Nostepinne – a knitter’s tool

Last year for Christmas, my father made me a nostepinne out of some black walnut he had been saving from a tree that stood in my grandfather’s Indiana yard 40 years ago.  It is a really special gift, and I use it a lot. 

Yes, a ball winder is faster, but a nostepinne is portable, and the natural wood feels very nice in the hand.  It is easy to use once you get used to it, and makes nice self-pulling balls, especially handy if you knit on the go, looping your ball onto a holder, then on your beltloop and knitting while you walk around.  You can only do this with a self-pulling ball.

Some yarn I’m prepping (using my nostepinne) for a new project:

More on the project when I get a few inches completed.

Thanks to everyone who has been leaving such thoughtful and encouraging comments of late.  I am truly honored and overwhelmed at the recent traffic on my little blog, and I really appreciate your kind words.  Those of you with blogs of your own – I am daily inspired and challenged by your creativity and domesticity and artistry.  Keep posting, I’ll keep reading and learning from you!

5 thoughts on “Nostepinne – a knitter’s tool”

  1. That is GORGEOUS! I have a precious piece of black walnut in my home, too. Must be a Midwestern thing ;-). Mine is a bookshelf made out of the staircase from my family’s 19th century farmhouse (which was leveled in 1983). The only thing salvageable was a few pieces of the staircase which my Grandfather gave to me. I turned it into a bookcase in my 8th grade Industrial Arts class. It’s the most special thing I own :-).

  2. I have never heard of such a thing. Of course, I just started knitting a few weeks ago, but still… it looks intriguing. I love handmade stuff like that that has a history. Such things imbue so much more meaning into life.

  3. Your blog is a constant inspiration to me. 🙂 Your life is so interesting, and your children are a true credit to you. Thank you for sharing snippets of your life with all of us. 🙂

    Gemma x x

  4. How wonderful. I have never seen or hear of a nostepinne. What a lovely gift from your father! Can’t wait to see what your knitting up.

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