Knitting Tools

May 19, 2015 | Verónica

Besides yarn and needles, there are a few tools that come in handy for knitters and crocheters. These are some of the knitting tools that I’ve been using lately.

DPN Tubes

Now that I’m knitting socks, I have found these double-pointed needle (DPN) tubes to be absolutely necessary. With DPNs, there is a higher risk of stitches slipping off the ends. With these tubes, you can store your knitting safely inside without fear of losing stitches. Just carefully line up your needles so that they are side by side and your work is concentrated in the middle. Lay the needles and your work inside the opening of the blue tube. Most of your knitted piece will stick out. Next, slide the red tube over the blue one lining up the openings. Twist slightly to hold your knitting in place.

I picked these up at the Must Stash Yarns booth at a fiber festival. (Try saying “must stash yarns” three times very fast). It came with two DPN tubes and a set of tubes without the opening to store and carry your DPNs or crochet hooks.

Cable Needles & Stitch Holders

I already have a reliable and boring cable needle in my toolkit but when I saw these colorful chunky cable needles, I had to have them. They’re so much fun in pink and green. Those little round felted thingies are stitch holders. They are handmade locally and come in several colors. I like using these stitch holders made out of felted fibers instead of those rubbery point protectors, although I have some of those as well. (The cable needles are from WC Mercantile; the stitch keepers from Yarntopia.)

Nøstepinde & Set Gauge

Then there are these beauties in black walnut and oak. The one on the left, a nøstepinde, is used to wind a center pull ball. No kidding! Sometimes the simplest tools are the best. To read how to use this tool, try this post from Hatchtown Farm.

The tool on the right is a set gauge. The thinner section at the top of the gauge is 1 inch wide. To determine the weight of your yarn, wind it around this part of the gauge from end to end. Keep count as this will give you the wraps per inch, which you can then translate into yarn weight.

Both of these simple yet beautiful tools are hand carved at Marsh Mellow Meadows. (Not to be confused with marshmallows. Lots of tongue-twisters!)

Blocking Mats

Until very recently, I’ve been blocking my knitted items on large towels. Not always effective because they don’t always lay flat. I looked for blocking mats online and in stores in the arts and crafts and children’s sections and frankly found them way too expensive. Then I found these at a dollar store. $1 each! I even like that they can be broken down into even smaller mats. Or I can make them as long or wide as I need depending on the size of my project.

Of course, for a dollar, you can’t be picky about the colors. These come in all shades princess!

Do you have a favorite knitting or crocheting tool? Do you like it because it’s simple, cute, one-of-a-kind, handmade, fast, or budget-friendly?

Frail Silk

April 26, 2015 | Verónica

On a weekend trip to San Antonio with my son, I managed a detour to Inskein Yarns. Inskein Yarns is located in a strip mall on a busy street. It is very small and does not have a huge selection. Despite its tiny size, there were 7-8 women huddled into a circle taking a knitting class.

They didn’t have any unique yarns but I found this skein of Maharashtra Silk which has 800 yards of 100% pure silk.

I liked the greens and purples and the yarn has a nice feel and sheen. Unfortunately, as I wound the skein into a ball, the yarn continuously fell apart. The single-ply was too frail, as if it had been spun too loosely.

The only thing I can think of to salvage it is to ply it with another fingering weight yarn. Any suggestions?

Yarn in Navasota

January 18, 2015 | Verónica

On our Mother-Son college road trip, I teasingly told my son that I only planned to stop at five yarn stores en route to Texas A&M. My 17-year old was not amused. I wish there were that many yarn stores along the way! He was actually quite patient with me when I took the business exit through Navasota so that I could visit WC Mercantile.

Navasota is a small town with just over 7,000 residents. It’s downtown is lined with quaint historic buildings that house antique and other local shops. It was a cold and rainy day so I headed straight to WC Mercantile located on East Washington Avenue. And what a delight it was!

WC Mercantile has a wonderful selection of yarns for the knitter or crocheter and a large space devoted to luscious fibers and spinning wheels. I went straight for their local yarns spun from Texas Alpacas.

Love these project bags!

The owner was very nice and helpful. She was at a table teaching a customer to knit. This is why I love local yarn stores.

In the back of the store, they had a cute little Christmas tree on which hung sheep ornaments and these. Too cute!

In addition to yarn and fibery stuff, I couldn’t resist these cards. They look like original watercolors. I particularly like the one on the left. No grannies here!

