Handmade limited edition ebony knitting needles by Australian textile designer Nikki GabrielYou may remember my interview a few months back with incredible Australian textile designer Nikki Gabriel? Nikki makes the most delicate, exquisite knitwear and knitted textiles, and also produces a range of beautiful handspun yarns, and DIY knitting patterns. Her latest project slides effortlessly into this growing collection of bespoke knitting products – stunning limited edition handmade ebony knitting needles!
One of Nikki’s designs, included in The Endless Garment – The New Craft of Machine Knitting exhibition, opening at RMIT tonight!
Oh my. It seems so completely magical to knit on a pair of hand-crafted ebony needles! Click clack, click clack – it’s like something out of the pages of a Grimm’s fairy-tale!
Lucky for us, Nikki has kindly offered one pair of these beautiful needles as a giveaway for Design Files readers! (Yes, that’s right, 2 giveaways in one WEEK!? Hey, who’s counting!?). To be in the running, please leave a comment here before the end of the day (Midnight tonight, Melbourne time). I will randomly draw a winner and announce tomorrow!
Nikki is exhibiting some of her wonderful work in an exhibition which opens tonight at RMIT, entitled The Endless Garment – The New Craft of Machine Knitting. The show is part of the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival cultural program, and features INCREDIBLE work by some super-famous international designers including Issey Miyake and Sandra Backlund (whose work you see below – amazing!)…
The amazing work of Swedish knitwear designer Sandra Backlund – photo Annika Aschberg
More Sandra Backlund magic… photo – Peter Gehrke, Adamsky.Nikki will be taking artist’s floor talk tomorrow at the gallery, and is also running a hands-on knitting workshop tomorrow afternoon in the RMIT gallery for a small group of enthusiasts! The cost of this workshop includes a tool kit of Nikki’s own bespoke yarns, knitting pattern, and of course a pair of the brand new ebony needles! Places are limited so act fast if you’re keen!
The Endless Garment – The New Craft of Machine Knitting
RMIT Gallery
344 Swanston st
Melbourne
Opens tonight Feb 11th, 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Exhibition runs Feb 12th – March 21st 2010
Huge thanks to Nikki for such a lovely giveaway! On your marks, get set, COMMENT! x
88 Comments
ooooooooh these look loooovely… I'm taking up knitting just looking at them. would love love love a pair!
Nikki Gabriel is to wool what Nicholas Jones is to paper. Taking something soft and turning it into statements that defy its composition makes for breathtaking work!
ooh how fab…i would love these …not sure if i qualify as i'm over in London?! looks like a great exhibition too..wish i could get there – but i do have a few friends in Melbourne so will tell them to nip along. thanks. sam
Who would've thought that such shape and structure could be constructed from wool…gorgeous.
Being between jobs I have been ticking off the boxes of unfinished jobs…One of those is knitting my Grandmother a scarf for the winter of Germany. I was delighted to see that you have a giveaway about Nikki Gabriel. I am now more inspired to finish by the end of today.
Wow! What a treat!! I would love to win these, i'm an avid knitter xx milliet@xtra.co.nz
Will these hand-crafted ebony needles help me knit like that too?! I hope so!
Though I don't knit much more than rectangular things, these needles might spur me on to get a bit more adventurous! Great giveaway!
Oooh! Handmade ebony knitting needles – how divine! Just the thing to make knitting even more pleasurable…
Wow, those needles are beautiful! I am just learning to knit, so far I have knitted enough to know I didn't buy enough wool.
Ooh, lovely! I've always been more of a crochet-girl than a knitter, but these could persuade me to swap sides!
Oh please oh please, I am a knitaholic!
I love love love Nikkis knitted designs, I have had a look around her site and I am definitely going to purchase one of her construction knitting patterns and wool, they look fabulous! Perfect birthday pressie for myself! Would be sooooo great to knit my piece for winter with these beautiful needles…Fingers crossed x
i'm so excited about machine knitting exhibitions in melbourne! and a big fan of nikki's work.
How generous and love your blog!
Lovely knits. Very inspiring.
Oh wow, what incredible knitting. I have literally only just started teaching myself to knit with online tutorials and a real in-person lesson upcoming. Looking from my rows of plain and pearl stitches to these amazing works really shows one end of the scale to the other!
