Hey there, young besties. It's Jeff from Hobby here, and
you're listening to Skiing and Sell the podcast.
That unravels it all, the cozy, the chaotic.
And the occasional controversial things in.
The world of fiber arts. In today's episode, it's.
Tool talk baby. The must.
Have gear that make your crochet or knitting life so much better.
The weird hacks also that actually.
Celeb and the tools that are well, let's be honest OK a
little over hype so if you've impulse bought.
A sheep Sheep row counter at 2:00.
AM only to never touch it again well same or calling it all.
Out with love, so grab your favorite.
Hook the stitch marker. You definitely didn't just.
Fish out of the couch and let's talk gear.
OK, let's talk tools. That are must haves tools that
live on your dining table. So let's start with the
classics. These are.
Things that I actually use every single day.
Ergonomic crochet hooks. I mean, my hands are not 22
anymore. I don't know about you.
But if a hook. Doesn't feel like butter in my
grip. If it's not soft, if it's not
smooth, if it's, you know not. Effortless I.
Do not want it the fancy ones with the squishy handles or the
fun. Shapes are cute, but.
Function first always, I'm at that.
Age where? Wrist pain is real and
crocheting should feel like a massage, not a.
Workout so if you're crocheting still with a.
Plain metal hook and wondering why your thumb hurts.
Welcome. This is your intervention.
All right, Next up. We have stitch markers, the
locking kind, OK, specifically the ones that look like tiny
plastic safety pins. I have them in.
Every color I also. Have them in every finish.
I have them in every material, metal and plastic.
And you know, I even have them with cutesy little croissant and
cat versions and an astronaut version as well and love them.
Somehow I never have enough. They get.
Lost. Where do they go?
Are they? Partying with my missing
tapestry needles and you know. Half used.
Lip balms. I mean, probably I've.
Accepted that these are. Single use only items at this
point. So always buy.
Yourself some stitch markers. It's a really, really good.
Future investment, you know, emotional investment.
Of course you. Also need to get yourself a yarn
Winder and a. Swift, especially for people.
Who work with Hanks? If you buy your yarn and Hanks,
and if you don't have a swift and a Winder combo, what are you
doing I. Love you bestie, but.
What are you doing? I'm so scared for you, I'm so
worried for you. Why are you trying to unwind a
Hank using? A office chair. 3 pairs of knees
and. A full workout.
Cardio. No.
You're about to have a mild emotional breakdown.
Stop it. Get.
Yourself a yarn Winder. Get yourself a Swift.
The Swift are like the. Folding umbrellas 1 and the yarn
Winder. Looks like a little.
Tiny lawn mower and they work. Together.
So beautiful. They're like 2 very separate
objects. But they they blend beautifully
together like yarn and hook, like yarn and needles.
Yeah, you get, you know, perfect little yarn cakes.
And also your patient remains intact and your sanity.
Scissors. OK, scissors.
I own more pair of scissors than is legally necessary.
Yes, this one that I actually have on my table now it has.
A guitar shape. Why?
I don't know. It just does.
That was not the purpose that you know.
Just because it's a guitar shape?
That's not why I. Bought it.
I bought because I just. Need a lot of them.
I mean, there's one in every project bag.
There's one in my Notion pouch. There's one in my kitchen junk
drawer. There's one my bathroom junk
drawer, there is one upstairs in the hallway.
But. Hopefully away from my baby.
I don't. I don't buy the fancy ones
anymore. Per SE.
But I kind of do. I don't specifically look for
buying fancy ones. Because like I said, they do
discipline or like. Folklore, you know.
Creatures, but I do. Almost like to have many
different ones because it's kind of like having a little
collection, you know? And like I said.
It's a very useful. Collection because we.
Do use it. Next up?
Oh of course, darning needles, because weaving in ends is
annoying but unavoidable. Kind of like folding fitted.
Cheat, which is. So annoying.
Or or. Taking out the trash now.
If you get, if you, if you. Don't have a lot of them.
You should start getting more tapestry needles or darning
needles. Because they are.
They just get lost. They get lost.
And it's a must. Have right so.
If you if you're getting new ones, get the bent tip ones
bestie because those are life changing.
They're they, they glide through stitches like.
