Knitting Bag Essentials!

Hi all! I hope you are still as excited about Thirty-One as I am (and if you aren't, I promise to return to my regularly-scheduled blogging next week)! Today, I wanted to talk about The Perfect Knitting Bag.

If you're like me, you are always on the prowl for the shangri-la of carry-alls, and it can be quite a tall order to fill: lots of compartments and pockets, roomy without being ginormous and rivaling that of a suitcase, comfortable to wear and carry, and most of all....it's got to look cute, too!

As I mentioned before, the cute & roomy Thirty-One bags my friend Julie had when she last visited were what inspired me to check out the website and decide to host a virtual party. As I'm sure she can personally attest, they fit the above criteria for The Perfect Knitting Bag, plus they are durable, too!

There are several sizes and styles to suit pretty much every taste, and here are a few of my favorites:

Retro Metro Foldover: there are two pockets on the front and an interior zipper compartment (which is tablet-sized); if you're working on a large project, it can be carried as a tote, or you can take a smaller project on-the-go and fold over the top to wear the bag as a crossbody. There are three fun prints, but I have my eye on this neutral gray option!

All-Pro Tote: I know I already mentioned this (it's only available this month!), but this would make a totally great knitting bag! It's got five pockets and a separate compartment which could safely house your WIP away from everything else, no project bag needed!

Zip-Top Utility Tote: while this bag is definitely on the larger end of the spectrum, I keep envisioning it as a way to store my WIPS at home next to my knitting nook. There are seven pockets and a zipper closer would keep curious cats at bay(or dogs or children....so long as they don't know how to work a zipper!); that's certainly an attractive feature. Plus, all I have to do is grab and go when I'm heading off to knit night!

Need a refresher on how to place your order for my Virtual Thirty-One Party? Click here!

Stefanie's Knitting Bag Essentials

One of my colleagues just turned me onto knolling, which is quite possibly the weirdest term I've ever heard for "taking a photo of stuff arranged in a very anal-retentive way." That's not the exact defnition, but at any rate, it inspired me to take the above photo of everything I deem essential when knitting on-the-go:

My business card holder, which is super professional - sock monkeys on pogo sticks!
Various stitch markers
A tape measure
A crochet hook for fixing dropped stitches; I have a fix-a-stitch tool.
Lip Balm
Row counter
Lavishea lotion bar - I hate having dry hands when I knit!
Cable needle
Nail file for fixing rough edges so that nails don't catch on your work; Thirty-One has similar files with fun prints on them, FYI!
The Knit Kit - this little gadget has everything you need while on-the-go, including some of the items above (row counter, crochet hook, tape measure. It also includes a small pair of scissors and a compartment where I stash darning needles, stitch markers and the tightening key for my interchangeables.
My design notebook!

What are YOUR knitting bag essentials?

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b...

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends, so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks). The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a...

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels? I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n...

handmade by stefanie

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