Talk:Knitting needle
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There seems to be a dispute about whether knitting needles are used in pairs. I say yes. 203.202.5.75 says no. This is really a matter of usage. All knitters understand circular knitting needle to refer to two needles joined by flexible wire or length of nylon. So while it's true that you need only buy one thing, that thing has a pair of needles on it.
The Principles of Knitting, by June Hemmons Hiatt (considered the most authoritative book on knitting in the last 50 years) says, "A circular needle will have two pointed needle shafts." It then goes on to say that, "These needles [note the plural] are connected to one another by a length of fine-diameter, flexible nylon cord."
Mary Thomas's Knitting Book, continuously in print since 1938, is less direct, but implies the same thing. Mary Thomas says--even of the old fashioned single wire form of circular knitting needle, that the wire is "developed either end into a pointed knitting needle." So, once again, a knitting needle is on both ends of the circular needle. Thus, a pair.
So at least one world-famous knitter (and seemingly two) might agree with the way i last edited Knitting needle.
Can 203.202.5.75 find an authoritative source that says that a circular knitting needle is not made of two needles? For now, I'll assume that he or she can, and will provide it soon, But i'd be much happier if we used standard terminology.
Noted. Busy, so will have to delay full reply; noting to avoid appearance of avoidance. Basically, we should minimise technical usages and so anything that is "a needle" is singular. The needle is not the pointy bit. Experts speaking to experts are not what this is about. PML.
<deleted all my rudeness.>
Hey PML, if you're still around, I tried to give you your voice back on Knitting needle. I don't know why I was so adamant about excluding your view. If my rudeness hasn't driven you away, I wish you'd see if your view is adequately represented now.
Okay :) I think yours is the final "rudeness apology" I had to do. (I had to do four. shame on me.) I'm new here, and it took me a short while to understand how to function properly. I'm lucky it wasn't more.
By the way, did you see that Rutt might agree with you?
Arthur 04:26 Jan 28, 2003 (UTC)
Still busy. (And have to revisit Irish potato famine.)
But it may help to tell you that I came to this with some knowledge of the Tudor era single implement, and I quite see that the twin implement is twofold; it would have been better described with a phrasing like "pair of handcuffs/trousers" etc. But all that is necessary is some phrasing that acknowledges all this and does not make the absolute and general statement "they are used in pairs", which happens, historically, to have exceptions. PML.
I agree, in part. Sometimes needles are even used in sets of four, five, and even 8 (some american Indian knitters).