As with many hobbies out there, it is easy to get sucked into all of the tools and toys that go along with that hobby. If you are into motorcycles, you try to get your hands on the latest boots, gloves or carrier bags. If you are into fishing, you want to fill your tackle box with all of the latest and greatest in fishing tackle. If you cook, you probably can’t seem to get enough kitchen gadgets, no matter how small your kitchen is!
Don’t worry. We get it.
We love tools too! And the nice thing about knitting and crochet, is that the bulkiest part of these hobbies is the yarn! (Which we all know can be packed down pretty small. So no big deal- right?).
One tool that no knitter can ever have enough of, is stitch markers! They seem to have a way of disappearing, or often not being near your knitting chair when you need them most. We suspect that each time we change out our vacuum bag, we unknowingly bid a final farewell to at least a dozen of them. They have such a sneaky way of finding themselves under the ottoman, between the couch cushions and even behind the fridge. Before we know it, we are clean out of them!
Our solution to this problem? Buy more! Stitch markers rarely break the bank, so everyone can afford to stash them in all corners of the house. The more, the merrier! And the fun thing is, there is such a huge variety of stitch markers available to us knitters, that we can go crazy trying out all of the different styles that are available until we find one that works for us.
The most common style of stitch marker is the simple plastic ring style. They work well as they do not snag on your yarn, and easily pop over from one needle to the next, making a smooth transition. When a knitter is flying through the rounds of knitting, they don’t want something such as a pesky stitch marker slowing them down! Just remember though, you can’t drop a stitch marker right around a stitch itself, without having to break the marker to get it off once your project is complete. Unless of course, you feel like knitting some stitch markers in as a design feature… that decision is entirely up to you.
Speaking of marking stitches, these split ring markers are great for that as they are removable! Not only will they easily slide right off your stitches when you are finished, they can also be added to your knitting half way up the back! For example, if you want to mark every tenth row- use a split ring marker! That way you can easily just count your markers, rather than straining your eyes to count every last row. They’re fantastic!
And speaking of love, our ultimate favorite are the stitch markers that resemble safety pins. They are SO versatile! Use them to mark the right and wrong side of your work (which sounds crazy… but some stitches such as garter stitch can make it difficult to decipher which side is which!), use them while crocheting, use them as a stitch marker, use them to count rows… they are simply FANTASTIC. And while they may cost a touch more than plain ol’ ring markers, we promise you that it is well worth the extra change.
If you like your tools to look just as pretty as the knitting you are working on, do be sure to cruise the never-ending selection of stitch markers on Etsy! On this crafters marketplace website, there are lots of creative people who are more than happy to provide you with stitch markers that aren’t only functional, but a pleasure to look at as well! Anything you purchase through Etsy is sure to never end up in the vacuum bag- there’s just no way you would ever allow one slip between your fingers!
If DIY is more your style, then check out this tutorial we found online that walks you through some simple steps to make your own rainbow stitch markers. We love them! And not only do we love the finished product… we love how easy they are to make!
And speaking of DIY, of course there is nothing wrong with just taking a piece of yarn a few inches in length, and tying it into a loop to use as a marker. Every knitter has likely found themselves doing this in a pinch at some point in their knitting career, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! It really is the cheapest and easiest way to ensure you will always have a stitch marker within arms reach- no matter where you may find yourself knitting!
So what do you think? Do you have a preferred style of stitch marker? Or do you just grab the closest thing to you?
Happy Knitting everyone!