As a knitter, there are often products that go above and beyond expectations. Here are some that I have been very pleased with:
Disclaimer: If you click on the link, it will take you to Knit Picks or another seller. I sometimes earn a small commission if you purchase this or another product via the link. You do not pay any extra and I am not trying to take advantage of you. Please do not feel obligated. If I receive commissions, they will help pay for site hosting and other expenses, so I can continue to bring you quality content.
Hawthorne Fingering Kettle Dye Yarn
Knit Picks offers free shipping on orders that are $65 or more, so of course, every time I order from them, I make sure that my order is just over $65. For my last order, I needed a little bit more to get to that point, so I added two skeins of Hawthorne Fingering Yarn. At the time, I had no idea what I was going to use it for. I’ve used one of the skeins – I made a Maluka Shawl. The yarn was great to work with and I loved the finish. The yarn is medium soft and holds its shape well, resulting in a nice drape. I didn’t have any trouble with splitting. Here is a link to my project page on Ravelry.
Knitting Yarn Swift and Knitting Yarn Ball Winder
Do you have a Yarn Swift and Ball Winder? I don’t know how I survived without them. When I am traveling I often purchase yarn as my main souvenir. In fact, the last time I was in Paris, I purchased yarn and needles and completed a project before we boarded the plane for home. Of course, I didn’t have my Swift or Ball Winder along – and, oh boy, did I ever miss them. I had to wind my yarn the old-fashioned way – putting the yarn around my knees and winding it by hand.
My daughter bought me a skein of over 1000 yards of lace weight yarn in New Zealand. Winding it by hand would have been a real chore and probably a tangled mess, but with my Knit Picks Knitting Yarn Swift and Ball Winder, it was easy. I untwisted the hank of yarn and put it around the swift. After opening and tightening the swift, I cut the ties that were holding it. I threaded the end through the ball winder and began to crank. In minutes, I had a beautiful, even, ball of yarn. I used the yarn to make this Citron Shawl.
Since I knit so many shawls, I have also found the Knit Picks’ Lace Blocking Wires indispensable. They are firm, bit also a little flexible, so I can pin the edge of a shawl that curves. The set of 15 wires comes with 20 T-pins to help hold them in place. The wires and pins are made of stainless steel and are rustproof.
Another one of my favorite Knit Picks yarns is Gloss Fingering Yarn. The yarn is so soft and luxurious, I just love wearing it around my neck. Although it is a sock weight yarn, I would recommend it for shawls or sweaters. It is made from 70% Merino and 30% silk – the silk gives it a beautiful sheen. Here is my project page.