Tag: knitting supplies

Knitting on Vacation: What to Pack?

Knitting on Vacation: What to Pack?

Cynthia Coe

Finally! I’m getting out of the house and going to the beach. I’ve knitted my way through quarantine, making 3 cardigans, an intricately patterned lace scarf, and a fun mosaic shawl. I’ve made a good-sized dent in my yarn stash and filled it up again with summery yellows, oranges, and taupe colored cotton and linen skeins. 

So why am suddenly perplexed as to which yarns to pack for a trip to the beach? Travel poses certain challenges to one’s knitting life. You certainly don’t want to find yourself hundreds of miles from your yarn stash, needing that one more skein to finish a project. Worse yet, you don’t want to find yourself with several days of vacation left and nothing left to knit. On the other hand, you really don’t want to drag everything skein you own to the beach, taking up precious room in your suitcase, only to find you didn’t even touch most of the yarn you took.

What to pack to knit at the beach?  After switching off umpteen items in and out of my suitcase, here’s what I’ve finally settled on:

  • A small cosmetic bag of tools (scissors, tape measure, tapestry needle, stitch markers)
  • Inexpensive cotton yarn. With so much illness everywhere, I want to be able to wash my project when finished. If it gets stained en route, no big deal.
  • Easy projects. I have in mind to sit under an umbrella and mindlessly knit, possibly while listening to an audio book. I don’t want to think.
  • Projects I Can Wear or Use While on Vacation. There’s nothing more fulfilling than immediately wearing or using something you’ve just knitted. I’ve packed yarn to make a loose beach cover-up and coasters to use under cold drinks while lounging in the sun. 

What did I leave at home? The expensive wool yarn imported from South America is staying home, safe and sound from getting lost or destroyed. I also talked myself out of taking projects using advanced techniques that would take my attention away from family and friends. And the sheer number of projects has dropped as I pack. Though I like to be prepared, I know I realistically won’t go through more than two – possibly three – knitting projects during the entire vacation.

What’s your go-to knitting supplies for beach vacations???

Safe Travels this Summer, Cindy

Cynthia Coe is the author of The Prayer Shawl Chronicles, a collection of interrelated short stories about knitters and those they meet through knitting and sharing prayer shawls. 

Copyright 2022 Cynthia Coe

Want to Learn to Knit? There’s Never Been a Better Time

Want to Learn to Knit? There’s Never Been a Better Time

Cynthia Coe

It’s never been a better time to learn to knit, crochet or any other craft you can do in your home and by yourself. Fortunately, with a few clicks of your fingers, you can get all the supplies you need delivered to your door AND take classes from top notch instructors right in your own home. If you’re already a knitter, you can take this time to bump up your skill level or just try something new. 

As I check my emails, I notice many craft related companies have stepped up to the plate to offer “something to do” for those of us with too much down time on our hands. Here’s a selected list:

  • Bluprint just announced they will offer a free 14 day trial period for new potential subscribers. They’ve also slashed their annual fee to $39. They offer LOTS of family friendly crafting classes, along with advanced classes for those of us wanting to up our skills during this long break. Also, they ship supplies (including yarn, needles, stitch holders, everything). Bluprint helpfully offers “start-up kits” for newbies, with everything you need to take a class and get started with a craft. 
  • KnitCrate ships two skeins of yarn and a little booklet with patterns for the yarn each month for only $25. They also have a very active Ravelry group for online chats with other knitters. Knitcrate is great if you want to improve your knitting or crochet skills. By making the project you’re sent each month, you’ll learn lots of new techniques. Perfect for those who “learn by doing.” 
  • Michael’s Craft store is sending out emails about every day with crafting projects for kids they will ship to your house. They are currently offering a nice discount on purchases. Update: Michael’s is now offering curbside pickup.
  • JoAnn’s offers online shopping for yarn and other crafting projects. As of now, they offer curbside pick-up. You can also have your purchase shipped to your home. Emails have offered generous discounts for online orders. If you knit a lot and need an affordable option, the big box stores are great options. 

We’re facing an unprecedented disruption of daily life. With all this extra time on our hands, it’s a great opportunity to learn or improve a craft that will calm us down, give us a sense of accomplishment, and help us connect with other crafters while doing something we enjoy. 

Blessings during this difficult time, Cindy

If you need something to do while sheltered-in-place (besides knit), please take a look at my two novels, The Prayer Shawl Chronicles and Ginger’s Reckoning, both available in e-book and paperback editions, both available worldwide.