No this isn’t an April Fool’s Joke. Once again, I’ve missed my Blogiversary by several days. March 26th, 2004 was my first blog entry. It’s been a crazy fun five years, and I’ve learned a lot about knitting and blogging. I’ve also met a lot of really wonderful people by starting a blog. Who’d have thought?
In honor of the five-year anniversary, I’m having a contest. All you need to do is leave a comment, telling me about your favorite knitting gadget or tool. You know how I love gadgets. Your gadget can be something that’s made especially for knitters, or it could be something from the Muggle world that you’ve adapted to knitting. It doesn’t have to be something that I don’t already have, though that would delight me to no end and give me something new for which to shop. My definition of “gadget” is rather broad: it means anything that you use in your knitting that is not actually the yarn.
Prizes? Of course there will be prizes. I just haven’t picked them out yet. I’ll choose two winners. The first will be by the random number generator, the second will be for the gadget comment that amuses me the most. The two winners will each get their choice of something from my vast stash. It will be a choice of sock yarn or something lacy with enough yardage to make a scarf. (No, you can’t have my Wollmeise. I’m not totally nuts.) Once we have winners, I’ll post photos of a couple of fine yarn selections and let each of them choose. The random number winner will get to pick first, then the amusing winner, just to avoid fights.
I’ll post a photo of my favorite gadget just to get things started. You’ve all seen this before. It’s my treasured drug-dealer’s scale. Every time I post a photo of this I get questions about where I got it. You can buy it here if you want one of your very own. You can’t have mine, it’s not one of the contest prizes.
You have through the weekend to leave me a comment. I’ll close the contest Sunday night, April 5th, at midnight Pacific time. May the best gadget win!
I’d have to say my ball winder and swift. One of the best gifts my husband ever gave me. Oh the time it saves me when winding from hanks, oh the nice, neat cakes I get… I love them both.
I think the tiara is a great knitting gadget to get you in the mood of Knitting Queen. 🙂
However, one of my favorite gadgets is my tiny crochet hook that has keychain ring on it. It’s perfect for picking up dropped sock stitches. I’m bad about knitting and talking, visiting, watching tv or whatever and so now and then a stitch gets away from me. This little hook hangs on my sock bag and is always available.
I got mine in one of the wonderful sock club packages from The Loopy Ewe and if you don’t have one and want one, you can find it here
http://www.theloopyewe.com/browse/fun-accessories/knitting-gadgets/stitch-savers-by-5elementknitr/
Great contest.
My plastic school box. The kind gotten for $1 or less for holding pencils, pens, etc. Mine holds non-knitting needle paraphernalia: crochet hooks, scissors, stitch markers, cable needles, waste yarn, etc. Easily moved from knitting bag to knitting bag and holds it all.
Great idea for a contest! Ok – this may be a stretch as I am waiting for it to arrive but I think it will be my favorite knitting gadget. It is called the Knit Kit and can be found here: http://www.scoutsswag.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=21_80&products_id=499.
It has a counter, crochet hook, thread cutter, measuring tape, scissors, needle protectors and stitch markers all in one little thing! Pretty cool!
If you need a gadget that is already in use I would have to say my GoKnit pouch. I love that I can snap it on a chair and it keeps my yarn safe and out of the way. They can be found here:http://www.scoutsswag.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=20_24
My favorite gadget is actually an assortment of small fishing tackle boxes that open on both sides. I have a small one for my knitting bag and a larger one that lives on my wool room table. It has compartments of all sizes and holds everything I need.
I like my Chibi. Never at a loss for my tapestry needles!
My favorite “gadget” to keep with my knitting is (plain unwaxed) dental floss. It’s small and cheap, you can take it on airplanes (and you can use the cutter on thin yarns too) makes a great lifeline, and you can make little stitch markers if you need them by tying it into little loops.
A small knitting bag must be my favorite gadget as I have a dozen or so of them (maybe more!). Happy Blogiversary!!!!!
No need to enter me in the contest. I just wanted to wish you a happy blogiversary!!!
I actually have two that I couldn’t do without. One: an empty square Kleenex box to corral all my dpn’s…and I have many, many of those. It also holds a pencil and pen, crochet hook, and the needle measurer thing. Also an Altoids tin which holds my needle for doing up toes and all my little markers. Happy blogiversary!
My current favorite is the coffee stirrer I found in my hotel room when I lost my cable needle. I figured it would do–it’s about the diameter of a size 4 needle. Now that I’ve used it, I like it better than my cable needle. It is very sticky so the stitches never fall off. It is hollow, so the point of my needle fits right into it, making it easy to pass the stitches over on it. It is stiff enough to knit from. And, it is red, so I can find it easily–the perfect cable needle.
I use an empty tissue box for a skein of yarn while knitting. The yarn stays clean, and the plastic on the top lets the yarn pull freely. The small cube boxes are great for 50gr. balls while the regular size box is used for skeins. It’s not only Free, it’s a
recycled product.
I also use straws as stitch markers. I just cut the straw crosswise, and use on smaller gauge needles. Color and variety!
