I use my yarn bowl a lot. Any time I'm knitting at home, I'm using it. I've learned my lesson about knitting without one - if I pull too hard on the working yarn, the ball rolls to the floor, and gets covered in white dog fur. It's not pretty. It didn't take long to learn that lesson, so I invested in a beautiful, locally handmade ceramic bowl.
There have been a few occasions when I've needed an extra bowl - too many WIPs, frogging and re-skeining, etc. As much as I'd love another handmade bowl, I didn't really want to invest in another one if it would only see minor, occasional use. So, I DIY'd one.
I know this isn't exactly ground-breaking, but I thought it was really clever. You only need two things, both are readily accessible, household materials - a bowl with a thin edge and a binder clip. That's it! I've also used a wide-mouth mason jar and plastic drink pitcher in place of the bowl in a pinch.
If you're planning ahead and DIY-ing before you start your project, you can just clip the binder clip to the edge of the bowl and thread your yarn through the loops of the clip.
But since I almost never think to do that, I'll show you my "oh shoot, I need a yarn bowl now" method.
First, pop the loops off of the clip itself. Just squeeze the two sides together and slide it out of the clip - repeat on the other side.
Then, place the loop over your working yarn so that it is between the two prongs and put it back on the clip. Repeat for the other side.
Last, just clip the binder clip to the bowl, being careful not to twist your working yarn (ask me how I know).
I realize I probably over did it with the pictures in this post, but I tried to explain this once without a visual and it lead to a lot of frustration. I hope you found this helpful!
Do you use a yarn bowl for your knitting? It seems people either love 'em or hate 'em, there's not much middle ground. Which side are you on?
What a clever idea! I don't use one yet but I have been coveting a beautiful one I found on Etsy. I think it will be making its way to my doorstep sooner rather than later. :D
ReplyDeleteVery clever! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHow clever! :-D
ReplyDeleteLove your diy version, this will be very handy when knitting at home. I tend to carry my projects in a bag and when I sit on the couch to work on them I often end up sitting on the bag with the yarn in it. I doubt I'll end up sitting on a bowl or a jar ;)
ReplyDeleteWell, that is clever. I'll have to keep it in mind!
ReplyDelete