Despite my severe problems with counting, I decided to make some custom alphabet markers–on unopenable jump rings–after seeing these beauties while checking out what yarn I might like to pick up at their trunk show (even the Big Guy picked out some yarn–and he was not the only male person there, either). What I liked about these particular markers was that the beads were glued in place over the ends of the jump rings, which means snag-free knitting.
Category Archives: Tools/Notions
Stitch Marker Musings
In the post on my new storage boxes, the small windowed slip tins holding my various types of stitch markers are available on the Internet from multiple companies in multiple sizes, colors, without windows, etc. (In that small size, I had to buy a minimum of twenty-four, so if you go that route, see if some of your fellow crafters would be willing to split a box.) I was inspired to get them after I purchased the set of 100 rainbow light-bulb-shaped locking stitch markers from Stunning String Studio, which came in just such a cute little tin (they’re in the lower right corner of the small tin).
My Fave Storage
After literally years of searching, I think I’ve finally found my permanent solution to storing all my knitting notions: windowed rectangular slip tins from the Container Store (item numbers 10054318 and 10054319). I think I paid $12 for the larger and $8 for the smaller, or thereabouts, which I know is a bit pricey. BUT, I’ve easily spent three times that over the years on other boxes that just didn’t cut it. Plus, I don’t think I’ll ever buy any other boxes, so it’s a one-time cost. (I was originally inspired to look for these when the drug store had Danish butter cookies, in those nice round tins, on sale at 2-for-1. But round isn’t very space-efficient.)
My Favorite Cable Needle
I like the U-shaped ones best, as long as the legs are different lengths.
I hold the long side of the U while I slip the stitches onto the short leg, then I slide the stitches into the curve.
I move the cn to the front or back as needed, and since the stitches are in the middle of the U, I make the pointy parts point straight down, which means they’re out of my way.
Coil-less Pins
I have two sizes, small gold ones and large silver ones. They are different from safety pins, because there’s no loop at the bottom.
To Count While Casting On
I use them to mark groups of stitches as I cast on. (I only use circular needles, so even the small ones fit over the cables.)
My Favorite Stitch Holders
I hate sewing seams to assemble sweaters. If I wanted to sew, I’d crawl around on the floor cutting out fabric, then sit at the sewing machine.
Instead, I like to make sweaters in the round, whether bottom up or top down. When I make bottom-up seamless sweaters, I’m going to have to put stitches on holders at both underarms on the body and on each sleeve. If I don’t have enough needles of the correct size to leave all three pieces on needles until I can join them for the yoke, I put each sleeve and the body on holders while I work everything up to the underarm joining point.