This DIY jumbo knitting needles post contains affiliate links.
Do you love the big bulky knit throws? I’m absolutely smitten with them! I made a bulky arm knit blanket a while ago and I really like it but the stitches are loose on it and I really like the look of the bulky blankets with large, tight stitches. I’ve been wanting to knit one but when I started pricing it out, the huge knitting needles and the bulky yarn made it quite an expensive project. I decided I could make it a whole lot more affordable by making my own set of DIY jumbo knitting needles!
These US 70 knitting needles cost less than five dollars to make and it was actually a really fun and easy project!
To make DIY jumbo knitting needles, you’ll need two large wooden dowels. These can be found at craft or hardware stores. These dowels were the largest size my craft store carried and measure about 1.5 inches or 40 mm in diameter and about three feet in length. You can go with something a bit shorter but you’ll want a fairly decent length in order to hold enough stitches for a large blanket or throw. You’ll also need two large finials or wood beads {preferably with one flat side} for the ends of the knitting needles.
Find the center of the dowel using a ruler or a handy center finder gadget like the one pictured below and mark it. That’ll give you a guideline as you’re sanding so you can keep the point of the needle fairly centered.
You can use an electric hand sander for this project but if you have a belt or bench sander, that makes this project a whole lot easier because you can turn the dowel continuously, getting a more even point.
Turn the dowel, sanding at an angle until you have a point that’s about a quarter of an inch in diameter. The needle doesn’t have to have a sharp point, just a point that will easily slip through yarn.
Sand away any rough edges so the needles won’t snag the yarn.
Once the sanding is finished, you could use wax on the needles, if desired. I didn’t because my needles were smooth enough without it.
If you want, spray paint or hand paint the wooden balls in a color of your choice. I always opt for color where I can and a big red ball on the end of the knitting needles looks super cute!
Use hot glue or another favorite adhesive to attach the wood balls to the ends of the knitting needles …
… and that’s all there is to it! You now have DIY jumbo knitting needles that you can use to make a chunky throw blanket!
Knitting with needles of this size is slightly tricky but I got used to it pretty fast. Sitting on the floor or a bed seems to be the easiest and you’ll need a little extra space behind you to accommodate for the length of the needles.
I’m excited about casting on a chunky knitting project and I’ll be sure to share my finished blanket when I make it!
Have you knit with jumbo knitting needles? Share your finished project on the Dukes and Duchesses facebook page!
What a fabulous idea. I NEVER thought of making my own needles for a chunky throw but now…I am doing this and I can’t wait. Thanks so much.
These are so adorable, and of course practical too. They make me want to take up knitting.
Where did you buy the large beads?
I bought them at Hobby Lobby, in the wood craft section.
Hi Randi, making your own knitting needles is a fantastic idea, well done you! How do you know what size dowel to use for a certain size needle required to knit a specific item? Is there a graph somewhere I can get hold of? Thanks for the great idea.
The short answer is, I don’t know. 🙂 To make these needles, I looked at jumbo needles that were for sale and was able to find some that listed the diameter. You would probably be able to find that same information for any size needles. Wish I could be a bit more specific for you … sorry!
Hi Randi, I just got my husband to make me a pair of these needles & they came out looking great.
I just wanted to know if you ever made your knitted blanket on them & how many stitches you put on for it?
I want to make a large throw about 6 foot by 5 foot.
Thanks
Des
Yay! Share a photo of your needles on the Dukes and Duchesses facebook page! I’d love to see them! I was horrible about making notes while knitting and just kept casting on until I thought the length would be good. Sorry I can’t give you more details.