A dream and they save your finger from doing awkward yarn
gymnastics, so I keep mine. Very, very close.
To me not that safe considering I have a small toddler.
I think I just had one in my hand 5 seconds ago.
Yeah, it it they always get lost, OK, They get lost.
Inside skeins of yarn inside. Project bags inside projects.
Themselves, and the reasons are always unknown.
All right, Next up, you need tape measurers.
So you will. Always need it.
OK, you, you, you. Also never find it.
I own, I don't know, 20 of them, I think maybe more.
One lives in the couch cushions now.
One lives under the couch. One lives in my purse.
One lives tangled with my headphones.
One lives in the bathroom junk drawer.
One lives in the kitchen junk drawer.
One lives in the coffee. Table.
It's just they're everywhere, OK?
They are everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
I just had three. Of them in front of me and now
they're gone. Seriously, get a retractable.
One. I love those so much.
And if it has. Cute little shape or cute little
color? Even better because that's
that's kind of cute. I have like my absolute favorite
one. I have this just a round plain
simple one, very minimalistic and this.
Beautiful light purple. I think we launched it.
A year ago. Or something like that.
It is so cute. And I actually have the original
version of that one that launched.
I don't know, maybe. Six years ago.
Or something like that. It was.
Very similar to the one we have now, the purple one, but it was
pink and I still have it and it's so cute and I have, I'm so
emotionally attached to that one.
All right, I kept. The best for last and this is.
This is a tip. For my knitters.
Out there. If you're a knitter and you have
not tried a needle set. With swivel cables bestie.
I am about to blow your mind. I'm about to change your life.
You know that moment when you're mid project and your cables?
Twist I. Don't know, like it's
auditioning for. Cirque du Soleil.
Or something like that. Well, swivel cables, honey, They
end that madness. They rotate at.
The joint so your cable doesn't coil, it doesn't kink or try to
fight you in public. You know, it's kind of like the
yoga of knitting. The yoga of knitting.
Tools. It's flexible.
It's centered and it's. Here to reduce.
Your rage now there's. Full.
Sets and that's that's really, really nice the.
Full sets I feel are a. Really, really great investment.
And yeah, the kind of a tool that makes you.
Feel like a wizard. Like a fiber wizard.
Cute. Pouch with all your.
Sizes and your cables, they're kind of like I am the main
character kind of needle sets. They're stellar ones on.
Hubby's website. There's also the Batula.
One that I like a lot. But you can find.
A lot of different kinds in different brands that make them.
My absolute favorite ones from hobby are definitely the
Bertula, because I think that deep down inside I think I'm a
Birch. I'm a Birch girly.
I am. Either a Birch girly.
Or a bamboo girly. Because I really, really like.
It when needles. Feel like really squishy.
Almost like when they have that buttery.
Feel. I just.
Yes. So yeah, some of the sets even
come with accessories. They come with obviously cable
stoppers and tingly, tangly gadgets.
And yeah. They're just super cute.
Honestly, if you are a knitter, do get yourself knit needle.
Sets with swivel cables. You need them to survive, and
they make you. Feel like you're.
Levelling up your knitting. So this one 1000% yes.
We interrupt this episode. For a special.
Segment While that explores the history of yawn, it is the
archaeology of yawn brought to you.
By our special. Correspondent Yon Diana.
Jones OK, so today. We're going to figure out where
the humble. Crochet hook.
Actually came from and spoiler. Alert.
It's still a mystery. It's a mystery wrapped in yarn,
dipped in folklore, and probably hidden inside a button tin
somewhere. We actually don't know when.
Crochet started crochet. As we know it, 1 hook, one loop
at a time has almost no archaeological evidence before
the 19th century, and that is. That's wild, because a tool
that's. So essential to so many of us.
It's just, you know, poofed into existence.
There's tons of references to needlework in ancient cultures,
you know, like Knoll binding in Scandinavia or tambor embroidery
in China and India, nodding and netting across the Middle East
and North Africa. But.
Actually. Provable, you know, loop through
loop. Crochet that doesn't.
Show up in. Historical record.
Until 1820 in. Europe, Early crochet hooks.
Weren't, you know, the slick aluminum or aluminium ones that
we know and we. Love they were basically.
Hand carved. Wood.
