Monday, January 17, 2011

I Can Has Stitch Markers?

(In which Count Sockula describes a process and shows work)

This is totally sock-related. I promise. ;-p


So Count Sockula is sitting there learning how to knit a new kind of heel and mini-gusset, and I need extra stitch markers.


Once upon a time Count Sockula didn't have any. This was when I first began to knit and did not realize all the toys that were available to knitters, especially sock knitters.


In such a pinch I used rubber bands and plastic-coated paper clips, which at least had the virtue of color---but you KNOW that I knitted at least one rubber band right into my sock.


Then came the safety pin. Such devices have sharp points. I shall not elaborate.


Obviously, these days, I HAVE markers. Nice plastic ones that have no capacity for causing bleedage.


But because (on a break from the new heel) I grabbed a knitting stuff catalogue and looked at what they had, I yearned for markers with pretty things dangling off them.


Besides, I had seen those dangly markers on someone's blog about knitting an afterthought heel.


Pretty. Shiny. I can has?


So I got out my long-unused jewelry findings and a couple of teeny flat and round-nosed pliers. One jump ring and a charm later, I had that very same kind of marker, and behold! It was indeed shiny and pretty.


It was fun. So I made another. And another. I ran out of charms, ransacked my parts drawer for an ancient Archie McPhee cache of little plasticky dangly thingys, found one or two I didn't hate, and there was no stopping Count Sockula!


If you buy the charm-type stitch markers, they get pretty 'spensive. If you have any jewelry stuff lying around, they are fast, cheap, and easy.


(There's a joke in there somewhere but Count Sockula will let it drift with the tide).


Ahh, but the story doesn't end there, my little sockulites. Went to a craft store over the weekend looking for totally something else, found a lot of pretty dangly things. On Sale! Including new shiny jump rings in different colors. Brought them home. Made more stitch markers from them.


I has a happy.


 

4 comments:

  1. What a fantastic idea. Not only do you have what you need, but you made them yourself, so they're customized.

    But now I think I'm in trouble.

    Besides knitting (and crochet and spinning and weaving and tatting) I also make jewelry. I have an entire *banker's box* of jewelry findings, tools, and beads. I could make these.

    The trouble is, I don't tend to make things that need stitch markers. So I'd have to find an excuse to use them. Hmm...

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