To get yourself started with your craft, it is pretty obvious that the only tools you require are a pair of knitting needles and yarn to match. However, there is a wide variety of accessories that will make your WIP not only a lot more comfortable, but during their use you will also quickly realize how much faster the work in your hands will grow.
1. Stitch Markers
One of the first utility gadgets of choice are stitch markers. What used to be accomplished before by inserting a strand of yarn marking the spot for your increases or decreases has now become much easier with a few simple, colourful hooks or rings, indicating the changes in your pattern and colour or marking complicated stitches. Basically there are two types of markers; those which form a closed ring and those which you open and close with a solid latch. The lockable ones are also suitable for other tasks, such as picking up a dropped stitch, for example. You can also use them as reference to mark the rows when knitting in the round.
2. Row Counter
In the past, knitters lost time when they let go of one hand in order to keep track of the rounds by noting each row on a piece of paper. My grandmother told me she used to keep a mental tally of lace patterns by moving bracelets from one wrist to the other. With a practical row counter, keeping track has definitely become so much easier nowadays, especially when you have laid your eyes on one of those tricky lace or coloured patterns with repetitive sequences. A row counter will help you stay on track, and they come in so many different variations. You can find them as a pendant and wear them around your neck. We also recommend them as a steel ring, which you can wear on your thumb and thus see at a glance where you are at. And then there are the stitch markers, on-row counters, which come in the form of a little barrel and are practical twice over, especially when you are knitting in the round.
3. Blocking Tools
Other accessories that we will soon need are blocking mats and pins. Once you have finished the knitting process, it is necessary to tension each piece on a base, which can be made of foam rubber, expanded polyethylene or similar waterproof materials. You fix them with a row of stainless-steel pins, which are perfect for water blocking. Blocking is a crucial task before sowing your pieces together. This way you make sure that any unevenness in size is equalized and that everything will fit perfectly together. When investing so much of your time in a hand knit project you want to get the best result possible out of your investment.
In our Rainbow knitting blocker set, the pieces are color-coded based on the number of ends each incorporates. In order to achieve a perfect finish, spray your garment pieces with a moderate amount of water. Once the fabric has dried, and we remove the combs, we will observe how the work has taken a perfect, final shape: the edges have been straightened out and all the tension differences have been equalized.
4. Yarn Winding & Dispensing Accessories
When it comes to managing your skeins, balls or hulks, here is a handy accessory that makes it easier for you to obtain a continuously flowing thread but at the same time maintain a constant tension: the yarn dispenser, also called the holder. After placing the ball on the spindle, made of birchwood and natural wood, the bearings will allow you to obtain the thread smoothly, avoiding having to pull at the yarn all the time. It is also handy to avoid tangling.
There are many other accessories that can help us to knit more easily: thread cutters, stitch holders, needle gauges, specific accessories for pompoms and socks. However, it may be best to equip yourselves with new tools and accessories along the way while your experience increases. In any case, surrounding yourselves with some of these cute and practical items will only make you love the art of knitting even more.
We’ll take a look at other knitting accessories in our next blog. Until then, happy knitting