Or. Ivory, which is.
Bone, actually also even bone they were also made of.
Shell of brass. And sometimes even silver.
You know, if you were fancy, if you offense it, they were made
out of Silva. Well, some.
Looked a little bit like hairpins.
Or timber needles and some were double ended so some were more
like a bent piece of. Wire.
That says, you know, like I'm a hook.
There you go. It has a hook, so.
You can deal with it and if you were living in, I don't know,
1830 in France. Odds are that your crochet hook.
Was about 5 inches long, carved by hand and stored in a very
cute ornate little box next to maybe your lace edge
handkerchief. You know, in your little
Victorian beautiful mansion. So let's review the three main
crochet conspiracy theories, OK? So we have the.
Arabian theory. Which suggests that crochet.
Originated in Middle East, traveling to Europe.
Via the trade routes. But again, no.
Solid archaeological evidence of actual crochet hooks to back it
up. Then there's also the Chinese
theory, which points to tambor embroidery.
Which looks a little bit like crochet.
But it's done on fabric and with a fine hook through a stretch
drum. This technique traveled into
Europe and many have evolved into basically free hand
crochet. And then there's also.
The theory. She just made it up some.
Some historians actually believe that Groche emerged.
Pretty much. Organically in multiple places.
As. People experimented with new
ways to manipulate, you know, threat, basically.
It was just fiber. Chaos and.
Everybody agreed to just try it out.
But by the 20th century, companies like Boy and Susan
Bates in the US made standardized sizes and turned
the crochet hook into this mass market icon.
And now? Well, now.
We are basically just spoiled little brats.
Aren't we? Because we've got ergonomic
hooks. We have.
Glow in the dark. Hooks we have.
I know hooks with mermaid tails. We have hooks.
We have. Hooks that are so.
Fancy that they. Deserve their own like, you
know, little beautiful velvet pillow in a nice mahogany chest.
But the truth bestie while the crochet hooks true origin.
Might always remain a mystery, though.
We love mysteries, right? But that's maybe the.
Part that. Makes it a little magical.
So one simple tool, infinite possibilities, and a history as
tangled as. Your.
Whip, because I know it's tangled somewhere.
You you must have a whip that's tangled.
So whether it came from ancient scrolls or somebody, somebody
was really. Bored.
And then suddenly, you know, they, they sat over a needle and
it got bent and like, huh. Well.
It changed the world one loop at a time, so.
Raise your hook bestie. You are part of a fiber.
Lineage that spans continents and centuries and.
Tons of vibes. And that's pretty epic.
This has been Yandiana James reminding you.
That the real treasure. Well, it's in the stash we found
along the way and also. But I still cannot do a posh
British accent. And that's fine because I.
Can keep. Digging like the true.
Archaeologist. Yarn, yarn, yarn.
Chaeologist. Yarn kaeologist that I am.
All right. Let's talk MacGyver energy busty
because in this part. Of our little episode.
We are going to look into the chaotic good good.
Tools. And hacks that somehow.
Well, they just work. And if you're ever out and about
and you don't have? Access to your proper.
Tool set well. Here is what I.
Found works wonders. First of all, Bobby pins.
Bobby pins as stitch markers. Also, paper clips and safety
pins. And earrings.
And in emergencies, your engagement ring.
Finally, a reason for appreciating my tiny little
diamond ring. But really, Bobby pins.
Well. They're everywhere.
They're cheap. They're perfect for marking
stitches. They hold 2 pieces together.
And you can also pin them in your bangs while you question
your life choices. Why did you?
Cut them at midnight yesterday
and now you've cut them too short.
Your hair was wet and you didn't.
Yeah, never mind. I'm not going to go.
Into that. But the truth is that just like
Stitch. Markers.
Bobby pins do disappear, but I. Think you will.
Always be able to. Find one in a bag and yeah, Next
up I have a really, really fun one, OK, And I know, I know it's
going to be a. Really really really weird one.
Silicon baby teethers for tension relief now after I knit
or. Crochet for a while it's it's
just I get a little. Pain.
OK, yeah, I'm. I'm not, I'm not young anymore.
So the funny part is that I accidentally had my son's little
silicone teeter with me. It's.
This little giraffe. And I kind of squeezed it and I
was like, huh, feels that feels really nice when I release it.
