Spend Your Money Where It Counts...on Yarn! Part 3

In Lesson 1, we looked at the fact that to be a good knitter, you don't need every expensive knitting gadget known to man. In Lesson 2, we looked at ways to get the best bang for your buck when it comes to yarn shopping. In Lesson 3, we're going to look at what you may have in your junk drawer that you can use for knitting tools.

As I was putting around in the Ravelry forums looking for info for Lesson 1, I decided to throw out a post asking other knitters what they've found around the house that they use for knitting. The responses were delightful and insightful! I'm going to share my findings below because the ideas are just too good to keep to myself! Have fun reading and then digging around in your junk drawer to see if you have any creative solutions to your knitting woes!

Stitch holders: paper clips, baby cloth diaper pins, safety pins, unwanted yarn scraps, pencil with two end-cap erasers...

Stitch markers: cut up straws, small hair bands, yarn tied in loops, bobby pins, jumprings (for jewelry making)

Swift: lamp shade with the finial nut unscrewed, chair back, weights,

Ball winder: variable-speed electric drill with a dowel to tape the yarn onto, fishing reel

Yarn holders/Knitting bags: plastic bags with a corner cut off to feed the yarn through, knit your own, large plastic cup w/ domed lid (think blended coffee w/ whip), clean pot turned over so yarn can be fed through the hole on the bottom, multi-pocket tote or purse works as a great bag

Yarn: go to a thrift store and look for good quality knit sweaters with sewn (not serged) seams, unravel them and voila! you've got great yarn at a cheap price!

I found that I've begun to hunt around my house looking at things and wondering, "Hmmm, could I use this for knitting?" It's amazing how creative your mind can get once it begins thinking out of the box! The ideas above are just a starting point! If you have some great tips, share them below by adding a comment!

Lesson 3: Great Books and Resources to Add to Your Knitting Library will be up next Monday so tell your friends and think about what books you may want to add to the list!