable practices like those used by Lantern Moon. Companies that are committed to preservation of both the materials and the artistic products are often hard to find.

Once you pick up ebony needles, you will immediately notice the difference. The wood has a tight grain and has been polished to a silk like finish. They are smoother than almost any other needle, and unlike other wood needles, you cannot feel the grain of the wood. Ebony wood does not splinter or fray which can be harmful to your knitting, splitting your yarn or getting your stitches stuck as you try to continue your work. Ebony tips effortlessly pick up your next stitch, while the needles themselves allow the movement of your project to glide swiftly and magically.

More About Ebony wood

Ebony is also warm and soft in your hands. As knitters, we can spend hours on a project, but sometimes it is not our attention or effort that stops us, but rather pain and fatigue in our hands. Working with a higher quality product, like Ebony, allows you to avoid fatigue, avoid pain, and avoid having to put your knitting down before you are truly ready.

Lastly, what I find to be truly the magic of Ebony needles is that the beauty is enough to inspire and elevate your entire knitting outlook. It is rare that you can find a tool or mechanism that makes your work incrementally better. Ebony needles are that spark of creativity. You see your needles with each movement of your hands and you are reminded of your investment into your mindfulness and your peace. Knitting itself is a craft that reminds us of the importance and value of handmade creations. You know that it may take you a little bit longer to make a sweater rather than buy it, but finished product, the art, is worth any amount of time. This value of artisan creativity is not something you can teach someone who does not value it. Ebony needles are similar in this way. When you are using ebony needles, you are using art to create art and that is truly the gift.


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