Six Must Have Accessories for Starting to Knit
Nowadays there are many accessories that can be purchased to help you whilst knitting, this is a list of my top six you need to start knitting.
Once you have the yarn, patterns and needles for your project you will also need: Scissors A small pair of scissors rather than a large pair as they are easier to manipulate.
The scissors must also be sharp so the yarn is cut cleanly, otherwise when cutting yarn for threading into a needle it will be almost impossible to thread.
My preference is to use embroidery stork scissors as they are very sharp and have small blades.
Set of sewing needles A set of hand sewing needles with differing eye sizes to accept different weights (4ply, DK, Aran, Chunky etc.
) of yarn.
The needles can be made of plastic or metal and can be either blunt or sharp.
Keep metal needles in a needle holder so that they do not tarnish.
My preference is for blunt metal needles.
Row Counter Most patterns ask you to knit a number of rows, when increasing/decreasing you do so every x rows, this is when a row counter becomes invaluable.
A row counter which can either be a table top counter or one that fits over one of the needles being used.
The over the needle style is my preference as it is always kept with the knitting and you do not forget to change the count.
Tape Measure You will need a tape measure to measure yourself to fit the pattern to your measurements and to measure your work as it progresses.
Some patterns ask you to knit a specified number of cm/Inches rather than knitting a specified number of rows.
My preference is for a sprung loaded retractable tape measure.
Pencil with eraser If the pattern is multi-sized then circle your size in each knitting instruction so it is easy to read as you are knitting.
Put a line through any parts of the pattern that do not refer to your size.
As you progress with the pattern tick off the sections as you complete them.
As you have used a pencil you can erase all pencil marks and re-use the pattern.
Stitch Holder If you knit garments you will probably need a stitch holder to hold live stitches for inclusion in the knitting later.
If you only need to hold a few stitches you can use safety/nappy pins.
If you need to hold a large number of stitches then a knitting stitch holder will be required, they can be purchased in different sizes to accommodate the number of stitches you need to hold.
I often use a combination of pins and holders.
Once you have the yarn, patterns and needles for your project you will also need: Scissors A small pair of scissors rather than a large pair as they are easier to manipulate.
The scissors must also be sharp so the yarn is cut cleanly, otherwise when cutting yarn for threading into a needle it will be almost impossible to thread.
My preference is to use embroidery stork scissors as they are very sharp and have small blades.
Set of sewing needles A set of hand sewing needles with differing eye sizes to accept different weights (4ply, DK, Aran, Chunky etc.
) of yarn.
The needles can be made of plastic or metal and can be either blunt or sharp.
Keep metal needles in a needle holder so that they do not tarnish.
My preference is for blunt metal needles.
Row Counter Most patterns ask you to knit a number of rows, when increasing/decreasing you do so every x rows, this is when a row counter becomes invaluable.
A row counter which can either be a table top counter or one that fits over one of the needles being used.
The over the needle style is my preference as it is always kept with the knitting and you do not forget to change the count.
Tape Measure You will need a tape measure to measure yourself to fit the pattern to your measurements and to measure your work as it progresses.
Some patterns ask you to knit a specified number of cm/Inches rather than knitting a specified number of rows.
My preference is for a sprung loaded retractable tape measure.
Pencil with eraser If the pattern is multi-sized then circle your size in each knitting instruction so it is easy to read as you are knitting.
Put a line through any parts of the pattern that do not refer to your size.
As you progress with the pattern tick off the sections as you complete them.
As you have used a pencil you can erase all pencil marks and re-use the pattern.
Stitch Holder If you knit garments you will probably need a stitch holder to hold live stitches for inclusion in the knitting later.
If you only need to hold a few stitches you can use safety/nappy pins.
If you need to hold a large number of stitches then a knitting stitch holder will be required, they can be purchased in different sizes to accommodate the number of stitches you need to hold.
I often use a combination of pins and holders.
