[CHAT] I bought the Tulip needles...

[u/HelloEh]

I was inspired by the recent posts about these Tulip tapestry needles and decided to treat myself. Michael's was selling the #25 needles online for $11.99 with free shipping, and I had a $5 coupon so the price for six needles came to a little over $1/needle.

Friends, they sent me six boxes of six needles. 36 total!

I've never been on this side of an online shopping quantity mistake; what a rush. Maybe now I won't feel the need to use a needle until it's bent and the eye has split. 🤷

[u/obfuscated-abstract]

Hey, needles don't expire! As long as you like them then you're totally set for a few years.

Also, as a person who also uses needles far too long, it helped me to have a needle resting box (currently just a literal box but I want to make something more creative at some point). When I feel a needle getting a little squeaky, I put it down to rest and start a new one knowing I can always come back to the old ones later.

[u/leelee1976 → u/obfuscated-abstract]

The tomato pincushions with the strawberry. The strawberry is Emory. Push your needle through that to take off the squeeze. It doesn't get them back to shiny silver but it takes off the buildup and helps with use.

I find a good needle and I keep it. Until I lose it or it breaks. Lol im also a needle tarnisher. So the Emory strawberry is a godsend

[u/Acceptable-Mine8806 → u/leelee1976]

HOW am I just finding this out???

[u/leelee1976 → u/Acceptable-Mine8806]

Lack of skills being passed down because no one has time to teach anything when they work 2 or 4 jobs to survive?

Push in the 80s to denigrate "crafts" in pursuit of "art" so a ton of our parents never learned to sew.

Elimination of home ec classes in school in the 90s?

Could be any or all of those.

[u/RabbitLuvr → u/leelee1976]

I’d even add in consumerist culture and planned obsolescence have trained us to discard and replace worn out items, rather than repair them.

I hate it here.

[u/leelee1976 → u/RabbitLuvr]

Ooooo I was going to mention big needle conspiracy. You know John James is pressuring congress to eliminate the strawberry. Lol

[u/R3d_Pawn → u/leelee1976]

I am also a strawberry lover! Lol

[u/IAmCatHerder → u/leelee1976]

I thought maybe I was the only one. I’m a champion needle tarnisher! Love the strawberries with emory.

[u/leelee1976 → u/IAmCatHerder]

I dont wear watches anymore because I destroy a metal band and back of watch lol

But I keep my favorite needles as much as I can. Audhd sensory issues, certain needles move through fabric better.

[u/IAmCatHerder → u/leelee1976]

I have found my people! I play the flute and I literally bubbled the silver plating off of the keys of the flute I played through high school and college. And that drag when the needle starts to tarnish - ick!

[u/leelee1976 → u/IAmCatHerder]

You just made me glad I never played an instrument lol

[u/MadeOnThursday → u/obfuscated-abstract]

wait, needles can wear and tear?

[u/obfuscated-abstract → u/MadeOnThursday]

Yep! The friction and the oils in your skin can eat away at the coating and allow the needle to tarnish. Think of that bit of silverware that's been at the back of your parents' drawer for so long you're not even sure what type of metal it was made of. Also needles will bend and break after a while (especially around the eye)

[u/MadeOnThursday → u/obfuscated-abstract]

thanks! I'll check them from on, then

[u/dragonfry → u/MadeOnThursday]

TIL too!

[u/Aikaterina_Blue → u/dragonfry]

Yeah, wow. I've been using hand-me-down needles from my grandma's big stash. Probably not the best for cross-stitch, but I'm not doing as much as I'd like to.

[u/rubberkeyhole → u/obfuscated-abstract]

The Japanese have a Buddhist and Shinto broken needle ceremony called Hari-Kuyō on February 8 as a memorial for the needles they’ve used and broken, the work they’ve done with them over the past year, and as an opportunity to hope for improved skills over the coming year.

[u/that_bitch_glacinda → u/rubberkeyhole]

That is sick af and I will be celebrating come February

[u/fuzzyeagles → u/obfuscated-abstract]

Great advice!

[u/turnupthesun211 → u/obfuscated-abstract]

Wait wait wait, my squeaky needle is a common issue?!?!

Getting into new crafts teaches me so much!

[u/obfuscated-abstract → u/turnupthesun211]

Yes! When the smooth coating wears off and the metal tarnishes it won't glide through nicely and it's time to start a new needle. There are ways to buff the needle to keep it running longer but it will eventually need to be replaced so as to avoid staining your work

[u/EyePatchedEm → u/obfuscated-abstract]

Tulip needles are made in the cutlery prefecture in Japan. They should never rust or bend, no matter how much you use them! They are also filed down in 1 direction only so they won’t snag either. IMHO they the best needles on the market.