i’m kinda new to the whole “stitch marker” concept. i’ve seen them come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and textures. some ppl even just use a piece of yarn! so, the question is what can and can’t i use as a stitch marker?
can i use a key-ring? a rubberband (u know, those really small one’s ppl put in their hair)? how about a really cheap toy ring?
You can use anything that slips easily from one needle to the other. I happen to have some fancy ones and I like them because they don’t go flying off and get lost the way the plastic rings can. Yarn is good, too.
I don’t recommend the little rubberbands. I tried them once and they do get caught up and twisted rather than slide easily on the needles.
well you probably want to avoid things that will snag your yarn. i think loops of scrap yarn are probably easiest and most readily available.
i think that “bought” stitch markers tend to disappear to the couch monster and various other creatures around the house.
Plus if you buy them, you have to make sure you’ve got all sorts of different sizes. I’ve got some of the plastic ones, but I’ve started using yarn scraps. Contrasting color is best.
thanx for replying everyone! i’m sure there are lots of little things i can find around the house to use
some people cut up straws for small ones too. don’t want anything too wide though or you will find a gap in your stitching where the marker was.
Yarn scraps, twistie ties, coated hair bands that won’t roll up in the yarn…
sue
:roflhard: couch monster …
I always blamed it on “Not Me” …
If you ever leave your knitting in the car, be sure NOT to use those little plastic coiled stitch markers! They’ll melt, uncoil, and fall off.
I find that safety pins and loops of size 10 crochet cotton (or you could use embroidery floss) work best for stitch markers.
I use paper clips instead. I can get a box of 100 for a fraction of the price of stitch markers. I get the ones that come in different colors. If you use big size needles you can bend them to fit.
[color=indigo]My favorite stitch markers are O rings in the plumbing department of the hardware store. Many sizes at such a low cost.[/color]
I read somewhere that those hole punch reinforcement thingies (for paper) are an economical solution. Probably wouldn’t work with large needles, though.
I use “jump rings” They were 1.99 for a huge bag at Knit Picks. They are small so they don’t work for everything but I have had great luck with them so far. Plus they are so inexpensive that if you lose some it doesn’t matter.
I’d like to try going to a bead store to see what they all sell.
There are all kinds of jewelry findings that make great stitch markers. Jump rings and split-rings (the kind used for keyrings) come in multiple sizes and you can add charms and beads to them yourself for custom stitch markers.
My favorite thing is the round component of a toggle clasp. It’s a solid circle for the part that goes around the needle, and most have a small loop to add personal touches. Unfortunately, they cost more than the rings mentioned above and the straight component of the clasp isn’t much use as part of a stitch marker.
I have found jewelry supplies here by going to Wal-mart, Hobby Lobby, Jo-ann, Hancock Fabrics and Michael’s.
I use o-rings as well, since my husband is a mechanic. He has tons in all different sizes. And they’re cheap so it doesn’t matter if the couch monster eats them. I would like to get my own beads and such together and make my own though, when I can stop knitting long enough to do another project.
LoAnnie