Accessories kit

A staple in every serious knitter’s bag, the accessories kit, is collection of little items that make knitting easier and more enjoyable. In this article we look at the different types of knitting accessories.

Accessories in the photo:
1 Tape measure
2 Needle gauge
3 Marking safety pins
4 Pins for blocking
5 Darning needle
6 Row counter
7 Scissors
8 Cable needle
9 Crochet hook
10 Double open stitch holders

1 Tape measure
The one displayed in the photo is an inexpensive one I bought at a night market, the basic in expensive one will do, although a retractable one in a cute plastic case is nice. A tape measure that displays both metric and imperial measures is ideal. This allows more flexibility when working with patterns from all over the world and vintage patterns.

2 Needle gauge
A needle gauge becomes very important when you start collecting knitting needles! Use it to find out what size your needles are. Some knitting needles do not have the size etched onto them. This is also really good for figuring out what size your needles are if they are in a different sizing system (ie, US, English, metric or Japanese) than what you are used to.

3 Marking safety pins
These are very versatile and useful. They can be used as stitch markers or row markers. They have the added advantage of being easy to removed as and when you want to, unlike the ring stitch markers – you have to knit to where the ring sits to remove them.

I also find these very useful as stitch markers when you are casting on a lot of stitches. I place a marking safety pin at intervals of 20 stitches. This helps me keep track of how many stitches I have casted on and makes it easier to count the stitches.

4 Pins for Blocking
These are larger than normal pins that are not very sharp for blocking. Blocking pieces before you sew up gives a really professional finish when you sew up your project.

These pins are also very good for pinning pieces together before you sew the seam.

5 Darning needle
These are used mainly for sewing up knitted items and also for joining yarn. They are very similar to larger cross stitch needles with blunt tips. The nicest most efficient darning needle is the Clover gold darning need with the kink at the tip. The kink makes it more efficient when you sew up using mattress stitch.

6 Row counter
Very useful for more complicated patterns. It helps you keep track of the which row you are at. Also good for counting rows, so that you can make pieces with the same length and rows – like the back and front of tops.

7 Scissors
Normal in expensive craft scissors will do. Even the inexpensive ones from the night market or thrift stores will do. Embroidery scissors are really sharp and are not required for knitting. The scissors just has to be sharp enough to cut yarn.

8 Cable needle
These come in a variety of styles. Straight, hook and v shaped. They all work equally well, but have different feel. Try them all and see which one you prefer. I like the straight ones.

9 Crochet hook
Crochet hook is used for correcting stitches, picking up stitches and for crocheting borders. Its something that you will using only for a few minutes, so a normal inexpensive crochet hook will do. Choose a medium sized hook for more versatility.

10 Stitch holder
These come in two varieties – the ones that look like giant safety pins and the long pins with plastic guard over them. The latter from Clover are much more efficient as they open both ways – which means you have access to both ends of the work without having to slide the stitches back onto the knitting needle. They also double up as cable needles if you like straight cable needles.

Other accessories
Other accessories to include in your accessories case are:
- Needle stoppers
- Post it note
- Notebook and pen

Needle stoppers are very useful particularly for projects using finer needles. With finer yarn and needles, the stitches are so small, its so tedious to back them on the needle if they slip off. These needle stoppers really save time and reduce emotional stress!

Post it notes are very useful for follow patterns with many rows. Stick these under the row you are working on. Makes it easier to keep track of the row you are on.

Notebook and pencil for making notes, ideas and designs. You never know when inspiration might strike you!

Storing the little helpers
Almost every knitter I know has a kit. Most knitters I know store their accessories in a soft cosmetic bag. No need for a special bag unless you want it to match. I like the inexpensive ones from Daiso. I also noticed a few store their accessories in plastic pill boxes that are available at Daiso (Japanese $2.00 store).

About Su Ying

Long time knitter, crafter and knitting teacher. Now blogger for knitting.
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