This all got started because we volunteer at our county fair and work in the Fiber Tent - full of local spinners, weavers, knitters, fiber animals, etc.  This year I wanted to run informal sock workshops as well as my normal weaving demo.  Another socknitter is going to help and it is our impression that there are lots of knitters who have never tried socks and who are uncertain on how DPNs work.  So we plan show them and needed a cheap source of DPNs.  I'm very fond of Brittanys, but those are just too expensive for this project.  We have gotten knitters and the local recycle place to donate larger DPNs, but also wanted to have 2mm ones for people to try.  Nobody seems to have spares in that size!

I found a model ship building supply place (Historic Ships) that has 2mm walnut, 3 20" dowels for about $2.50.  The dowels just need some light sanding.  Cut the dowels into 5" pieces.  Tom shapes the point with a file on his drill press (but you could do it by hand or some other sander). Then a paste wax finish.  About 15 min. work a set and the cost is less than $1 a set - not including the cost of shipping the dowels - which is high because they have to be carefully packed.  But it is easy enough if you want to try yourself.  So far I've not found any other 2mm hardwood dowel stock but walnut.  The beech dowels the company carrys is not satisfactory for tiny knitting needles.

That kind of effort is fine for the fair project and I know the needles won't get much hard use and it doesn't matter if they snap.  We will put a tip jar out and people will probably contribute enough to cover the cost of materials.  But I don't know yet if they are strong enough for serious knitting!