Love your blog but sorry would love the knitting needles even more.
My goodness these are fabulous!
Thank you for providing such an amazing blog day after day!
Darn it (sorry, bad pun) – I left Melbourne a week too early, now I'll miss this fab exhibition!
I'm not entirely sure what difference these needles will make to my knitting skill, but I'll sure look cool doing it…or gifting them to someone else.
yes please !!!
umm.. like. AWESOME! ;)
knit one purl one win one mmmmmmm
Oh how I wish I could be in Australia for this, to learn, heck even win the giveaway. Really, I wish I was in Melbourne. Ah to dream… I suppose I will have to continue teaching myself and get some good ol' texas needles :_
Exquisite! What beautiful objects in their own right. I will be heading to the show tonight, and if the needles were won they would be on their way to Plymouth, UK where my fabulous sister knits amazing things, inlcuding stick insects, angler fish and my favourite stripey socks!
I wonder how long it takes to get that good… hmm…
oooooh wow..
imagine the possibilities with these in your hands!
My mum would love love love these! She was bitten by the knitting bug last year and has not been able to stop!
I will try the Brer Rabbit approach. Please, please, whatever you do, don't give those handcrafted ebony knitting needles to me! Anything but that!
WOW…nice needles…I didn't even know needles came in ebony!
I'm on pins and NEEDLES, tell me they're mine, please. I would knit up a whirlwind with those tools.
\/ <- yes, that's my poor attempt at a needle emoction. What beautifully shaped Knits!
I would LOVE to win these beautiful needles for my clever student daughter . I could read her Grimms Fairy Tales while she creates.
I can't think of a compelling reason for me to win over anyone else… but I AM a knitter and know why nice needles matter! None of those yucky plastic Kmart needles for me.
I can feel winter coming when I see these… sitting on the couch glass of pinot beside my knitting pattern, my new glam knitting needles in hand and me tangled in a knot of cashmere wool…. must have them!
Margaret Mahon said
Ebony needles!!! What a treat they would be. I have a treasure chest of my mum's needles (some of them she would have been knitting on 50 years ago). Am about to start knitting a pullover for the latest grandchild on Grignasco Bambi wool. YUM!
I would love to win these beautiful knitting needles. Now if only I could produce such great works like those in the exhibition!
Ooh, divine. If only I were in Melbs.
wow! this is awesome!
I'd love a chance to click-clack with ebony. Well actually, it would be click-clack, ughh, oh, damn, undo then click-clack again!
Oh my gosh I am in love, I love, love , love to knit and Nikki's needles look so smooth and luxuriant I would love some. I wish I was in Melbourne for the workshop.
Oh! So gorgeous! I will knit my cold whippet a jumper. :)
Its so wonderfull to see such exciting contemporary work being made from machines that were made over 60 years ago for domestic use!
Oh and Ebony knitting needles!! shivers!!! xx thx Nikki
This is the first giveaway I've seen where I reeeeally wanted to win! I'm definitely going to see that exhibition.
I can't believe it but you can have knitting needle envy! I am knitting scarves for my daughters and teaching them also how to knit – these would become family heirlooms straight away. I would love love love them.
oh I SOOO want to win them to give to the gorgeous Chris from Left who is OBSESSING over them.
Comment!
Absolutely stunning. I would love love love to knit with something so gorgeous.
As a consummate knitter I can confirm: knitting is the new black, and craft is the new cool. And these stunning needles prove it!
Winning these knitting needles would be a lovely consolation prize since I cant get to Melbourne for the exhibition and workshop. Please let us know how it goes!!
what a neat giveaway! These ebony knitting needles look so elegant and very special to knit up those very spectacular clothes!!! woweeee
Love the black knitted dress! Been looking for a LBD, but this will top anything! Anyone have a price?
yes i wonder if my knitting would improve with these? nice addition to my polka dot ones maybe… x
best kneedles in the universe … can get up to some serious graffitti with these darlings
Oh I miss my hometown of Melbourne – a friend who loves design sent me this link & oh wow!! on the opening pages a feature on knitting… my absolute passion, i just love, luv, lurve!! Well I wish I was there to see the exhibition at RMIT my ol' skool… ah lovely Melbourne & what a perfect find is this site – you guys rock :)
Oohh, I love a wooden knitting needle. Sadly, I often have to send hubby to get these things and he's terribly practical and always comes home with the grey metal ones. These would be lovely! Who sells them, just out of curiousity?
