How to Make Your Own Yarn Needles

One of the pleasures of fiber crafts is using all the wonderful tools. It doubles the pleasure when you can make your own tools—bobbin holders, knitting machine latch tool, needle pins, and fan guard sticks. Now, I'm going to make exotic wood yarn needles.

Supplies and Equipment

• Scraps of exotic hardwoods 4" to 5" long. 1/16" to 3/8" thick, and ½" wide
• Proxxon Bench Drill Press TBM 115
• Proxxon Disc Sander TSG 250/E
• Proxxon Delta Sander OZI/E
• Proxxon Precision Vice FMZ

Instructions

1. Measure and mark the center of the blank.
   
2. Using the drill press with a 9/64" bit, drill a centered hole ½" from the top.
   
3. Drill a second hole just under the first with a 1/8" bit. The holes should barely overlap.
   
4. Rough shape the needle on the disc sander. If it is helpful, you can sketch the basic shape onto the blank.
   
5. Mount the Delta sander in the vice. This gives both hands the ability to manipulate the blank as detail shaping and rounding of the edges is complete. Sand and shape with the Delta sander using progressively finer grits of sandpaper.
   
6. To sand the eye of the needle, make a very small roll of sandpaper. Insert the sandpaper roll in the needle's eye and sand with progressively finer grits of sandpaper.
   
7. Finish by buffing the yarn needles with paste wax or wood oil.
   

Enjoy using your handmade yarn needles.

Carole

How to Make a Notebook with Exotic Wood Covers

I love the look and feel of exotic woods. The colors and the grain patterns are so interesting. This notebook uses exotic woods for the covers. This is an easy project for learning about your Proxxon Micromot tools.

Supplies and Equipment:

• Your choice of 1/8" thick exotic woods blanks
• Paper to fill the notebook
• Three loose leaf binder rings 
• Proxxon Table Saw FET
• Proxxon Disc Sander TSG 250/E
• Professional Rotary Tool IBS/E and Drill Stand MB 200
• Brad point drill bit

Instructions:

1. Use the table saw to cut the blanks to size. These notebooks measure 3½" x 2¼", but you can adjust to fit your needs.
   
2. Pair two blanks for the front and back covers of the notebook, and tape together with painter's tape. This helps to ensure exact sizing and measurements in the following steps. The tape stays in place until you are ready to assemble the notebook.
   
3. Adjust the angle stop on the disc sander to 0°, and sand the edges of the blanks. (The top and bottom surfaces of my blanks were already beautifully finished, so I didn't need to sand them. If you need to sand these surfaces, do so before pairing the front and back covers.)
   
4. Measure and mark the vertical line for the placement of the holes. On my 3½" x 2¼" notebooks this line is 3/8" from the edge.
   
5. Along the vertical line you marked in Step 4, measure and mark the placement of the holes.
   
6. Place a piece of waste wood under the paired blanks. This prevents tear-out on the bottom blank when drilling the holes.
   
7. Drill the holes using the Professional Rotary Tool mounted in the Drill Stand and a brad point drill bit slightly larger than your binder rings. A brad point drill bit allows for very accurate placement of the bit.
   
8. Cut paper slightly smaller than the wooden covers. I used a stock of paper about ¼" thick. Assemble the pages and covers. For my book I used ½" binder rings. If you are making a larger book or a thicker book, you will need to adjust the size of the binder rings to accommodate the thickness of the pages.