No this isn't an April Fool's Joke. Once again, I've missed my Blogiversary by several days. March 26th, 2004 was my first blog entry. It's been a crazy fun five years, and I've learned a lot about knitting and blogging. I've also met a lot of really wonderful people by starting a blog. Who'd have thought?
In honor of the five-year anniversary, I'm having a contest. All you need to do is leave a comment, telling me about your favorite knitting gadget or tool. You know how I love gadgets. Your gadget can be something that's made especially for knitters, or it could be something from the Muggle world that you've adapted to knitting. It doesn't have to be something that I don't already have, though that would delight me to no end and give me something new for which to shop. My definition of "gadget" is rather broad: it means anything that you use in your knitting that is not actually the yarn.
Prizes? Of course there will be prizes. I just haven't picked them out yet. I'll choose two winners. The first will be by the random number generator, the second will be for the gadget comment that amuses me the most. The two winners will each get their choice of something from my vast stash. It will be a choice of sock yarn or something lacy with enough yardage to make a scarf. (No, you can't have my Wollmeise. I'm not totally nuts.) Once we have winners, I'll post photos of a couple of fine yarn selections and let each of them choose. The random number winner will get to pick first, then the amusing winner, just to avoid fights.
I'll post a photo of my favorite gadget just to get things started. You've all seen this before. It's my treasured drug-dealer's scale. Every time I post a photo of this I get questions about where I got it. You can buy it here if you want one of your very own. You can't have mine, it's not one of the contest prizes.
You have through the weekend to leave me a comment. I'll close the contest Sunday night, April 5th, at midnight Pacific time. May the best gadget win!
I'd have to say my ball winder and swift. One of the best gifts my husband ever gave me. Oh the time it saves me when winding from hanks, oh the nice, neat cakes I get... I love them both.
Posted by: Lora | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 10:06 AM
I think the tiara is a great knitting gadget to get you in the mood of Knitting Queen. :)
However, one of my favorite gadgets is my tiny crochet hook that has keychain ring on it. It's perfect for picking up dropped sock stitches. I'm bad about knitting and talking, visiting, watching tv or whatever and so now and then a stitch gets away from me. This little hook hangs on my sock bag and is always available.
I got mine in one of the wonderful sock club packages from The Loopy Ewe and if you don't have one and want one, you can find it here
http://www.theloopyewe.com/browse/fun-accessories/knitting-gadgets/stitch-savers-by-5elementknitr/
Great contest.
Posted by: Teresa (NC) | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 10:24 AM
My plastic school box. The kind gotten for $1 or less for holding pencils, pens, etc. Mine holds non-knitting needle paraphernalia: crochet hooks, scissors, stitch markers, cable needles, waste yarn, etc. Easily moved from knitting bag to knitting bag and holds it all.
Posted by: Dee | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Great idea for a contest! Ok - this may be a stretch as I am waiting for it to arrive but I think it will be my favorite knitting gadget. It is called the Knit Kit and can be found here: http://www.scoutsswag.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=21_80&products_id=499.
It has a counter, crochet hook, thread cutter, measuring tape, scissors, needle protectors and stitch markers all in one little thing! Pretty cool!
If you need a gadget that is already in use I would have to say my GoKnit pouch. I love that I can snap it on a chair and it keeps my yarn safe and out of the way. They can be found here:http://www.scoutsswag.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=20_24
Posted by: Amber | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 11:54 AM
My favorite gadget is actually an assortment of small fishing tackle boxes that open on both sides. I have a small one for my knitting bag and a larger one that lives on my wool room table. It has compartments of all sizes and holds everything I need.
Posted by: Joan Hamer | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 12:47 PM
I like my Chibi. Never at a loss for my tapestry needles!
Posted by: Dee | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 12:54 PM
My favorite "gadget" to keep with my knitting is (plain unwaxed) dental floss. It's small and cheap, you can take it on airplanes (and you can use the cutter on thin yarns too) makes a great lifeline, and you can make little stitch markers if you need them by tying it into little loops.
Posted by: Kim | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 12:58 PM
A small knitting bag must be my favorite gadget as I have a dozen or so of them (maybe more!). Happy Blogiversary!!!!!
Posted by: margene | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 01:07 PM
No need to enter me in the contest. I just wanted to wish you a happy blogiversary!!!
Posted by: tiennie | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 01:19 PM
I actually have two that I couldn't do without. One: an empty square Kleenex box to corral all my dpn's...and I have many, many of those. It also holds a pencil and pen, crochet hook, and the needle measurer thing. Also an Altoids tin which holds my needle for doing up toes and all my little markers. Happy blogiversary!
Posted by: Danby Ludgate | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 01:47 PM
My current favorite is the coffee stirrer I found in my hotel room when I lost my cable needle. I figured it would do--it's about the diameter of a size 4 needle. Now that I've used it, I like it better than my cable needle. It is very sticky so the stitches never fall off. It is hollow, so the point of my needle fits right into it, making it easy to pass the stitches over on it. It is stiff enough to knit from. And, it is red, so I can find it easily--the perfect cable needle.
Posted by: Luni | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 01:54 PM
I use an empty tissue box for a skein of yarn while knitting. The yarn stays clean, and the plastic on the top lets the yarn pull freely. The small cube boxes are great for 50gr. balls while the regular size box is used for skeins. It's not only Free, it's a
recycled product.
I also use straws as stitch markers. I just cut the straw crosswise, and use on smaller gauge needles. Color and variety!
Happy Blogiversary !!!
Posted by: M. | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 01:57 PM
Happy blogiversary! My favorite gadgets are my home-made stitch markers. I tie six inch lengths of crochet cotton with an overhand knot so the look is about half an inch or less long and leave a 2ish inch tail. They're the best ever for lace because they don't wander away under yarnovers and if you have to take them off to move them because of a decrease at the end of the repeat or whatever you can hold them by the tail or just drop them on the fabric and they don't roll away so you can pick them right back up again to put them on in the new locations.
Posted by: Linda M. | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 02:05 PM
Personally, I love my circular needles. If circular needles don't count, then I'd have to say my swift. It has saved me loads of time and aggravation.
Posted by: noallatin | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 02:32 PM
My favorite gadget is a new Ziploc Baggie. I use a quart size to hold all my little knitting tools such as stitch markers, cable needles and Chibis. It's always fun to move everything from the old baggie to the new. I've toyed with the idea of making or buying a gadget bag but then I wouldn't have a reason to look through all the things as I move them to their new home and reminisce about all the projects we've made together.
Happy Blogiversary!!!
Posted by: Karen | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 02:50 PM
My Dias de los Muertos knitting bag. It just makes me smile, skulls and all. And for a little bag, it holds a lot.
Posted by: Amy | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 03:23 PM
Happy blogiversary! As a gadget junkie, this is a hard one. I too have a spiffy drug-dealer scale, as inspired and informed by YOU. I love my ReadUpon bookholder, so that I can easily read while I knit. I love little rubber o-ring style markers because they are unobtrusive and handy and store nicely in one of those split pillboxes (six little compartments is a good number for this). I'm very fond of my KnitPicks Options Needle set and the gorgeous case that Zonda made for it for me.
Posted by: Chris | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 03:33 PM
Oh! I got my drug dealer's scale via amazon.com. You know how they have those "people who purchased what you are looking at also bought" links? There was only one such link, and it was to a book of marijuana horitculure. I shoulda taken a screen shot.
Posted by: Chris | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 03:36 PM
I think I have to agree about the ball winder and swift...
Posted by: --Deb | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 04:13 PM
My digital gram scale!
Congrats.
Posted by: trek | Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 04:14 PM