Everyday Objects as Knitting Tools!

Sometimes you are on the road, or at a friend’s house, or on vacation, and you don’t have the knitting tool you need. Never fear, your house is filled with everyday objects you can use as knitting tools!

For stitch holders, yarn bowls, cable needles, stitch markers, needle stoppers and more, your house is full of

Everyday Objects as Knitting Tools

1) Pants Hanger

For anyone who has taken my gauge class, you know that stitch gauge and row gauge are linked. You cannot measure length without setting width. My favorite knitting tool is the humble pants hanger. If you think you are at 15″ and ready for the armhole bindoff, don’t measure it flat on a table, get your piece on some scrap yarn or a long cable, put it on two pants hangers and slide those little clips apart until your sweater is at it’s full width . . .THEN you can measure length with the correct width and gravity!

2) Paperclips

A plastic coated paper clip is the best! They come in a variety of sizes and can be unbent for a cable needle, and they make great stitch holders. They can serve as stitch markers, grab a dropped stitch and even use as an emergency crochet hook to ladder up a dropped stitch!

3) Bread Bag Closure

I love these little bad boys for yarn bobbins. You can use them for intarsia, or to store little spare yarn for repairs.

4) Tennis Ball Can

You can store your needles, your dpns, roll up a scarf in progress, keep some leftover yarn balls  . . . use your imagination!

5) Orthodontics Rubber Bands

These are pennies for a big ole bag! They come in different sizes and colors. You can use them on the tips of your dpns or straight needles as point protectors, and make fantastic stitch markers. You can use them on your needle like a regular stitch marker, or slip them over a stitch and knit them into your work to mark repeats or increases. Just clip them out later! Speaking of clippers . . .

6) Nail Clippers

Can’t tell you how many times I’ve used one of these as a yarn snip. I know I’m allowed to fly with scissors, but I live in fear of having my late mother in law’s embroidery scissors (that are dear to me) taken away, so I always remove them from my bag when I fly. I recently lent my clover yarn cutter to a friend (looking at you Vickie Howell) and I forgot to get them back. The next day, nail clippers to the rescue!

7) Smoothie Cup

I love these cups with the domed lid and big old straw hole. These are my all time favorite yarn container when I travel (clean of course). Just pop your yarn in and pull it through the lid and it makes a perfect on the road yarn bowl. The cup fits in a cup holder in a car or train. When you get home if you don’t want to use it anymore, just clip the lid and free your yarn!

8) Unwaxed Dental Floss

Makes a great lifeline for lace and a perfect stitch holder in a pinch. You can also tie little loops and use them as stitch markers.

What are your favorite everyday knitting tools?