I am still happy with the Everyday Spin Kit I put together two years ago, with all of my spinning essentials, plus a few things that I might need. I’ve decided that as a spinning knitter I’m now in need of an updated knitting kit. I don’t want it to be as big as my spin kit, but I want more than will fit in my old (and broken down) 4″x4″ notions bag.
I started with the bag. I’ve been looking for a use for this Jane Austen bag from the Unemployed Philosophers Guild since I got it. She now has a purpose. It’s a ziptop bag, 5″x9″, with a 2″ gusset at the bottom, so it will stand. Happily my life now has more Jane ‘I esteem him’ Austen.
I moved everything from my smaller knit kit, into this bag and added a few things that usually roam the bottom of my project bags.
Here’s what I have right now. I do notice how tired some of my tools are, I need to freshen up a few things.
I have:
Right after I took that photos I noticed , my Akerworks Swatch Gauge was missing. It was in the company of a project that’s in timeout due to gauge issues.
There are a few things I know I want to add, a twist angle gauge, a small notebook, a smaller crochet hook, and non-greasy hand lotion.
Before you ask, I use the dental floss for emergency stitch markers, to tie dropped stitches to fix later, as a lace lifeline, and to tie skeins that I don’t want to wind.
What am I missing? What tools do you have in your knitting kit that you use all of the time?
How about some Bodkins/darning needles to sew up those seams/ work in the ends.
I keep most of the same things in my kit as well as some stitch holders, some small balls of waste yarn in a few different weights, highlighter tape, point protectors, hand lotion. I’ve heard some people keep a nail file or nail clippers to take care of any yarn-snagging hangnails. I also keep a paper card with kitchener stitch instructions.
1 of my favourite knitting tools is a “snag hook tool”, this is a tiny tiny latch hook.
It is brilliant for quickly sewing in ends, trapping shorts and fixing snags in knitwear.
I also have darning needles, a few end caps for my interchangeable needles, safety pins, cable needles, and a small thumb drive with a lot of my patterns/magazines on it for when I’m bored.
I have a few stitch-fixers of various sizes. They are essentially double-ended crochet hooks that make it easier to pick up dropped stitches in garter stitch.
At this point in my life, I have so many needle gauges, tape measures, and small scissors that I can keep a set in every active project bag, as well as in my main knitting bag.
I have giant locking stitch markers for putting a small amount of stitches on hold, such as thumb stitches on mittens.
A nail file so I can avoid snagging my yarn. Also a set of dpns. They are surprisingly helpful. Waste yarn. Tapestry needle. That’s a really great bag.
A paper clip, a couple safety pins. Band Aids, nail file, black and white embroidery floss (for lifelines and embroidering eyes on the occassional bear), darning needle, embroidery needle, knitting needle tip covers, way too much stuff. 🙂
I knit a lot of baby items – so have a variety of small sweater buttons in my kit. I also have post it tape which I use to “underline” where I leave off in a pattern, or just to keep track.
Plastic straw to cut up for stitch markers, crochet hooks, tape to mark payers, small hand cream, yarn darning needles,