So yeah, laughs aside. But pop one in your bag.
Thank me later. These little.
Silicone rings are designed. Basically for comfort.
And you know, for grip and anxiety chewing, but they're
definitely excellent for hand stretches between.
Projects. Or, you know, just a fidget
when? You.
You know you. Frog the same row. 1000 times
and you're very. Close to.
Flipping a table, but you know they're cute and there's.
There's no. Shame in the theatre game.
Theatre Teeter, teeter, teeter. Game all right.
I also have hair ties as. Skin tamers watch.
Wow, sorry for the sound effects I just had.
To OK, so wrap a hair elastic around your working yarn cake to
keep it from. Unraveling into a noodle
nightmare. You can also use them to secure.
Hooks to projects or. Keep your stitch marker
container from popping open in your.
Bag like a party popper of. Chaos Next up and last one.
I have a good one. Old eyeglass cases.
I mean, these are the travel notion pouches of magic.
Hard shell? Yes.
Cute. Lining a nice and.
Soft yes snapshot. Boom.
Throw in stitch markers, throw in a tiny pair of scissors, get
some tapestry needles in there and boom, it is going to be your
one on the go Survival kit. And you know, it's nice, it's
nice, it's compact and it works. So it's not.
Always. About buying the fanciest
things. Sometimes it's just about.
Looking at your drum drawer and thinking OK, controversial
moment here, but not every. Tool that gets 50K likes on
TikTok is actually helpful. OK, let's let's.
Just let's just open that up. So needle.
Gauges shaped like cute little alpacas.
Yes, they are cute. Yes, they really are.
Are they accurate? Sometimes, yeah, I'm sure you
know, at least. Here at Hobie, we.
Definitely make sure that that. They are.
But are they really necessary? I think that A.
Simple one that works is. Good enough?
Yes. Maybe it's not as cute.
But it should work. So if you don't have a fancy
semantic little cute, I don't know, flower shaped needle
gauge, hook gauge, it's fine. You will survive and.
I feel you. All right, next.
Up we have the. Luxurious artisan hooks made
from rare enchanted wood. Yes, I have found.
Etsy shops that sell that. And I I really.
Questioned the world we live. In.
Don't get me wrong. You guys know how much I love.
Witchy stories and mythical creatures and myths and
mythology and all of that but hooks made from rare enchanted
wood. I mean, let's.
I love myself some pretty tools, I really do.
I do. But if you're hook, if you're
$60.00 or or or. I don't know 70. $80.
Hook 1 Hook doesn't. Glide like butter.
Well, it's just, it's just a Pretty Little.
Object done. OK, it has to glide like butter,
so. These luxurious artisan hooks
made from rare enchanted wood. I am going to Yeah, yeah, I.
I'm not going to go there. That's enough.
I've said enough. All right, Next up, I have
digital. Sorry about that.
See, see maybe it maybe like the I'm being watched now.
By all the fairies that are like.
We have a very, very hard time enchanting all of these trees
and here you are making fun of us.
Digital. Row counters though, I have one
and I've never used it my phone. Battery dies all the.
Time on my phone. OK, so I.
End up never opening that digital row counter.
That app that I paid. For I am not using and I've.
Heard people actually use their Apple Watch for that.
Or their smartwatch for it. And I think that.
That's pretty cool because. Then you have it like on hand
but but yeah, I. Have not used a digital.
Row counter despite having one. Next up we have yarn bowls that.
Tip over that is so. Annoying.
So when you're shopping for a yarn bowl, make sure it doesn't
tip. Over.
Because if you're working with something like a heavy yarn, say
for instance our friend's ribbon or any yarn that has a lot.
Of weight to it. Then I do not trust almost any
yarn bowls. Because, well, they will.
Tip And that's going to make a mess unless we make like a yarn
bowl out of, I don't know, diamond cement and that's a
business. Idea for you there.
Speaking of luxurious Or we can mix it, you know, cement and
diamond. What?
About a sock blocker. The mysterious foot shape
contraption of the netting world.
If you've. Ever looked at one and thought,
wow is this really a? Necessity or is just cute foot.
Cosplay for my socks. You know, Bestie, we will.
Unpack that because sock blocker.
