Made with real upcycled needles and thrifted yarn, this knitting needle necklace is a wearable celebration of the art of knitting. Designed to spark conversation and showcase your love for upcycling, it’s the perfect blend of craftsmanship and charm!

Anyone else have a mom who taught them the fine art of starting way too many projects?  Mine taught me to knit and crochet (which explains the mountain of unfinished projects)! Since January marks the anniversary of her passing, I find myself thinking of her even more this time of year.

Mom sparked my love for crochet again with a special crochet pillow cover that kicked off our fundraising journey in her memory. And now? I’m picking up knitting again too (as you may have noticed in last month’s post)! But who needs a time consuming knitting project when you can wear the needles? THIS necklace is a little reminder of her every time I wear it.

At first, I wasn’t even going to use real knitting needles; I sharpened two dowels with a pencil sharpener. But the wood is rough and I would have to clear coat them for the knit stitches to glide on.

Then I remembered these short knitting needles Hubs thrifted for me. Perfect! They’re only 5 inches long, and I have no idea what they’re typically used for in knitting. Are they for cabling? If you know, let me know in the comments!

Creative Craft Hop

It’s time for another Creative Craft blog hop, which I co-host each month with Donna from Modern at Monticello! If you are visiting from Donna’s blog, welcome!  At the very bottom of this post, we’ll be directing you to the next stop on this venture. But don’t forget to check out the other stops too because you’ll find plenty more ideas. Be sure to drop back in throughout the week to visit them all!

Materials

[If you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered (disclosure): The blue links in this post may be affiliate links. We earn a commission from qualifying purchases which we proudly donate to Alzheimer’s research. But don’t worry, you don’t pay a cent more! Thanks for helping to support our fundraiser!]

• Jump rings (variety pack)
• 5″ double pointed knitting needles (if you can’t find these, you can always cut a longer pair down and cap them)
• Cotton yarn – red or pink variegated
• 4 mm knitting needles
• Blunt large eye needle
• Mini Christmas ornament (optional)
• Black rubber grommets or knitting needle stops
• Scissors

Knitting Needle Necklace

I’m using long needles to knit, then transferring the stitches onto the double pointed needles. Knit any pattern you wish. You’ll find the diamond pattern near the bottom of this post if you want to copy mine (although with the variegated yarn, it’s hard to see it). To start, cast on a multiple of nine stitches (I did 27).

Split the stitches in half and move one side onto one of the double pointed needles.

Then move the other side onto the second double pointed needle. Weave the needle tips into the knit fabric as shown.

Hide the yarn ends by weaving through the back with a blunt large eye needle.

By the way, another cool idea would be to figure out a way to use circular needles as the necklace or attach clear hanging wire to the double pointed needles to mimic that look (perhaps a blog for another day).

Instead I used the leather cord from this thrifted necklace. The same one I used for this diy charm necklace.

Secure the Knitting Needle Necklace

To keep the knit fabric from coming off the ends, I’m using these black rubber grommets. You could use knitting needle protectors, if you have them, instead.

Now add two jump rings as shown onto the second stitches from the end. 

The second jump ring is slightly bigger to accommodate the leather cord (which is why it’s so handy to have a variety pack). String the cord through both rings.

Embellishments

I wanted to add a yarn ball and was finding it tricky to wind such a tiny ball. Then I had an epiphany to wind the yarn around this mini Christmas ornament. Once done, thread the end through the back and/or add a drop of glue to secure.

I found these sweet X and O beads left over from this sleepy easter bunny crochet pattern (which would also make a cute ‘dangler’ for this necklace).  I threaded them onto a ball needle and inserted it into the yarn (again add a drop of glue to secure). Then I added three  jump rings to the loop on the mini ornament so it would dangle.

Now, here’s how it’s looking.

Luckily Hubs is home because he’s retired now (see the awesome mug for Christmas gift I made to celebrate his retirement). Not only did he help me fasten the clasp on the necklace so I could model it for you (those things are tricky), but also snapped a photo of me wearing it (after deleting a few with his finger over the lens lol)!

With the cute XO beads, this would be a great gift for Valentine’s Day – or anyone who loves to craft or knit!  You might even consider making this for Mother’s Day! It’s sure to be conversation starter.

Plain Diamond Knit Pattern

A plain yarn would showcase this pattern better than the variegated one I used. So if you’re using a solid colour and want some texture, here’s the pattern:

Using 4 mm knitting needles (or the same gauge as the double pointed needles you’re using for the necklace), cast on a multiple of 9. I did 27.

R. 1 (RS): K4, *p1, k8; rep from * to last 5 sts, p1, k4.

R. 2: P3, *k3, p6; rep from * to last 6 sts, k3, p3.

R. 4: P1, *k7, p2; rep from * to last 8 sts, k7, p1.

R. 5: Purl.

R. 6: As row 4.

R. 7: As row 3.

R. 8: As row 2.

I stopped at 8 rows, but you can repeat these 8 rows if you’d like to use this pattern for something else (like a scarf).

Pin Knitting Needle Necklace

Pinning is always welcome and appreciated!

Creative Craft Hop

Now it’s time to check out this Air-Dry Clay Heart Napkin Rings for Valentine’s Day from Carol at Blue Sky at Home. When you’re done, please remember to visit these other amazing talents for more crafty transformations:

• Rosy Check Gift Tin
• Cute Easter Wreath
• DIY Christmas Ornaments With Travel Decals
• Knitting Needle Necklace (that’s us!)
• Air-Dry Clay Heart Napkin Rings for Valentine’s Day
• DIY Dollar Store Drawer Liners
• Painted Valentine’s Candles
• Cute Easter Bunny
• Easy Buffalo Plaid Heart Valentine Decor