You’ve got your pattern, you’ve got your yarn. Time to get knitting! But of course there’s one or two other things we need, aren’t there? Even if it’s just scissors and a darning needle to get your ends woven in, notions are a vital part of any knitting or crochet project, and having the right ones can turn the less exciting parts of the project from a chore to a delight. Sort of like having an amazing vacuum cleaner, or a particularly satisfying mop; you might still be cleaning, but at least it’s no harder than it needs to be.
Last Christmas I was fortunate enough to receive a particularly wonderful gift – a huge tan leather project bag, handmade by Jesabelle B, that I’d been lusting after. It’s big enough to hold a sweater plus a notions pouch and needle case, and I absolutely adore it. It was only right that in January I treated myself to a coordinating notions case in gloriously soft and buttery black leather.
As I cherry picked my favourite and most often used notions to go into this beautiful new case, it occurred to me that we all have very different tastes when it comes to notions – and there are so many to choose from. I think perhaps a glimpse in a knitter’s notions bag tells more about them than looking at the patterns or yarn they choose.
Want to see what’s in mine?
Tapestry Needles
I like needles with a bent tip. I find this makes it easier to dig into and round stitches, especially when sewing in ends or joining components in amigurumi. I’ve been very happy with my little tube of Clover darning needles, but I do enjoy a cohesive look, so I added my Coco Knits plain silver ones to this pouch.
Cable Needles
When I first started cabling I was using KnitPro Symfonie needles, so I bought the matching cable needles. I never really got on with them; they have indentations throughout to stop the stitches slipping off, but I found my stitches caught there and in wiggling them out of the ditch, my tension became uneven. I far prefer these Coco Knits ones with the curve; the stitches stay secure, but come off easily when I want them to.
Wool Comb
This one’s a bit of an oddity in that I don’t use it for my WIP – I use it for my “house cardigan”, a black hooded cosy thing that I live in during the colder months at home. It’s not hand knit and it pills badly, so I keep this comb on hand to smarted it up a bit when the mood strikes.
Measuring Tape
Absolutely vital for measuring gauge! I prefer to use a soft dressmakers’ tape so that it’s comfy for measuring my body as well as my work. I am forever misplacing these so have a good collection; I put my old black one in this pouch purely for the aesthetics.
WPI Measure
I have a decent number of “unidentified yarns” in my stash – leftovers that I’ve long since lost the band for, things which came without a band, etc. A WPI (wraps per inch) measure is a handy tool for working out what weight it is, or referencing the WPI per yarn weight. It can also be used to measure gauge, since it’s got an inch neatly marked off. I picked this up from The Knitting Gift Shop, at Unravel I think.
Crochet Hook
Although this notions pouch has been put together with knitting in mind, I find a crochet hook invaluable. It’s there to pick up stitches, dropped or otherwise. This one was actually the first crochet hook I ever bought, from a little Singer shop near my old office.
Scissors
Ah, now these are one of my favourites. I utterly adore these scissors. They’ve got a sharp point – handy for all sorts of snipping – but more importantly, look how PRETTY they are! All those ornate flowers, delicate little details. Sometimes when I’m working I pause for a minute just to admire them. Sadly I don’t remember who I purchased these from, only that it was at Fibre East.
Stitch Markers
The one thing I am forever losing, and therefore needing more of, is stitch markers. I’ve got lots of different styles and I like different ones for different things. Bulb markers are necessary for crochet and reassuring for lace knitting, where I worry unreasonably that I’ll knit a marker into my work by accident, but I prefer a small, innocuous metal ring for most things. This set from Coco Knits has both kinds in a variety of shapes, colours, and sizes, which suits me just fine.
DPN Cozy
When I first heard of DPNs I was wildly intimidated by them. I didn’t understand how anyone was supposed to keep 5 sharp sticks in order and I was convinced the stitches would fall off the second I stopped looking. Well, I got over that fairly quickly, but I still worry that when moving a DPN project around the house or taking it out with me, those pesky stitches might still slip off. Enter the DPN cozy – a beautiful piece of black leather with shiny press studs. I just slip the DPNs inside there and press the studs closed beneath them, et voila – safe stitches, even if I play catch with it. (…not that I would.)
I have another notions bag – a larger one, with Liberty print fabric and a big zip – that’s full of all these things and more (custom printed care labels; a collection of needles, including one that is semicircular; watch strap and brooch back fixings; an array of rulers, markers, and whichever crochet hooks I used last) but these are the things I find myself reaching for every day. The perfect tool for each job, in my opinion anyway, all coordinated and enclosed in beautiful, buttery leather.
Right, I’ve shown you mine – what’s in yours?
