Unventing

Necessity is the mother of invention.  Especially to crafters.  We have our core stash of materials that we may spare no expense, however, if there is a crafting emergency or away from our supplies, we can get downright creative.

There are tons of tips and variations of yarny accessories out there, and I have done a few myself. I have learned that a pair of Chinese takeout chopsticks are the equivalent of a size US 8 needle, bamboo skewers equal US 7's, loom bands can be used as stitch markers or wrapped around needles to secure them in transport, cutting the corner of a zippered plastic bag and threading the yarn through the hole will keep yarn tidy and clean and my favorite needle & stitch marker holder is a metal mint box that is also perfect for doing something with those magnetic business cards and using them to keep needles from shifting.

One of my most recent homemade tools I've utilized is the bread clip bobbin. Bobbins are mostly used for colorwork such as intarsia when bits of color are needed. Yarn bobbins are easily accessible at yarn and craft stores, but if you're like me, the time I need these are at 10 o'clock at night in my sweats. Most of the time you see these homemade bobbins used with one clip, but I'm here to tell you that two works wonders. If you use one and is wrapped full of yarn, the risk of the bottom exploding for all that hard work winding will make you sadder than an umbrella on a sunny day. Use two clips by winding a bit around the center to secure and then lock the yarn into place by winding between the clips. 

These are my tips for today!