Navasota is about 45 minutes north of Houston. I am looking into one of their day-long wheel spinning classes. It would be a nice getaway from the city. If you are ever in the area, stop by and enjoy a few hours of all things fiber!

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In the Family

December 22, 2014 | Verónica

Everyone tells me that my niece, Victoria, looks like me. It makes me feel very proud especially since I do not have a girl of my own. So it brought me immense pleasure when I discovered that my niece likes to knit! She knit a scarf sometime in her teens. My brother sent me pictures of her with her needles. This first semester in college, she decided to learn how to crochet. She asked me if I could take her to buy some yarn and a crochet hook so that she could try to crochet a stuffed animal for a charity auction at her college. Of course, there was no need to go to the store, we just dug into my stash! She found a pattern and crochet instructions on YouTube. Twenty-four hours later, she had made this:

She then remembered that my mother said she wanted a headband with a flower on it for her hair. So off Victoria went to crochet a headband just like my mom had requested.

She would sit with me in the evenings with a hook in her hand and yarn on her lap while she meticulously worked on the headband. It will be her Christmas gift to her grandmother.

I am so pleased that the arts of knitting and crochet still appeal to young ladies like my niece. It’s wonderful to keep the tradition in the family.

A Day at the Fiber Festival

November 14, 2014November 7, 2015 | Verónica

My very first spinning lesson was at the Kid’N Ewe And Lamas Too fiber festival a couple of years ago. This past weekend, I revisited this annual festival which is spread out over three large barns at the Kendall County Fairgrounds. There was weaving, spinning, felting, knitting and crocheting everywhere!

I spent hours swooning over fibers from animal and plant sources including camel, yak, buffalo, sheep, goat and silkworm as well as hemp, bamboo, and cotton. Many were hand dyed in stunning colors like these wool batts …

Gorgeous merino, bamboo, and angelina batts from Yorkieslave Artworks. (www.orkieslave.etsy.com) — Gorgeous merino, bamboo, and angelina batts from Yorkieslave Artworks. (www.yorkieslave.etsy.com)

Luscious browns and golds from Yorkieslave Artworks. (www.orkieslave.etsy.com) — Luscious browns and golds from Yorkieslave Artworks. (www.yorkieslave.etsy.com)

Glistening waves in a deep blue sea from Yorkieslave Artworks. (www.orkieslave.etsy.com) — Glistening waves in a deep blue sea from Yorkieslave Artworks. (www.yorkieslave.etsy.com)

… and this hemp fiber in deep tones.

Hand-dyed natural plant fibers from the Fiber Lady. (www.fiberlady.com)

There were countless hand crafted tools throughout including this lovely assortment of spindles and shuttles.

These wooden spindles are from Yarnorama (I think). I didn't pick up a business card. (www.yarnorama.com) — These wooden spindles are from Yarnorama (I think). I didn’t pick up a business card. (www.yarnorama.com)

Turkish and top whorl drop spindles from Heritage Arts. (www.heritageartstexas.com)

Unique hand painted wooded spindles from Yorkieslave Artworks. (www.orkieslave.etsy.com) — Unique hand painted wooded spindles from Yorkieslave Artworks. (www.yorkieslave.etsy.com)

Hand crafted glass and wood spindles from Yorkieslave Artworks. (www.orkieslave.etsy.com) — Hand crafted glass and wood spindles from Yorkieslave Artworks. (www.yorkieslave.etsy.com)

These wooden shuttles are from Yarnorama (I think). I didn't pick up a business card. (www.yarnorama.com) — These wooden shuttles are from Yarnorama (I think). I didn’t pick up a business card. (www.yarnorama.com)

Behind rows of vendor stalls in one of the barns, several teams were in full swing for the Fiber to Fashion demonstrations. Spinners using spindles and wheels were busily turning fiber into yarn. The yarn was fed to the weaver who meticulously wove it on a loom. The goal was to create a finished product – a 20″ x 72″ shawl – in one day.

One of the Fiber to Fashion teams working on their woven shawl.

The team pictured here held a raffle for their shawl. I bought one ticket for $1 but, alas, did not win. I watched them as they were making the fringe and putting the final touches on the shawl. It was absolutely gorgeous.

The air was cool, the sun was out, the animals were adorable, kindred spirits were plentiful, and there were three barns full of fibery goodness – perfect!