We know knitting supplies include knitting needles, yarns, and patterns. Even a person who has never picked up the craft knows that much. We know because they are a permanent part of our repertoire. But there are almost countless other knitting supplies and accessories that come in handy or that are necessary to more advanced knitting projects.
Knitting Accessories
Cable needles – double-pointed needles of three possible thicknesses (and several possible materials—plastic, aluminium, etc.), cable needles are used to secure cable stitches in alignment on a piece of knitting.
Felting/Needle Felting — Felt, glue, and/or a barbed felting needle can make for wonderful linings, appliqués, and other reinforcements or decorations.
Knitting Needle Storage Containers – Like flexible knife bags, the flat needle bag with plastic or cloth pockets keeps the points in tact and organises knitting needles nicely.
Needle gauge – An item that is set with a series of needle-size holes to confirm a knitting needle size. Though the size is typically identified on the knob of the needle, there is the chance the numbers will erode over time (with much use) or that, as with double-pointed needles, the size is not indicated to begin with.
Point protectors – placed at the needlepoints when knitting is not in use—so rows/stitches are not lost.
Pom Pom maker – a plastic gadget that facilitates your winding and cutting of the homemade pom pom.
Row counter – A hollowed disk or cylinder with a numbered dial that can be placed on the knitting needle and adjusted to track row count at the completion of a knitted row.
Sock and sweater blockers – screen-printed, measured grids to make for easier blocking.
Stitch Markers – One of the most useful of accessories, stitch markers come in handy to keep a knitter’s place when working in the round or with a complex pattern of multiple stitch patterns.Straight pins (with coloured heads) – easy to see when attached to knitting, used for picking up stitches; marking sections; marking tension swatch; etc..
Wool/sewing needles – With blunt ends and substantial eyes, necessary for sewing completed knitted pieces together.
Yarn bobbins – small plastic units for holding smaller lengths of yarn of different colours called for in a pattern…, to avoid the tangling.
Yarn cutter – before 9-1-1, a scissor was a scissor and cutting yarn was innocuous and easy with these handy items that have been around for centuries. However, now you might want to consider a Clover yarn cutter, which works just as nicely and can be carried onto an airplane.
Yarn guide – placed on the index finger, the yarn guide reduces friction of rubbing against your finger (if that bothers you), but better, is great for working with two yarn colours at once.
And if you are a true knitting supply connoisseur, you may want to go with vintage notions and accessories. While most often vintage suggests less functional than decorative, the 1940s self-closing knitter’s bag is just as practical and more fun.
That’s one of the operative words, here—fun. Functional, easy, and fun. That’s all you need in your knitting supplies.
