Eight Household Items That'll Make Your Knitting Much Easier

From rubber bands to safety pins, you may already have the supplies on-hand needed to make your next project.

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Photo: John Dolan

Any knitter, crocheter, or creative-minded do-it-yourselfer will agree that whether you're learning a new technique or have been perfecting your craft for years, there are often a number of tools and materials that make you chosen pastime a little easier. Knitters, new and seasoned, especially know this to be true. With the extensive selection of needles, yarn bowls, baskets, and (lest we forget) kinds of yarn to choose from, it can stock up into a collection quite quickly at home. So, what are the knitting essentials everyone needs?

As luck would have it, you may already have household items that double as supplies you need. Just tap into your own ingenuity: safety pins and paper clips can double as stitch markers while rubber bands function as stitch stoppers. And everyone needs an on-the-go bag to tote it all in. It's this kind of resourcefulness that allows you to knit and purl fibers into fabric in the first place.

We asked Alberto Bravo, co-founder of We Are Knitters, who knows what passionate knitters need to have on hand in order to make their next handmade project an effortless task.

Top Picks

Safety Pins

Dritz Safety Pins
Courtesy of Amazon

Bravo recommends all knitters own a plethora stock of stitch markers as they're essential in keeping track of a project. "Stitch markers are must-haves to help keep count of your knitting stitches or keep your place in your pattern," he says. At home, you can just as easily use safety pins.

Shop Now: Dritz Safety Pins, $8.99 for 100, amazon.com.

Paper Clips

DUOBEY Tear Drop Paper Clips
Courtesy of Amazon

Similar to safety pins, you can use paper clips as stitch markers. Slide them on and off from your needles or stitches at any point. Better yet, use differently colored ones if you're learning how to count rows in knitting.

Shop Now: DUOBEY Tear Drop Paper Clips, $8.99 for 50, amazon.com.

Rubber Bands

U Brands Rubber Bands
Courtesy of Target

Needle stoppers, also known as point protectors, help to keep stitches securely on your needles. And if you don't have them? Follow Bravo's tip: "If you want to set down your knitting, tie a rubber band around the tips of your needs to keep your stitches from falling off."

Shop Now: U Brands Rubber Bands, $2.49 for 600, target.com.

Scissors

Singer Gold-Plated Stork Embroidery Scissors
Courtesy of Amazon

Scissors and snips are seldom used in knitting. They are, however, used in steeking, which is a cutting technique used for garments knit in the round even when openings (such as cardigan fronts, armholes, or necklines) are necessary.

Shop Now: Singer Gold-Plated Stork Embroidery Scissors, $7.20, amazon.com.

Utensil Holder

Martha Stewart Collection Ceramic Tool Crock,
Courtesy of Macy's

At home, this container serves as a tabletop place for your kitchen spoons and ladles. It also works as a carrier for your knitting needles sorted by size, type (circular or double-pointed), and material.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart Collection Ceramic Tool Crock, $38, macys.com.

Tape Measure

Merchant & Mills Bespoke Tape Measure
Courtesy of Purl SOHO

In the absence of a gauge measuring device, a tape measure can help to calculate rows and ensure consistency in your stitches as dictated by the pattern.

Shop Now: Merchant & Mills Bespoke Tape Measure, $9.50, purlsoho.com.

Notebook and Pens

Martha Stewart Linen Junior Discbound Notebook and Staedtler Norica Wooden Pencils,
Courtesy of Staples

A journal is the best way to organize your projects, both past and in-progress. Bravo calls it "essential" to list the needles and yarn used, gauge for the swatches, and any other details you need for the pattern.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart Linen Junior Discbound Notebook, $21.99, staples.com; Staedtler Norica Wooden Pencils, $12.79 for 36, staples.com.

Canvas Tote Bag

BAGGU Giant Canvas Tote
Courtesy of Nordstrom

Naturally, you'll need something to store all of your supplies. Some knitters opt for a basket, but Bravo recommends a canvas tote bag: "Keep your project together in a sturdy tote bag that makes it easy to carry around so you can take your project on the go (on vacation, to work, and so on)."

Shop Now: BAGGU Giant Canvas Tote, $62, nordstrom.com.

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