Do-it-yourself knitting needles

While browsing the yarn section at the store the other day I started a discussion with another knitter. She was searching for some double pointed needles and this particular store didn't have a large selection. I made a recommendation of a store down the street and she proceeded to tell me that she'd make her on - no problem...

"What? You make your own knitting needles??? Really?"

"Yes, it's simple," she replies.

My mind is reeling. Simple to make your own needles, she says. I can't wrap my mind around it. I have to know more.

"Well, how do you do it?"

"I buy some wood dowels and cut them to the size I need. You know you can buy dowels in all different widths. Then you cut them to the length you want and sharpen the ends with a pencil sharpener...easy," she ends with a nonchalant shrug.

I must have been standing there gaping like an idiot. Why on earth had I never thought of that?

"Doesn't the wood pick your yarn?"

I'm baffled. There's no way it could be that easy.

She smiles, "No. You sand them lightly and polish them up with some wax paper."

Wax paper and wood dowels. That's it. I have run myself ragged trying to find new needles in just the right size and this lovely lady has remedied all of my troubles with cheap, common household items. Wouldn't you know it?

Putting some more thought behind this I realized that some dowels would be rather large to fit into a pencil sharpener, although the cosmetic section in stores occasionally offers some sharpeners with large openings. Perhaps you could shave the tips off of sizable dowels with a sharp pocket knife?

Also, I like to use needles with some device that traps my stitches on the opposite end. Maybe a large push pin or thumb tack could suffice.

I think I'll give this a try and let you know how it works.