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!
My favorite knitting helper is an old picnic basket that I found in
my mom’s basement. It has a sliding lid and sits beside my chair.
I keep my current projects, needles, books in it. My husband was tired of finding stray needles and markers all over. Also I can hide my knitting from my Lab who likes to carry it off to her den.
My favourite gadget is my swift! It has been about 6 years since I purchased this wonder “gadget”. It was hand made by an older gentleman here in the city and sold to me through one of the lys here. I paid an exhorbitant $35 for it!!!! When I see what other swifts are going for I realize not only that I am so lucky to have it for that price but it was hand made right here in Edmonton.
Does storage count as a gadget? My new 450 pound gadget is my favourite. It took four people to bring it home. All for my yarn 🙂
There are 2 things, which I think are equally helpful.
1. A mini bamboo crochet hook. (http://www.patternworks.com/productdetail/300359.htm) It’s great for picking up dropped stitches, picking up stitches along an already knitted edge, and a whole host of other things. It’s small, super easy to slip into a notions bag, and pointy enough to use in a pinch to weave in ends.
2. Giant Ziploc bags. (http://www.drugstore.com/search/search_results.asp?N=0&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&Ntk=All&srchtree=1&Ntt=big+ziploc&Go.x=0&Go.y=0) Fit a whole sweater’s worth of yarn in one place, dust, moth, and bug free. Plus you can stack them, or hang them from their handle if you are short on space. A whole sweater project in progress would fit in one too.
My favorite gadget is the Clover medallion/key chain yarn cutter. I always cary knitting and never had scissors. I’d try car keys, pulling hard, you know the drill (when you are not working with wool). Now I can cut and tie off, I put it on my key holder so I always have it even through security stops.
Well.. I’m not really one for gadgets, as I don’t use them often, but I can’t knit without stitch markers.
I’m also quite fond of Knit Picks magnetic knitting chart keeper.. it helps me make sure I am on track with my knitting.
I love my ballwinder because I coveted one for a long, long time but resisted buying one because I’m working on paying off med school debt and trying to be “sensible”….and then my friend completely surprised me with a ball winder for my birthday. It was a very thoughtful gift, the sort that only a fellow knitter would think of giving!
I also have a trusty Altoids tin that has hauled my stitch markers and darning needles all over the world with me. It’s pretty handy too!
I think dental floss is my favorite knitting gadget. I use it for lifelines in my lace and I like the minty smell.
My favorite is my kaching counters! Love those things – and I never seem to have one when I need it! I have at elast 3….nope, I have a newer one, 4 of them. They are more reliable than the counters I put on the needles cause after a while, those move on their own!! (altho I love the ones that dangle off the needle). I jsut wish they were available in more colors…
Happy blogaversary! I think mine is about the same time, but it’s only been three years for me!
I have three favorite knitting gadgets. The first? A humble hairtie. I have long hair, so I always have a ponytail holder on my wrist. It’s great as an emergency stitch marker, and even better for knitting on DPNs: I tie it around the fabric that’s forming to keep it more closely together and prevent it from falling off the needles. This is especially handy when I need to drop my project in a hurry.
The other is the DPN roll I sewed for myself. Before, all my DPNs were in a box, jumbled. Now they’re happily organized. And thanks to my third favorite gadget, a needle size checker, I always know which set is which.
I think my favorite gadgets are the sterling-silver cord weights that a friend made for me. So helpful for making misbehaving cords on circs behave nicely.
I’m about 2 hours under the wire but I really just want to wish you a happy blogiversary!
Hmm….I am REALLY looking forward to the Knit Kit when it finally gets delivered…it looks like tons of fun gadgets rolled into one 🙂
http://www.yarnmarket.com/yarn/Tools-The_Knit_Kit-5523.html
Another really unique “accessory” that I use ALL THE TIME is this:
http://www.coolsafetyproducts.com/site/898652/page/720995?gclid=CKmKvMG-25kCFRJ4xgodQ3NPWw
I use mine ALL THE TIME to hold my pattern with the most visibility and using the least amount of desk or table space!
Oh, and the clear hightlighter tape ROCKS!! I use that and my Page Up ALL THE TIME 🙂
Congrats again Lorette (PS – you just reminded me mine is April 10 and World Grits Day is almost here!! YAY!)
Free yarn! Wow, I’ve got to start reading your blog more often! E
Hmmmm. Favorite knitting gadget or tool. As a new knitter, all I really have are yarn, needles and a few markers, but I’d have to say my favorite tool is… YOU! Thanks for all your help. E