Happy Blogiversary !!!
Happy blogiversary! My favorite gadgets are my home-made stitch markers. I tie six inch lengths of crochet cotton with an overhand knot so the look is about half an inch or less long and leave a 2ish inch tail. They’re the best ever for lace because they don’t wander away under yarnovers and if you have to take them off to move them because of a decrease at the end of the repeat or whatever you can hold them by the tail or just drop them on the fabric and they don’t roll away so you can pick them right back up again to put them on in the new locations.
Personally, I love my circular needles. If circular needles don’t count, then I’d have to say my swift. It has saved me loads of time and aggravation.
My favorite gadget is a new Ziploc Baggie. I use a quart size to hold all my little knitting tools such as stitch markers, cable needles and Chibis. It’s always fun to move everything from the old baggie to the new. I’ve toyed with the idea of making or buying a gadget bag but then I wouldn’t have a reason to look through all the things as I move them to their new home and reminisce about all the projects we’ve made together.
Happy Blogiversary!!!
My Dias de los Muertos knitting bag. It just makes me smile, skulls and all. And for a little bag, it holds a lot.
Happy blogiversary! As a gadget junkie, this is a hard one. I too have a spiffy drug-dealer scale, as inspired and informed by YOU. I love my ReadUpon bookholder, so that I can easily read while I knit. I love little rubber o-ring style markers because they are unobtrusive and handy and store nicely in one of those split pillboxes (six little compartments is a good number for this). I’m very fond of my KnitPicks Options Needle set and the gorgeous case that Zonda made for it for me.
Oh! I got my drug dealer’s scale via amazon.com. You know how they have those “people who purchased what you are looking at also bought” links? There was only one such link, and it was to a book of marijuana horitculure. I shoulda taken a screen shot.
I think I have to agree about the ball winder and swift…
My digital gram scale!
Congrats.
My favorite gadgets are two: sticky notes and highlighters! Helps me keep my spot on charts!
My favorite “gadget” would have to be stitch markers. I love knitting lace and without my stitch markers I’d go a little bonkers. I know everyone owns them that knits regularly, but I love buying them. The more the merrier.
Sheri in GA
Happy Blogiversary! I’m coming up right behind you in April. The ball winder and swift definitely rank #1, but there’s a new gadget that’s kind of fun – it’s an iPhone app – Stitchminder for keeping count row, patterns, increases, etc. I’m not sure how much I’ll use it, but it looks kind fun.
My favorite would have to be my notions bag. It’s round, has pockets along the inside, and closes with a drawstring. It’s big enough to hold all the things I really need, but not so big that I overload it. My mother made it for me, which makes it even more special.
My favorite is cotton kite string and highlighter tape! I knit lots of lace and with the knitpicks needles I can thread the string into the little hole and make my lifeline as a knit! Don’t get your markers caught or you won’t be able to move them to the next row. Thanks to you for the highlighter tape it works awesome for keeping your place on the chart!
My chibi holder – I love the chibi needle, but I love just having that little case for all my needles!!
Even though this may not be typical gadget I would have to say the
computer. This would be because I read many blogs every week including Ravelry and all the lovely gadgets I have are from knitters who talk about their methods with their gadgets. From your blog in which I am a regular reader I have bought the sock darning egg, yarns from Three Irish Girls and just now bought the digital yarn scale from Amazon. Thank you for your generosity in sharing your knitting and traveling life. Not the least is also your love of alcohol relaxation with the yarn creations. Mine too.
blogless, Rosemary
I love go-go-gadgets too! I once thought about adding a serious a gadget reviews to my blog. Le sigh, not enough time! My current favorite knitting gadget is my iPod touch. So fun. I can store patterns, keep track of row counts, calculate yardage – it’s awesome!
Happy blogiversary. I’m with you on a good scale. But I would die without my swift and ball winder.
My favorite gadget for knitting? A glass of wine.
Happy Blogiversary! I guess my favorite is my tin pencil box from Borders Books. I holds all my other knitting gadgets like scissors, ruler, makers, crochet hooks, pencil, chibi, etc. It is sturdy and colorful, and it keeps me organized.
I know it’s kind of a boring choice, but my favourite knitting gadget is my scissors. I’ve had them since grade 2, long before I started knitting, but now they’re in my knitting bag most of the time.
I don’t know how I followed a chart before highlighter tape! In the “no one’s mentioned this yet” category, I also love those little plastic coils that you wrap around your needle ends to hold everything on the needles when you shove them back into the bag.
To heck with the drug dealer scale, I want your crown! My favorite gadget isn’t exciting or sexy but love, love, love my KnitPicks metal cable needle kit. Keeps my needles tidy, I can screw on whatever needle size I need to what ever cable length and they stay. Also the ends are perfect. Pointy enough to easily pick/flick yarn but round enough there is no risk of bloodshed on my part. For me they are the perfect cable needles.
