Hello!
After pondering by myself for some days I thought I’d ask here!
I was visiting my mother last week, and we were knitting together, and I asked if she could pass me her measuring tape. What she then did shocked me. She pulled out a little plastic bag! A brødpose as its called here in Norway. Directly translated it means bread bag. You cant have your stuff in a brødpose?! But she can. She did admit that it was not practical, and there probably is better solutions. And I told her about my little pretty Namaste, and my genious TheKnitKit, and that little fold together-box with all thos tiny spaces for my 347 stitch markers. And she told me I had too much stuff… oh well
Her birthday is coming up, and I have decided that the brødpose gotta go! I plan to sew her a little zipper pouch thingy. But I need your help with what to put inside! Whats your must haves, your go to’s?
My mother is a very practical knitter. She knits a lot of big garments like cardigans, pullovers, jackets. She knits mittens. She doesent knit socks, or shawls. She is also the only person I know who only knits one item at a time.
That is a thoughtful gift! It’s a pleasure to have a lovely holder for your needs, especially one that has the value of sentiment.
I cut this list from a handout that I use in class :
Small scissors or nail clippers
Tapestry Needles in various sizes. These have a blunt tip and large eye
Needle Sizer and Gauge Tool. The one with the 2 inch “L” window is super handy.
Measuring Tape
Small Gauge Long Circular Needle to pick up stitches after taking out rows.
Stitch Markers - Stable and Locking
Point Protectors
Row Counters
Post-It notes and Pencil
Emory board
Waste Yarn
Crochet Hook
On your smart Phone : Calculator, Tonal Lens
I’ve pared down a little over the years - I used to carry anything and everything around, but now my list looks like this:
scissors
measuring tape
gauge ruler/needle sizer
small crochet hook for repairs
stitch markers
tapestry needles (3 different sizes)
I find that will get me through pretty much any knitting-out-and-about eventuality. Everything else goes into a secondary pouch that I keep at home in my knitting basket, and take out only when I need it.
Nice gift!
One thing I have in duplicate for project bags/boxes/pots is a little pair of folding scissors. When folded, nothing and no one gets stabbed! I added a link to the WEBS page for the ones I love, but they are available all over the place for <$10.
I also love Clover needles for stitching things together - they come in various sizes and shapes (straight or bent-tip) in a beautifully functional see-through holder with a screw cap. Just so handy!
Disclaimer: I do not get a kickback from WEBS. I sure wish I did
I have a folding scissor. Its great! Especially because I also have a two year old i will add it to my moms list. That needele holder looks awesome. I want one of those! Thanks for your input!
I have a pouch that I put the necessaries in - tape measure, pad for jotting notes, crochet tool hook thingy, and then the little stuff I carry inside in a pill canister -tapestry needle, stitch markers, and a cord tool for tightening down the cords for my interchangeable needles.
Folding scissors rule! I lost mine and I want another pair. They were called “Snips” but I am not sure if this brand still exists. I bought them before September 11 and am pretty sure you can’t take them on planes any more.
Those brightly colored stitch markers from Coco knits make me happy every time I look at them. I’d include those for sure. I think a highlighter is a good thing to have, in addition to a pencil.
I think a needle sizer is also helpful, and there are some pretty small ones available.
Would she like a crochet hook to fix dropped stitches? Darning needles in a little Chibi case?
Safety pins! Buy s little pack with a few different sizes. They can serve so many purposes. Since it is a gift, a little gift card for a coffee shop, bakery or wine bar–whatever she fancies–would be a nice touch. Also a little snap shot of your two year old.
I learned recently that the round-ended safety pins I love so much are called calabash pins and you can buy umpteen hundred of them on Amazon for a few bucks.
Thirding (or fifthing?) the foldable scissors. Yes you CAN get them on the airplane too, because they don’t look like scissors in the folded position on the scanner. Also they don’t poke a hole in your knitting or your knitting bag.
I recommend highlighter tape instead of post-it notes for tracking on paper. It’s see-thru and has better long-term stick. If I need to make a note to myself I just write in pencil in the pattern margin. (Oh, that’s another one - a travel-sized mechanical pencil for circling or making notations on patterns.)
Maybe a few SKINNY dpns or small circular (like a 1, for example), to make it easier to catch sts when you have to frog (as well as for picking up sts when it’s fiddly). Also, I am clumsy at fixing errors with the crochet hook so I use the dpns for that as well.
I have a related question. I base what I’m knitting on where I am, with a project in every location in my house where I might get a chance, in my purse for meetings, in my car for stop lights. This works well for the knitting (if not the finishing) but not for these valuable little tools, which seem to work their way into a hiding place (the way mittens and gloves slip down that mysterious hole all winter long).
Every once in a while I reassemble and re-sort them into sets and place one with each WIP, which works for a week or so and then I find myself again using paper clips for markers and raiding the kitchen for scissors. Has anyone found a solution for this puzzle?
Since it’s Christmas, you could get her some nice versions of our knitting gear. I wouldn’t spend very much money on a small pair of scissors for myself, but people have given me nice ones over the years, and it’s such a pleasure to use them. Ditto stitch markers.
Here’s the link I wanted to send last night but was too tired to figure out how to deal with it on the phone. https://squareup.com/store/brooklyn-mojo-inc In fully transparency, this woman is an old friend of mine. We worked together at a hip hop record label and she has had an amazing life and career. A few years ago, she was gifted a screen printing class and the rest is history. I have the mix tape pouch and it is the perfect size and set up for a notions bag. The canvas is very heavy so nothing pokes through, the size fits a set of double points perfectly in the bottom and there’s more than enough room but not too much room. And the fold over is deep enough so nothing slips out.
Slips perfectly in a purse or a project bag. I love mine.
Tom Bihn makes some really nice bags for knitting. Maybe more than you were looking for, but I am helpless when confronted with a great knitting bag. The Maker’s Bag is swoonworthy.
If your recipient is a lace knitter or sock knitter I love the Signature Needle Arts knitting needles. When I was still working I would buy a pair and add engraving. Pricey but when one of mine came loose from its cable they sent a replacement - no questions asked.
As my daughters would say,
YOLO
martha
