Some of our favorite tools!
One of the things I've noticed over the years as I've taught people how to knit or taught newer knitters new techniques, is how important it is to have the right tool. I'm thinking particularly of knitting needles and crochet hooks but there are other tools that are super helpful or just make the time you spend working on a project more enjoyable. I wanted to share some of those tools with you.
Let's start with knitting needles. Having the right knitting needle for your project makes things so much easier and more enjoyable. It's awful to have needles that aren't pointy enough or are too pointy or are too slippery or not smooth enough. Right? I know you all know what I'm talking about.
I see a lot of knitters who think that there is one style of knitting needle that will work for everything. I've found that this isn't true. For example, if I'm doing a lace project, I want to use my ChiaoGoo Red lace tip needles. They are indispensable for all of those SSK and K2tog and S2KPO stitches. We carry ChiaoGoo lace tip needles in 32-inch length and can order them for you in 40 or 60-inch lengths. Right now we even have a couple of ChiaoGoo Twist sets in stock. If you've been wanting to get a really nice interchangeable set and you love these needles, you're in luck!
But I don't always want to use my ChiaoGoo Red lace tip needles. If I'm using a more silky yarn or I'm doing colorwork, I want to use my Lykke set. I love these needles. They are pointy and smooth without being slippery. I also appreciate the warmth of these needles in my hands.
Lykke came out with new starter sets just before the holidays. We have them in both the 3-inch tip length and the 5-inch tip length. We have them in the Indigo, Grey denim and Naturale colors. AND we just received the new Colour sets! The rainbow colors are so pretty! I like that these starter sets are a little more affordable because they include the size tips that we use most often.
We've talked about these before but if you have a set of interchangeable needles, you will want the ChiaoGoo Rubber Grippers. These are indispensable when you are attaching or detaching your needle tips to your cords. They give you that extra bit of grip so that you can get the needles on tight, so they don't come unattached while you're working on your project.
Notion Nooks are somewhat new in the shop but we've been getting great feedback from those of you who have bought them. They're a great way to keep all of your little notions tidy, organized, and protected.
We just got more of these pretty little scissors from Fox & Pine. The scissors themselves are pretty but they also come in these colorful sheaths that protect your scissors and your bag from getting damaged.
Chibi bent tip darning needles might not seem worth talking about but they really are the best tool for seaming and weaving in your ends. I've tried to use darning needles without a bent tip and they just aren't as useful. The bent tip makes it much easier to find those ladders you need for mattress stitch or for getting into a stitch to pull your ends through.
For crocheters, the Clover Amour crochet hooks are really nice to use. Having those colorful, squishy handles makes these fun but also helps keep your hands from getting sore and tired.
Stitch markers make your life so much easier! We have lots of fun stitch markers in stock but the ones we want to always have in our notions case are the Yarn Rainbow stitch markers. These come in sets of 20 markers in a little metal tin. The fact that they are locking makes them useful for knitters and crocheters. We like that you can move them easily, if you need to. And they're indispensable for grabbing a dropped stitch to keep it from running before you can deal with it.
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