6 Tools That Make a Knitter’s Life Easier!
You already love it: choosing your favorite fiber in colors that speak to you; deciding on a project that expresses your vision; casting on a string of possibilities; working individual stitches which ultimately become something beautiful. If you read this blog, then chances are that knitting is your passion. That doesn’t mean, however that it’s not work. It is, and arguably the best kind. Even so, though we knitter’s can occasionally use a helping hand (or two) in the form of tools which make the intricacies of our craft a little less, fussy — handy little items, that add even more “happy” to our hand-making. Here are six of my favorites that I use on a daily basis. They make my knitting life easier, and they will yours, too!
1. Wonder Clips. I don’t know what I did before I discovered these little… well, wonders! Using them is like have extra sets of tiny hands to hold pieces in place. They worked perfectly for me the the other day while I was grafting two, knit pieces together — easily grasping the fabric while arching over the needle cords at the same time!
2. Latch Hook Darning Needle. Bulky yarns are fun to knit with, but can be persnickety when it comes to weaving in the ends of projects made out of them. Shoving a super-plush fiber through a needle-eye is often frustrating, which leads to a bad, project experience. We don’t want that! Replace the eye with a latch hook however, and your yarn will slide in seamlessly– brilliant!
3. Double Ended Stitch Holder. This tool is my favorite of the sort because unlike their latching counterparts, you don’t have to worry about which end you “load” the stitches on; you can work off of either end. They’re also a great alternative to waste yarn, because you can knit right off of them, versus needing to place your stitches back on a needle before working with them again. It may only save you a minute but hey, that’s an extra minute you get to be knitting!
4. Double-Pointed Needle Protectors. I’m a big proponent of taking your knitting time when you can get it, which often means on-the-go. Who wants to spend those precious, few stitching moments snuck while waiting in line at the grocery store, digging around the bottom of your bag-abyss looking for that loose dpn? Or even worse, trying to salvage the dropped-stitch mess you pull out of your purse? Not me. Get yourself a set of these. You’ll thank me later.
5. Pattern Chart Marker. Perhaps your eagle-eye sight is such that you can glance back and forth from your work to tiny, explanatory symbols with great precision. If you’re like me, though nothing will drive you to drink quicker, than following a lace chart without marking it as you go along. Clover’s Pattern Chart Marker does the trick with it’s flexible construction (so it easily curves over book pages) and magnetic backing!
6. Pom-Pom Makers. In a pinch, a piece of cardboard, a fork, or even your fingers can whip up a pom-pom with relative ease. More than likely, though the result will be a wee bit scraggly (not that there’s anything wrong with that.) If pom-pom perfection is something you strive for — which may be the case if you’re working on a project that requires more than one, so you’d want them to be uniform — then, a pom-pom maker is a yarny’s best friend. In just a few simple steps, you can make picture-perfect poms for that knit pillow, scarf or garland!
What are the tools that make your knitting life easier? We’d love to hear about them!
xx,
Vickie
@VickieHowell