Is it useful? Short answer, yes, it is
actually quite useful. But that depends also.
On. Your sock goal.
So let's unpack it a little bit like.
For instance, sock. Blockers what they actually OK,
so first of all, what they do they they actually block your
socks. Obviously, and they do a.
Really, really good job at it so after.
Washing, blocking your socks on a blocker or on a whatever.
It really it it's. So important because then they
will dry in the. This beautiful shape, right?
And if you're using. A sock blocker.
Then it's going to. Really really really dry in this
ideal shape. Right, so think you know smooth
stitches and. Crisp peel.
Turns and no weird toe curl UPS and.
Basically, your sock goes. From fresh off the needles to
Pinterest ready masterpieces. It also really really helps
with. Attention and stitch definition.
Especially, especially if you're.
Doing a lot of. Color work or lace socks?
Which can get a little lumpy sometimes, so blocking.
Socks that have color work or lace.
Using a sock blocker. Chef's kiss, baby.
Oh, and also. I feel like just overall it
gives you a. Great professional look, a
professional finish, and if you're gifting them or maybe
photographing them for your insta or selling your socks.
Well. Those kind of blockers, yes,
they do make. A big, big.
Difference in presentation. It's kind of like just steaming
your. Outfits for a date.
And yes, I just. Said that out loud because yes,
I like. To steam my shirts.
It adds that. Little bazoos, Yes.
Feeling myself. So I feel like I'm very
conflicted about this one. How?
Useful is a sock blocker. Is it just?
Kind of like, you know, is it just hype?
Or is it? Is it?
Worth buying it? Can I just block?
It myself with some pints and. Yeah, you could do that.
So I I'm conflicted. About this one, OK, do you need
one? I think that.
If you are a sock. Knitter then yes, I think.
Yes, totally worth it if you. Don't knit socks on a regular
basis. Then you're you're fine.
You're good to go. You know, if you're new to to
sock knitting or knitting socks once a year, Nah, you can.
You can get by without. 1 All right, let's.
Look into. Tools that actually.
Save you money and your sanity. So not everything has.
To be expensive. To be essential.
Let's talk tools that are totally worth it.
Let's check this out. Blocking mats and pins
especially. If.
You're diving into garments, into shawls most especially, or
anything Lacy. This is not extra, you know,
it's it's not something that maybe I should do, maybe I
should block it. No, this is essential.
If you're. Making a shawl.
You have to block it. Now blocking it's basically.
The spa day your project actually deserves.
Your project went through so much so your.
Project has been listening. To you for.
Such a long time. It's been listening to your
crying. It's been listening to your
laughter, your trauma. It deserves a spa day.
It basically opens up your stitches.
It evens out your tension it. Gives you that piece of.
It gives you that crispiness and it.
Gives you that. I know what I'm doing kind of
finish. So it doesn't matter if you're a
beginner or you are a lifelong yarn wizard.
Your cardigan, your. Shawl.
Should not. Look like it just rolled out of
bed. Try.
I mean, I know that I'm a little bit maybe and I woke up.
Today on this side of the bed, OK, I woke up on the block.
Your projects maybe tomorrow when I wake up I'm like, I never
block my projects. Because yes, that is also the
case. But.
Today today I am block your projects girl so plus.
Bonus tip, phone plays from kids room.
Thank you. Albert are just as.
Fine, as you know a nice blocking mat sets, but if you
can. Afford it.
Get. Yourself a blocking mat.
Especially if it has. Markings so that you can make so
that you can eventually in the future maybe buy an extra set
and then have an even larger. Space.
All right, Next up that is a must is yarn bobbins and bobbin
winders. So color work.
With a lot of peppy pop, I can say this word because I'm not
doing a British accent color work.
Queens and. Corner to corner connoisseurs.
This one is for you, so yarn bobbins.
Are the absolute. Antidote to the multicolor
Multicolor multi. Colored spaghetti disaster that
we've basically created. When we started.
A color work or. Corner to corner project, so
wine each color in its own little.
Tiny little button side. And yeah, you'll want to finish
your graph can plus using bobbins makes.
Us feel like we're kind of like. Operating a tiny yarn.
Factory. And it's fun.
I like it now. Digital Kitchen scale this.
