Years ago I made an Anglo-Saxon Sewing kit. It had a tiny knife, needles, three pins, a leather thimble and tread. I made the tiny knife at Pennsic during a class. It was really cool. It has since been lost and I am sad. I did get two more knives made for me but they need some more work, as they do not fit my hand quite right. Anyways I had to learn how to make a needle. I searched all over the internet and did not have any luck. I think that if you are a black smith making needles (and fish hooks) it is so easy you do not write directions. I am not a blacksmith, so I started to experiment. Many bad works later I had a needle that would sew burlap. Time passed and a blacksmith friend told me a trick about masonry nails. They can be cold filed and turned into chisels. That was the piece that I needed to be able to teach a class at Pennsic.
I have taught this class a few times. It is best taught in an outdoor classroom. Needle making is noisy. It is also best taught with the statement BYOA (bring your own Anvil.) While I like to teach this class, it scares me. I do not understand metal in the same way that I understand wood, textiles and plants. I tend to get my terms mixed up and I do not want to teach incorrectly. I am toying with teaching this class again this Pennsic (2016.)