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10 Must-Have Knitting Notions

October 7, 2015 Leave a Comment

The 10 notions every knitter should have in their craft cupboard!

It’s no secret that there’s gear involved when you take up a craft. Luckily with knitting, you can get a long way with just a ball of yarn, scissors and a pair or two of needles. Once you level up to more advanced projects that involve buying your yarn by the hank (they’re the twisty skeins) or try a garment that needs blocking, you might want to consider investing in some go-to accessories (a.k.a. notions) you’ll use again and again.

What are the 10 notions every knitter can't live without?

In an effort to guide those looking to add to their knitting supplies, I thought I’d share my my top 10 most-used notions & why I can’t live without ’em.

  1. ball winder
  2. tapestry needle
  3. scissors (particularly travel scissors)
  4. cable needle
  5. stitch holder
  6. small crochet hook
  7. pom pom maker
  8. needle tip protectors
  9. stitch markers
  10. coil knitting needle holders

The 10 notions every knitter should have in their craft cupboard!

  • A ball winder is great because it saves you time. Once you start buying yarn that doesn’t come in end-pull skeins, a ball winder is an investment you won’t regret.
  • I find that weaving in my ends with a tapestry needle to be the easiest and most efficient way of getting that sometimes-arduous finish task done. When my yarn is too fickle or fine, though, I turn to a good old crochet hook (see notion #6).
  • Scissors… obviously. ;)
  • If you hate cable knitting, you might think this tool isn’t necessary for your stash. However, don’t come crying to me when a cable needle would have been the perfect tool for rescuing an accidentally-dropped stitch. The shepherd’s hook style cable needles are a total hero for slip-ups like those!
  • I tend to travel with multiple knitting projects, so stitch holders are great to have on hand for  transporting your projects. They’re also great for sock and sweater and mitten knitting anytime!

The 10 notions every knitter should have in their craft cupboard!

  • A small crochet hook? I thought we were talking knitting notions?! See #2 above. :)
  • If you are at ALL a fan of finishing projects with poms, a pom pom maker (or a few in different sizes) will save you time. If you’re only an occasional pom pom user, you can always go the DIY route with this tutorial.
  • Just like stitch holders, needle tip protectors are great for taking your knitting on the go. For the intermittent knitter, they’re great for storing your projects too.
  • Stitch markers are used to keep track of where you are in your pattern: when to start and end a motif section in a given row, where to work increases & decreases, etc. The thing with stitch markers is that even a safety pin or paper clip can to the job!
  • Coil knitting needle holders might not be on every knitter’s must-have list, but I love them. They’re great for storing double-pointed needles together, and they work for holding good old straight needles together too, particularly when you’re on the go.

What are the 10 notions every knitter can't live without?

Filed Under: Knitting, Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: 10 must have knitting supplies, beginner knitting supplies, knitting notions, knitting supplies knitting accessories, notions

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. She specializes in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macramé, and her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now!

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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handsoccupied

Yarn craft designer & author. Into intarsia knits, latch hook, color & vintage-modern style.
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Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
Sneaking in a few stitches in the shade. 😎 Sneaking in a few stitches in the shade. 😎
Another morning of filming! One of the knitting vi Another morning of filming! One of the knitting videos I’d like to release soon is a big overview of how to swatch and why - if you have any questions or favorite tips, let me know. 
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To be honest, I want to be able to link to this video as a resource when I get angry gauge questions, so please don’t hesitate to share your best tips. Together, we can tame the knitting Karens. 😆
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#stopswatchandblockit #handsoccupied #knitting #knittersofinstagram
A big issue I've had in the last year is putting t A big issue I've had in the last year is putting together new design work but not doing any independent releases of them. Chalk it up to anxiety, burn out, or whatever but here we are. 
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Last week I turned 35, so in honor of that here’s 3 things: 
❤️ a picture of me at my most stylish 
💛 a little glimpse at some of the design things I've recently been working on
💙a promise that I will be releasing some of the pictured designs this year. Getting back in the swing of things after taking it easy is hard 😆 - wish me luck!
Like a riding a bike! June guarded the neighborhoo Like a riding a bike! June guarded the neighborhood while I shot a new crochet tutorial today. With any luck, editing will go smoothly & I’ll be posting new videos to YouTube regularly soon! Got any requests for tutorial topics? 
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#handsoccupied #crochet #studiodog #crochettutorial
This yoke deserved a mid-blocking closeup, don’t This yoke deserved a mid-blocking closeup, don’t you think? ❤️💛💙
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Pattern: modified #soldotnacrop sweater / yarn: various from my stash
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