Upgrade Your Crafting Practice: 5 Edits to level up your fiber arts experience
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As a lifelong crafter (knitting, crochet, sewing, etc) I’ve tried TONS of products and there are only a few that I consistently recommend and go back to. These are the tools and tips that make the crafting experience so much more enjoyable and streamlined. They allow me to focus on the things I value the most during my crafting time.
Ball Winder/Swift
A ball winder was the first tool investment I made when fiber arts started becoming my main hobby - and it did NOT disappoint. I’ve been using the same $20 ball winder for nearly 3 years at this point and it’s been holding up great, but if you’re looking for something a bit more luxe this is the ball winder I’ve been wanting to upgrade to.
When it comes to swifts, I just upgraded to this wooden swift and it’s been a game changer. I used to be a “use the back of two chairs” girlie, but the amount of time you save with a simple tool like this is absolutely worth it. Of course, there are plenty of more affordable options as well!
Other bonuses of having these tools? It’s better to store your yarn in skeins if you’re not planning to use it soon. Winding a skein into a cake places tension on the yarn that can cause damage if left in that condition for extended periods of time. So save yourself some space and keep your yarn in good condition with these small investments.
Blocking Mats/Combs
I hate to admit it, but I don’t know how I blocked my knits before I had blocking mats. Of course, there are plenty of things around the house you could use (towels, cardboard boxes, etc), but having a mat to pin your knits to their exact final dimensions is a total game changer. These mats come in a carrying case, making them even easier to store!
If you’re looking to really level up your blocking game, I recently upgraded from individual pins to blocking combs. They make it quick and easy to pin straight lines and eliminate the risk of a stray single pin not making it back to the box. Which is an even bigger deal when you’re like me and have a cat that for some reason LOVES pulling single pins out of my blocking mats (no thank you!!).
Row Counters
This is one of the upgrades that took me the longest time to make. Honestly, I only made the upgrade because I happened to win a giveaway of this Twice Sheared Sheep Row Counter and I haven’t put it down since. This style of row counter makes it basically impossible to forget to count up a row (which is my biggest gripe with the “click” stle row counters). I love using it as a beginning of row marker on any project in the round or to count my lace/cable repeat rows.
I love the Twice Sheared Sheep counters but if they’re out of your price range or aren’t accessible to you in general, you can find a similar style of row counter here.
Fixed Circular Needles
When I first started getting seriously into knitting, I started by buying a couple pairs of interchangable needles and a couple of cords. This is still what I recommend to people as a low-cost way to get started that’s easy to build on. After a while, I bought a pair of fixed needles on a whim and I was surprised by how much of a difference it made to my knitting experience. The joins are effortlessly smooth and needles never become unscrewed.
My favorite fixed circular needles are the Addi Turbo needles. The tips of the neeldes are slightly longer than average and are my favorite level of sharpness (not too sharp to split the yarn strand!). They truly live up to the name turbo, I always find myself knitting noticably faster on these. My runner up favorite is the Chiaogoo red lace needles. There’s just no beating that red lace cord! It’s made with a braided metal core that’s memory-free, no more weird kinks in the cables, its truly a one-of-a-kind on the market. The reason why Addi beats these out for me is just the shape of the needle itsself. Chiaogoo is just a bit sharper than I would like it to be, but I still use both regularly.
Better Basics
One of the best things I ever did for my knitting practice was to upgrade my basic tools. We’re talking measuring tape, darning needles, scissors, and stitch markers. Here’s a walkthrough of all how I edited my collection to only the best basics.
Measuring Tape- I had a soft measuring tape that I’d been using since the 9th grade and the biggest pain when using it, was always putting it away. To the point that I wouldn’t even want to take updated measurements! So I made the upgrade to a retractable measuring tape and it has made everything so much easier. It eliminated the roadblocks I had and they’re much easier to take around with me. Now my knits fit better and on the first try. I recommend buying a set so you can keep them stashed in your crafting space and purse!
Darning Needles- This might sound silly but a bent tip darning needle has turned weaving in ends from a dread to no big deal. It takes a noticeable amount of strain off of my wrists and makes the whole process so much smoother. I recommend getting some in different sizes to fit your yarn weight.
Scissors - Look, a pair of scissors is a pair of scissors, but having a dedicated pair of yarn snips is a little luxury that makes all the difference. I picked up these micropoint detail scissors from Fiskars and I’ve been using them for 3+ years. I always recommend going with a brand like Fiskars because you can easily take them to knife sharpener to give them back their edge.
Stitch Markers- This pretty basic tool definitely isn’t a must to upgrade, but if you’re in the market for some new ones I would recommend that you stick with metal stitch markers. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a plastic one snap and break on me and have never had to worry about that with metal markers. My favorite crochet and knit friendly ones are the lightbulb and helical styles.
So there you have it! The small edits that truly upgraded my fiber arts experience. Tell me your upgrades, edits, tips, and tricks and how you work them into your practice. It’s the little things that make the biggest difference!
XO Dani
