Fibre Art

One of the most important items to have. I have lots of these. All in varying sizes, material and length. They serve one purpose. And as it’s name implies, they hold my stitches should i’m short of needles. Or when i’ve completed a piece and have to hold the stitches at the shoulders before i join them together, or simply wherever i need them like at the collar opening. I even use them to mark mistakes at times. Some are still attached to my stashed-away projects. Most of them under the bed. I gotta dig them out one fine day…… dohhhhhh.

Plastic cable stitch holder in different sizes. I’ll use these if the cables are more than 2×2 stitches. I’m trying to find bamboo ones. The shop doesnt have it. Buying them online is costly unless i buy them together with other items. Dont they look weird to non-knitters. As long as they dont disappear, i wont be buying new ones. I seldom knit cables.

These are open-end stitch markers. Some call it pattern markers. I only use these to mark mistakes that i’m unable to correct on my own and requires the expert’s help. Other than that, i use them to mark my rows as i knit. I always keep a few of this with me in my knitting pouch.

These are ring-type stitch markers. I dont remember ever using them. I read charts pretty well and dont need them. Came with my Tulip knitting needles set. So, what shall i do with them??? I’ve seen many nice ones with crystals, metal motifs and beads. And no, i wont ever buy those

This is a body-hugging halter; very intricate; very textured; and oh-so-sexy. This is the kind of knitting that i enjoy. With lots of workmanshp involved which can be quite time-consuming. No way i can knit this thing without taking my eyes off it for a moment, lol. No… not this. Those one-row-knit-one-row-purl kinda knitting, i can do it with my eyes glued to the tv.

It’s actually 90% completed. I just have to finish knitting it. I dont want to start work on the next though i’m so itching to now. If not, this will die an instant death. If i’m not wrong, i think i did this wayyy back in October 2006… o.O All i need to do now is to knit a few more rows and start decreasing the stitches on both sides to work the front. Then, join the two pieces, knit and attach the two halter straps to the back and i’m done. Who wants to model this skimpy piece of art for me???

That’s all i need in my knitting bag. A crochet hook for correcting mistakes, a retractable measuring tape to check my work progress, a pair of scissors to snip away odds and ends, stitch holders according to project requirements, and those colored round coiled cirles are stitch markers for “oops” events. Gordon picked out the Mickey pouch for me, what’s new, lol. These are just the few must-have knitting items that i never leave home without.

Picked this up at Fila store when we went to buy new luggage on Tuesday night. I love the color, fiery orangey-red; like shimmering copper. Matches hubby’s luggage. His is in black and grey. I used to take my knitting out with me in shopping paperbags and put it behind Malcolm’s stroller. I’ll take my project out to knit whenever i sit down for a drink or whilst waiting for food to arrive. Not a moment wasted.

This fits the stroller basket perfectly. Has a main compartment for my yarn and project with an inner zippered pocket and a small purse that attaches to the inside with a button. That’s where i put all my shopping loyalty cards for the time being. Has another two compartments that closes with buttons on the front and back. Good for my knitting patterns/books.

Can you see the drawstring near the left opening. The zippered end leaves a 2″ or so opening. I like this. My long needles will have no problem in here. The handles are adjustable. I think it can have up to 10″ drop. But i like it short like my paperbags, lol. It cant stand upright without some adjustment though as it doesnt have a wide and flat base. Whatever it is, i’ll make do with this till i find another one. In all, it’s nice and trendy.

This black bag used to be my highschool schoolbag, lol. I started knitting after i left school, so, it came in handy. I use it to store all my knitting needle sets and some oddballs of yarns; both new and used. I even found some “dead” projects inside. A dinosaur, a crocheted long piece of dunnowat, the bottom of a crocheted blouse; GOSH!!! How long ago were those projects??? I’ll most probably unravel those and salvage the yarn for smaller things like pouches. Or maybe use them to crochet flowers and embellishments. See how things go.

This is my circular knitting needles set encased in a beautifully quilted holder. Some refer to this as collar needles. Also made of bamboo. I cant seem to find the brand anywhere. Whatever, they are the same. Some are very long for knitting in the round or for open-front tops. The short ones are for smaller collar and armholes. I asked the shop and they said that it’s longer for sale. What a pity. Such a beautiful item. Costs about Rm400 when i bought it the same time as my Tulip knitting needles.

See…. each needle has its place in the holder. Didnt i say it’s beautiful. And so organised. Only one has gone missing over the years…sigh. What a waste. The ones at the bottom of the set are what’s available at the shop now. Sold as singles. Will update the price when i buy more next time. Of which i most probably will as i dont them in smaller sizes like 2.5mm and 2mm.

Here are my bamboo knitting needles. The one in brown is a knitting needle set which i bought when i first embarked on this new hobby. Doesnt cost much 18 years back. Cant remember how much i paid for it. Maybe around Rm300 or so?? But now, i think a set like this will cost around Rm600. Mine is Tulip brand. But the ones being sold now is Clover from Japan.

The red colored one holds all the loose pairs i bought as i progressed over the years. I prefer bamboo knitting needles as they are lighter and very smooth. Holds my knitting very well. Some knitters use metal knitting needles. My sis gave me two pairs. They’re heavy, makes an irritating clik-clik-clik noise as i knit and also slippery. And my stitches will slide off it easily. These will be my museum pieces, lol.

Here are the contents of my bamboo knitting needles set. The contents varies from time to time as they do “disappear”. I just replace whatever i lost/broke. The flap on the right holds all those smaller tools and other knick-knacks like stitch holders and stitch markers. I’ll elaborate on those on a different post.

When you are first starting to knit, it’s better to buy a pair or two first. Once you get the hang of knitting, and feel that you are ready to move on to bigger projects, invest in good knitting needles sets like this. It’s an investment and worth every dollar, believe me. Buy once, use forever; unless you lose them, lol.

Here’s what’s inside the red-colored knitting needle bag. I may work on 3 to 4 projects at a time. So, even two pairs of needles of the same size are never be enough. Sometimes, i may borrow them from the shop. But then, it’s best to buy if you’re an avid knitter. I havent really counted how many pairs i have. I guess i’ll just keep on buying from time to time

One more row and i’ll be starting on the armholes and collar, YAY!!! I didnt get to knit for the whole of Sunday, Monday nor today. Not that i get the chance to with two sick kids. Moreover, i’ve been out all day long for two consecutive days. I’m tired. I’m half sick myself. I only got to knit in the car or when i’m relaxing with a drink.

On another note, the Greentea blend at Coffee Bean tastes really good. Gotta remember to bring along my Coffee Bean Card the next time. I get RM2 off with it. Oh, whatthe heck. I’ll put it into my bag now. Seems like many are not used to seeing me knit in public, lol. Why? Think knitting is done only at home issit???? Get real.