Wish I was in Melbourne to get to that exhibition. Would love to add these to the collection I inherited from my gran, who, of course, taught me to knit – over the phone of all things!
oooh swish. the needles remind me of the joy i used to get from putting my name on all my new pencils before going back to school…..imagine if you could get your needles engraved with your own name too…..? Im happy to pretend im Nikki – here's hoping the needles are infused with her incredible knitting prowess!!!
Woo!
cherryceri@hotmail.com
Hi Lucy!
Wooden knitting needles seem somehow just right…
Woody knitting sticks seem somehow perfect to me.
Just amazing work! It would be lovely to knit on those needles. Thanks for sharing her work with us.
Beuatiful!
I love those knitting needles.
Thanks for sharing.
kirstin
Oh my – I hope I am not too late! What beautiful BEAUTIFUL hand crafted ebony knitting needles. Nikki Gabriel is a delicately delightful designer. I am in raptures over her work!
These look amazing, Nikki's work is so inspirational, and has made me a better knitter already!! There are lots of entries and I do not really need any new needles, so you can count me out, just a good excuse to tell you that I love your blog and so do all my friends. Brava!
Claude would love these. He broke a little of his beak last week so these needles would work perfectly to aid him stab his prey. Love Miss Claude x
I love the delicacy and complexity of Nikki Gabriel's garments. And would love to win the needles.
Cool knitting needles! I know someone who'd love them. thanks!
Thanks for all the entries so far…!
For Suze2000, and anyone else interested, I thought I would also mention that you can buy Nikki's ebony needles from Cottage Industry in Gertrude st, Fitzroy!
Good luck! xx
My dutch grandmother taught me how to knit when I was a wee one, but since we didn't share a common language it was the first thing between us! I live in the tropics (Indonesia) and would love to start agin!
Ebony is so gorgeous to touch – knitting on those needles would be a sensuous experience.
If this is international, please count me in.
Handmade knitting needles…what decadence. Just imagine the magic one could create with those!!!
Oh do please facilitate my transformation from 'Miss Click Clack' to 'Miss NO Click Clack'! I'll be ever so good – and QUIET!
Lovely, they could sit side by side on my keyboard (computer keyboard that is) ;-)
hi, great you included Sandra Backlunds amazing work in your blog, the amazing items she produces inspired me to take up knitting a few years ago! she's genius!
How lovely! Those needles have so much potential…
wow, what I wouldn't give to be a part of that knitting workshop with Nikki! The needles look devine & super chunky too. Good luck with the exhibition
So smooth – would love to have a pair of these between my fingers…Really nice designs too
Ohlala! those are truly beautiful!
ohh gasp, oh golly, I cant believe my eyes I am a mad knitter, all creations for family and business, especially the Fassett patterns lately, Millamia and my own designs.
goodness there is so much inspiration in those needles makes me want to sit with 85% chocolate with spanish coco watching a vid next to my cat…
Miss kym maxwell
Fabulous Needles!!! Love, Love, Love to have them in my knitting bag! Ps. Love your Blog! It wakes me up every morning! Thank you xxx
I knitted my first ever scarf just last week! Perfect timing! Would love to win these.
Lovely needles, they look like they would be exquisite to knit with. Would love to try (Just have to stop gazing at them first)! :)
oh man, am i too late? it's still before midnight in Perth!
how cool to knit with them beauties!
Beautiful ebony knitting needles. These could definitely inspire to get back to knitting.
cant think of anything witty,
but would love a prize knitty!!
I went for a weeks holiday in Sydney and saw these in the cutest shop called shelf/life. Since being back in Melbourne i’ve thought about them heaps. I think construction tools appeal to the knitting man in me. Little needles just aren’t ‘toolish’ enough and i fumble with my large man hands unless i can get a grip on my tools. I think the weight of them appealed too. If i won these i’d give up my crochet hook and make something other than a beanie for once!
Im everything KNIT obsessed! im majoring in knitting at rmit and have fallen head over heels in love, i knit on machines but have just learnt the amazing technique of handing knitting, these needles could be a big investment in me learning more about hand knitting. cheers sharn
Loooove these needles pure decadence!