Day Six: Favourite Tools

“Write about your favourite knitting or crochet (or spinning, etc) tool. It can either be a tool directly involved in your craft (knitting needles or crochet hook) or something that makes your craft more pleasurable – be it a special lamp, or stitch markers.”
My favourite tools… I’m not sure whether I have favourites because everything I use has its purpose. If I’m in a hurry and want the bare minimum with me, then I would grab my scissors, my sewing needle case and my favourite crochet hook (as well as my knitting, of course).

Scissors needle case and crochet hook

I’ve had these awhile, so excuse their condition. The scissors are little Fiskar ones: I have two pairs. One in my knitting bag and one in my sewing bag. The first pair I’ve had for at least 12 years and they are still as sharp as when I bought them. Attached to the scissors is a hardanger scissor keeper that I made a long time ago at a workshop. Originally, it had a tassel but that’s long since disappeared.

Scissors and hardanger scissor keeper

My needle case is made of two little folded fabric squares sewn together. It’s a similar block to cathedral window but is contained to one square. The instructions for the square can be found in  Cathedral Window Quilts: The Classic Folded Technique and a Wealth of Variations by Lynne Edwards. The book is fabulous and I’ve made lots of different things from it, including some lovely little pincushions. Here’s a few bits that I’ve made using Cathedral Window blocks – cushion and a wallhanging.
Cathedral Window needle caseOpen cathedral window needle case

Needle case with pins and needles
There’s a needle for all occasions. Several knitting sewing needles, darning needles, tapestry needles, betweens, sewing needles, glass headed pins and knitters’ pins.
I’d not really noticed that there was a bit of a purple theme going on.