When I first started knitting, I knew I needed yarn and needles. What I didn’t realize was that there was a whole host of knitting tools that would make my life easier.
Scissors (or Nail Clippers!)
Some yarns are fragile enough that, when you are done with them, you could just grab them and break them. Many others, though, require some thing sharp to cut them. I like to carry a small set of scissors with me for those projects where my superhero strength just isn’t enough.
Stitch Markers and Progress Keepers
Stitch markers are used to keep track of the number of stitches in a repeat or to mark the end of a round. They tend to be on a fixed loop. Progress keepers are clipped onto your knitting and are used to keep track of the number of rounds or rows you have knit, or how far you’ve gone.
There’s a huge range of tapestry needles out there, from the big blue plastic ones to the small metal ones. I like to keep a range of sizes in my bag, because the larger needles aren’t well-suited to weaving in ends on projects with a really fine gauge, like socks.
Tapestry Needles
Measuring Tape
Often times, a project a pattern will say to knit for a certain length or until your project reaches a certain measurement. That’s useful because it allows for slight differences in row gauge, but it can be tricky if you don’t have some thing to measure your project with. Having a small, retractable measuring tape helps a lot.