New Needle Stand!

It seems like a million years ago, but I once thought that I was going to go into biological research. I got a BA in biology, worked on a prairie restoration project, was a student worker in the biology department, and did other science-y things. Instead of going on to grad school for biology, I freaked out my parents and went into a program that turns scientists into filmmakers. A few weird turns later, and I'm working for Knit Picks!

All of this is just me trying to explain why I wanted a test tube rack for my needle tips - I am a huge, unrepentant nerd.

I used a company out of New Zealand, Ponoko, to make a prototype of what I wanted. It's a pretty slick service - you draw up your plans, put them into a template, and then they laser cut your design out of the material of your choice. I made up my little plan, sent it off, and got back the pieces in a little over a week. This picture is of my original - it had flat sides (instead of round columns) and needed to be glued together with epoxy, but it worked!

I brought it in to show Tina and Bob, and Tina worked with our manufacturer to alter the design a little so that it could be shipped and assembled more easily. It was really interesting to see the different stages of development, from prototype to finished product, and now I'm all excited that it's up on the website so I can send the link to my mom (I'm out of pictures for her to hang on the fridge).

I still have a couple of the prototype version of the stand, and they live on my desk by my drum carder and all my other fiber-related gear. It's nice to be able to see at a glance which of my tips are in use and which ones I have available. It's also good for when I can't find my View Sizer anywhere and have a handful of tips that I need to identify - I can just return them to their homes.

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Comment by CamillaInTheDesert on January 21, 2011 at 9:43am: Kudos to Alison....refreshing to see this awesome company thinks "out of the box"...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE all my harmony needles....the DPN all sizes, straights and yes now the circular...the circular are ingenious...and the extenders ..well just brilliant...

I do need some awesome cloth cases for my DPN's tho..the straight harmony needles come in a beautiful black patterened case...love it..

Also...I feel a need to mention your amazing customer service at Knit Picks...I had a minor shipping problem and which Knit Picks handled beautifully...

This is why I stick with a company with such ingenunity and service.

Thanks again,

Camilla in Arizona

Comment by Carol F. Metzger on July 1, 2010 at 5:02pm: Neat. I've used all kinds of labware in my various arts and crafts. (MS Biochem, 1984)

Comment by Aleece Hoffmann on September 15, 2009 at 2:58pm: I love how these new racks are organized, compact, attractive, table-friendly, and that they ID sizes, but I'd really love something that's also bag-friendly. The Options system is awesome, but I'm finding the zipper cases they come with unwieldy and snag-prone in my bag, and the optional binders also look too bulky (though it's hard to tell from the tiny pictures!). I'll also second others' wishes for similar storage designed for two sets of Options tips, and for DPN collections. Thanks for the great products!

Comment by Tilandra on August 1, 2009 at 6:48pm: Two things I would change about these... that either A) The stands would interlock with each other so that those of us who like to keep two full sets of tips can keep them together as a "unit" or B) that they come with four slots instead of just two for each size.

I use the "two circulars" method for all my knitting that would normally require DPNs, even hats and such, so I keep two full sets of tips (some sizes, I even have three... mostly for when I'm using the other ones, lol). I also wish I had spotted these a couple of weeks ago before I ordered a bunch of those cardboard tubes. :D

Comment by Roseanne Roberts on August 1, 2009 at 5:09pm: Wow this is the best idea since interchangeables errrrr or do I mean sliced bread!

Comment by Susan the Blue Lake Knitter on July 31, 2009 at 9:06am: Tina,
That is a fantastic idea. And I hope KP can make it work. There is really no good way to store dpns... I've tried everything, even the little cardboard tubes. I'm going to have to design a 'dust cover' for the one I have on order.

Comment by Tina on July 31, 2009 at 9:03am: I like the look of this, do you think it would work for double points as well? If not, why not come up with one? I love my Harmony dpns.

Comment by Angel on July 31, 2009 at 3:30am: I do love my props, so this one had to go in my cart. Much nicer than returning the needle tips to the cardboard and lifting the elastic to get it in. And I won't be looking for my needle sizer so much. Very clever tool.

Comment by Marta on July 30, 2009 at 2:54pm: I only made it through two years as a biology/microbiology student.... away from college for a few and returned as an art history major. Grad degrees and decades in an art museum later, I am a dedicated knitter who LOVES all the fabulous tools you KPers create for the rest of us nerdbrains. Always thinking, Alison, so how do you find time to knit so much? hahah

Comment by Susan the Blue Lake Knitter on July 30, 2009 at 12:29pm: Way to go Alison... I'm placing my order this week for this fabulous organizer along with a few Zephyrs... whee haw!