Is a tool that is the must and everybody kind of has one.
OK, it's not. I know it is not the sexiest
tool on the crafting table, I know.
But it's. Probably the most loyal one.
And you don't. Have to have a.
Kitchen scale. It can also be a coffee scale.
Yes, I am that person. I own an espresso machine and I
use it many times a day because I am obsessed with my coffee and
I. Actually have this coffee scale.
I guess it it waits to like. .000 milligrams, pounds,
whatever, whatever measurements and.
I think that it's a very, really great idea.
To have one around so that you know that when you have maybe a
leftover scheme or when you're maybe doing granny squares, for
instance, right, you're doing maybe granny squares and then
you. Have a little leftover.
In your in your scheme and you can just weight it and then
figure. Out OK, I have.
These many grams. This.
Scheme. Says that and for the.
Sake of easy math, I have 100 grams of yarn for 100 meters of
yarn, right? If I know that I only.
Have 7G left. Out of 100 grams that I know, I
only have 7 meters left of yarn right and this is.
Like I said, for the sake. Of easy math so.
I think it's great. I think it's great.
That it helps. You know.
What to do with leftover? Yarn if you can.
If you know yarn chicken is. Is a real.
Thing and when you want to pretend you're conducting
important fiber experiments you know in a lab boom scale when
you want to get that measurement to the gram if you're a nerdy
one like my best friend she is very very nerdy and she.
Will swear with a digital. Kitchen scale.
So also paired with a notebook. You know, paired with a
notebook. Or if you're a digital babe,
paired. With an app and you will never
play yarn chicken again. OK, and this is a tool that I
think is very useful. Speaking of what I just
mentioned now with a note, a notepad.
Or so but. Hook needle inventory sheet.
Now listen. We've all blacked out, bought a
fifth. 5.5 millimetre. Hook.
We because because, yeah, I think that four and a half, 4
1/2 and 3 1/2 millimeter needles are the ones that just kind of
like evaporate somewhere around my house.
I just, I can never find one. They're always inside a project
and I can whenever I want to start.
A project I always. Kind of uses those needles so I
can never find one that is available.
And it's so annoying because then I don't know which of my
actual project has that one. And I have to like, remember,
OK. This is what did I use.
For this one. So no shame on that.
OK, it's just fact whether you go digitally.
And you have like a nice little. Spreadsheet or you just
scribble. On a sticky note inside your.
I don't know, maybe you have like a notions.
Pouch or a folder. With patterns in there and you
just stick it there and having a list.
Of what you're. Using for which project?
Oh my God, it's. Actually super low effort.
And it is extremely high rewarding.
It's a high. Reward move OK if you got it
under control, if you know your inventory that.
Is. Really a game changer.
So if you're fancy. Of.
Course laminate your lust if you're me, leave it on your
fridge with a magnet. It's a must, you know it's a
must and it's a really, really easy must.
Those are a few little. I feel tools that actually save
you. Money and save your sanity.
So once again, remember blocking mats blocking.
Pins. Yes, yes, yes.
Then we have a yarn bobbins. Yes, yes, yes.
Bobbin winders, shore and hook and needle inventory.
Sheet, Yes, yes. And yes.
So that's our tool talk bestie. From the must haves to the meh.
To the. Hacks that involve binder clips
and Bobby pins, there's. No right way to kit out to your
fiber life, so I hope. That you found at least one or
two little. Tips or tricks that?
Could maybe enhance it. OK, remember, you don't need the
fanciest gear to make magic. You need you, your hook, your
needles, and that spark of chaos, that spark of creativity
that makes. Every stitch yours, so if you've
got a weird tool you swear by. Or notion pouch confession that
you want to. Get off your chest.
Or you just want to show? Us your cool kit with cool
little tools. Well, then either send it to my
e-mail jaya@hobby.com, tag me with #skiing.
Until or hashtag hobby. Podcast because me and probably.
All of us, all of us besties, we would love to see your.
Setup and I want all T on the tools.
You also regret buying the most, so yeah, until next time.
Keep your scissors sharp, your books comfy.
And your stitch markers. Well, where are your?
Stitch markers. Where are stitch markers?
We know we don't. Where are you guys?
Where are you? OK, Love you, bestie.
Bye.