Hmmm…I, too, love my ball-winder (a gift from my daughter) and my swift (a gift from…er…me). And I, though I am generally pretty allergic to scales, I love my digital yarn scale…it’s silver! and shiny! (though I wish I had known to look for one with a tare button). I love my little sock-sized project bags…they have sock monkeys on them and they make me smile.
But I think my favorite knitting-related gadgets are my stitch-markers. I have an odd assortment of stitch-markers, sent to me by friends, or sent as freebie surprises with orders of yarn…or attached to Perchance to Knit sock yarn. I have ones with little pewter sheep (I actually made two of them into earrings), one with a “Day of the Dead” skull, one or two with lovely lampwork beads. I like to chose the stitchmarkers to coordinate with what I’m knitting. They satisfy my magpie tendencies.
my favorite tool is my toes, yeah that sounds gross and weird but hear me out, first i have unusually ambidextrous feet, i can pick things up, throw with pretty good aim, if i lost my hands, i may be able to still type… anyway back to knitting, when i knit from a ball i keep it on the floor and to help keep tension i let the yarn go between my toes, it also keeps the ball from flopping around. then a few months ago i got a ball winder, and built my own tinker toy swift and between the swift on the floor and the ball winder on the counter, holding the yarn with my toes and it keeps pretty good tension!
yeah i’m a weirdo. i also use my toes to pinch my husband.
My favorite knitting “gadget” is a bottle of Eco Domani wine. It’s perfect for pesky intricate cable designs and frogging. White is preferable to red in case you spill some…no stains and as long as you don’t throw wool around in agitation frustration, it will not felt your garment.
Toe nail clippers. Easier to carry around in my pocket than scissors when knitting in public. Don’t get stabbed quite as often.
And the other? Soda straws. I cut them and use them for stitch markers. Spend $5 for a custom marker and I lose it in 5 minutes. Use one cut from a straw and I have it for the entire project.
Right now my favorite “gadget” is the StitchMinder app for my iPod Touch. I love how you can track 4 different things at once (pattern repeat, increases, decrease) and you can set the starting count and if it is ascending or descending. I’m looking forward to the release of KnitMinder.
I think my favorite is a little tin mint box that I store all my other little gadgets in. It’s one of those ones that JoAnn’s had for a while with a girl knitting on the front of it. Forget what the mints were called but that thing is so handy.
I’m not sure how I ever managed to finish sweaters before I discovered KnitKlips. They do a great job of holding pieces together–and I’ll also KnitKlip (I assume we can make this a verb) sleeves to finished bodies to check how they look.
Happy Blogiversary. Your blog was one of the first I discovered, only about 3 years ago, and I love reading about your knitting, your travels, and your cooking. My adapted version of your raisin-nut yeast bread is now a staple of my lunches.
My favorite “gadget” is my 13 year-old son!! He loves being my ‘swift’ whenever I need to wind a ball of yarn. He holds the yarn while I wind my center-pull ball. Sure, it’s low tech, but he actually enjoys it and it gives us a great opportunity to have a conversation!!! Yes, really!– a conversation with a teenager! Go figure.
Happy belated Blogiversary! Non-yarn knitting gadget faves…Hmmm. Several come to mind.
Although I love the look of “pretty” stitch markers, I find them to be an unruly bunch; always trying to slip under yarn-overs and jumping off the needles before you can trap them with the next stitch on the left needle. So I often resort to home-made stitch markers – just make a loop with a shortish length of contrasting yarn and tie an overhand knot in it, trimming the tails (or not). These little guys live to cooperate.
Another fave is my chibi, specifically the large-eye bent-tipped needles inside. For years, no decades, I struggled with weaving-in yarn ends with crochet hooks. It’s so much easier to thread the yarn end thru the chibi-needle and “sew” it in.
And, finally, gallon size zip-lock style bags. They’re large enough to hold many knitting projects/yarn skeins. When you’re knitting on a particular project, just zip the bag closed except for a couple inches in the middle and feed the yarn through the un-zipped portion…You can pull the yarn, it stays in the bag, stays clean and doesn’t go rolling all over the place.
Happy Blogiversary!!!
My favorites are my ball winder and swift- I avoid so many tangles trying to wind a hank by hand. 🙂
You stole my thunder….the DD scale, of course, is the best gadget ever. However, if you make me be original, my current favorite knitting gadget is a glass of good Scotch to take the edge off.
To bring something new to the table I’ll say my Dollarama calculator with the 4″ ruler on one edge. It is molded into the plastic so it can’t rub off. Great for figuring out gauge, measurements, etc. Thanks for the exciting ‘reads’.
My most useful gadget are a number of tiny keyrings I bought at the hardware store that I use as stitch markers since here in Italy it is impossible to find any plastic ones. I sometimes hang little charms to them. At the moment I am using some with a little heart and little silver cats.
Something I find useful is a white towel: place it on your lap when you knit with dark yarns, it will make it easier on your eyes.
My favorite knitting gadget is so simple and so free. I use the little plastic tabs that keep bread bags closed to wrap up the yarn end from my cast-on. It keeps the yarn from fraying and I always know which side I started on.