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Uses long needles to reverse the Cockney pen and ink (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

knits

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'uses long needles' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both to do with contact as well as being verbs in their -s form.
Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?

'reverse the cockney pen and ink' is the wordplay.
'reverse' says the letters should be written backwards.
'the cockney pen' becomes 'st' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'and' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'st'+'ink'='stink'
'stink' in reverse letter order is 'KNITS'.

'to' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for knits that I've seen before include "Purses" , "Stitches" , "Unites" , "Works with needles and wool" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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