So you’ve decided on a pattern and you’ve decided on your yarn – what else do you need to stock for your knitting? Here are some of the “must have” knitting accessories that I like to have on hand.
But first – We will leave our Advent/Holiday Kit signups up for one more week and then we will close them and move forward on the kits. If you haven’t ordered yours, be sure to. They are so fun this year and you don’t want to miss out on it!
Now on to the must-have knitting accessories:
Stitch Markers – There are all kinds of stitch markers out there! I tend to like the functional (but cute) ones from Knitifacts and Floops. I like zipping along in my knitting and don’t want to worry about my yarn catching on a fancy stitchmarker. I just want to slide the marker over and keep on knitting.
Scissors – Scissors can be functional, or they can be beautiful, or they can be both! I like having a few (ok, more than a few) so I’m never without one. I love these from Kelmscott:
Needle/Scissor Minders – I didn’t know I needed these until I got one. And now I love them. You can pop them onto your magnetic board, or your nearby lamp base, or inside your project bag. Your darning needle and scissor will stay right at hand on there.
Tape Measures – No matter what you are knitting, you usually need to eventually measure something. My current favorite is our carabiner tape measure, because it can clip to your project bag straps for easy access.
Needle Gauge – Maybe you put your needles right back in the proper packaging/holder when your’e done with your project. Me? I tuck them into a bag and don’t seem to refile them for a month or two. So I need the needle gauge to remind myself what size I am putting away.
Pattern Holder – Perfect for keeping your patterns clean and smooth, and easy to view. Also nice for filing your favorite patterns.
Project Bags – Does this belong under knitting accessories? I think of it as being such a major must-have. Maybe not an accessory.You need lots of these in all shapes and sizes. (Ok, that’s what I tell myself. You might not need as many, but I have a thing for project bags.)
Project Bag Tags – We like to carry our projects with us in case we have extra time to knit while waiting at the doctor’s office, or in the DMV, or at the coffee shop, or in the park. But have you ever forgotten yours somewhere? Keep your name and phone number attached to each project bag, so if it goes missing, you can get it back. (Don’t want to put your phone number on there? You can put your name and OUR phone number on there. When someone finds your bag and calls us, we can get their info and alert you to the whereabouts. Of course we will never give your contact information out to anyone – we’ll just get the information you need to be able to contact them.)
Time Out Notes – Invariably you will need to set a project aside (whether out of frustration, wanting to cast on something new, needing to take a break, or whatever.) How do you know you can pick right up where you left off? Add a Time Out Note to the project bag.
Notebooks – I carry a little notebook in my project bags, because I’m always changing things, or wanting to remember something, or hearing about a pattern on a podcast that I want to try. It’s good to have a place to jot these things down.
So that’s my list of must-have knitting accessories. Do you use anything else that I forgot to list, or need to know about?
Sheri
P.S. I’m working on Louis the Owl for my first Loopy Grad School project. Head, beak, body and arms are done. Ready to get the legs finished so I can put him together, and then work on his clothes. How are your projects coming along?
Sheri what yarn are you using for Louis the Owl? The yarn they used in the book are expensive! They are all so cute! Thanks, Debbie
I loved knitting with Floops. However, over time the elastic evidently oxidizes, deteriorates and crumbles. I had bought them in sock sizes and in large sizes for my shawl ministry knitting. (Think I bought the first batch from Loopy years ago, and the rest from the maker.)
If you consider them a “consumable resource”, they’re still great. Sadly, I won’t buy them again.
Oh no! I’m so sorry you had an issue with them. That has to be frustrating. My first set of Floops is five or six years old and I have never had any problem like that. I wonder if it’s a difference of moisture in the air in our areas? Do you notice that happening with hair bands and other elastic things where you are? We are really dry here in Colorado – don’t know if that makes a difference (although you’d think the elastic might be more apt to dry out here – haven’t had that issue). Maybe it was a bad batch of elastic? You might contact Christy at Floops – I’m sure she’d replace the ones you had a problem with!
Edited to add a response from Christy: “In 2014 we moved to thicker, more tightly woven materials from Japan with a mutli-strand rubber core and have not had a single comment or complaint. Plated metal can tarnish over time depending on what it is exposed to but we haven’t seen any tarnishing on our current floops – and we have both finished floops and stored materials which are on the shelves or in storage for long periods.” She is also, of course, happy to replace your original ones, Barbara!
I am 77 years old. I learn to knit when I was 7 years old. All the items listed are needed. For beginners enjoy. Have patience. All knitting projects are useful .
I can hardly wait to see the owl