What are the best knitting needles?

 

The best knitting needles are ones that you use over & over & over again. They are the needles that glide easily with any project with any yarn. Bonus points if those needles are have interchangeable swivel cables & cables ends to make life easier, so you switch from the back to the front, sleeves etc with your project and not have to worry about dropping stitches or losing needles.

I absolutely recommend these KnitPro knitting needles, not only are they are incredibly beautiful, I love the style, the feel and how they all come together in the set. 

The knitting needles set that I'm using is The Gratitude set that is from the Mindful collection by KnitPro. They are an all inclusive set, knitting needles in a large range of sizes, with all the cables & accessories that you need.

The knitting needles are smooth gliding needles that are easily attached to the cables. The cables have a swivel action, so they won't tangle, bend or crimp in your knitting. If the cables aren't long enough then there are cable connectors included so make the cables longer. The matching accessories included in the cute case are cable ends, darning needles, cable keys (for attaching the cable to the knitting needle) and a large variety & styles of stitch markers.

This handy knitting set is the perfect gift for yourself or the new or seasoned knitter in your family. 

Check them out here for more information!

This has been a collaborative blog post, all images, thoughts & comments are my own.

Knitting Needle review

 

I'm showcasing & reviewing these gorgeous knitting needles, the KnitPro Zing Interchangeable Needle Set.

The set includes 8 different sized knitting needles that are interchangeable with the cables that are included in the handy pouch. 

There are 4 cables included; 2 x 80cm (I'm using 1 in these photos), 1 x 60cm & 1 x 100cm.  Also included within the kit, are 8 end caps, 4 cable keys, 1 set of cable connectors, 1 set of wool needles & 1 set of stitch holders.  

The cable end caps are handy when you want to try on your knitting for size & fit, you can unscrew the needles & screw on the end caps as it stops the knitting from coming off (& coming undone). 

The cable keys are what you use to screw on & unscrew the knitting needles to the cables so they're not too loose when you're knitting.

The cable connectors are used when you need to add extra length to your cable, so you can join two cables together. They're fantastic for those wider projects like blankets and other types of projects.

The wool needles are super handy to have to weave in those ends and I really like these type as the 'eye of the needle' is easy to thread and doesn't snag on the yarn or project.

The stitch holders are always useful and I love the colours that these ones come in.

Things I really love about these KnitPro Zing Interchangeable Needles:

~ they have a lovely smooth firm grip, not slippery at all

~ they are evenly balanced 

~ the cables are easy to use & change (& join) 

~ the cable doesn't kink at all

~ the gorgeous range of colours 

~ the handy box & notions that come with this kit

~ and best of all, there is just something joyous & magical about matching your needle to your yarn!

I love using these Zing interchangeable needles rather than 'straight needles' as the cables are soft & flexible and don't whack my boobs when I'm knitting. 

They are also handy when you pop your knitting down, the needles are NOT sittings straight up in the air and therefore won't get snapped or broken.

To be honest, I switched to interchangeable knitting needles when I had my second baby as I was knitting whilst breastfeeding and the straight needles would constantly tap,tap,tap the baby on the head whereas when I switched to interchangeables, they didn't tap the baby as they were no where near the babies head! 

I also love using these interchangeable knitting needles for projects when I'm knitting in the car as they aren't wide or pointy at all, so they are un-obtrusive and the knitting can easily be pushed to the centre of the cable & the needles stuck into the balls so they don't get in the way when I'm getting in & out of the car.

Overall, I recommend these needles, they would make a great present as they're boxed up so prettily or they'd be the perfect gift for yourself as everything is stored neatly inside the box. 

I'm so glad to know have this full colourful kit as owning a clickety clack rainbow makes my heart sing!

Head over to and check out the KnitPro Zing Interchangeable Needle Set now, you won't be disappointed! 

This has been a collaborative blog post, all images, thoughts & comments are my own.

Pattern Review: The Bionic Gear Bag

An honest, unbiased pattern review of the BGB pattern, all opinions are my own.

What bag is it?
It's the Bionic Gear bag and you can get it here BUT the pattern is super expensive, it is over $20 for just one pattern!  ...No, you didn't read that wrong, twenty bucks is really expensive for a pattern.  
I'm a knitter and a pattern for just $7 is costly but over $20? That kind of money would buy me & my two kids lunch or it would buy 5 fat quarters of fabric or it would buy a new cookbook.
Honestly, I can't believe I coughed up the money for it but I really wanted to make my brother something for his birthday and this was the only thing I could decide upon.

So, I paid megabucks for a pattern, was it worth it? 
No.
Nope.

Absolutely Not.

So what is it (apart from the ridiculous price) that I don't like?

Well,
~ the pdf document is a massive 82 pages long
~ I couldn't figure out what pages to print because there is no note at the start or a Contents page. In fact, I ended up going to an online sewing group especially for the bag & asked as I couldn't figure it out on my own
~ Oh my gosh... the waffle, the dribble, the unnecessary words, sentences, stuff about her mother, her grand-daughter etc
~ I thought I bought a pattern not a book
~ I thought I bought a pattern not a tutorial
~ There is not actual 'pattern' or easy to read sewing instructions
~ It's written like a tutorial and I quote "I’m writing this as if we were having fun and doing this project together.  :)".
No!!! I wanted to buy a pattern not a ruddy tutorial.
~ It hasn't been update since forever
~ It talks about why she 'invented' it ... umm, I don't really care I just wanted the pattern not why etc, if I wanted to know why, I'd read your blog/website
~ It refers to a website that is out of date & gives you a password to access special features on the site but there is no where on the website to add the password
~ It over explains the most basic things, over & over & over again
~ By page 7, I was so confused that I just wanted to poke my eyeballs out
~ There are no quick-easy-to-reference sections just lots an excessive amount of worthless words & photos that really don't explain anything at a glance
~ It keeps referring you back to their website & the useless password
~ She talks about a "Futz Factor"  ...wtf?
~ When you really need some diagrams to help explain things like "Mark a dot 2” in to the left from the future right side" ...there is nothing to aid you and it fact tells you to go "the site" but doesn't bother to give you a direct link
~ gah... the overuse (& un-necessary use) of the words "Lather, Rinse & Repeat" 
....once again..wtf?
~ and if you are lucky (or unlucky) enough to get the Bionic Dumpling Dish included with your pattern, it includes things in the materials list BUT doesn't bother to tell you where or how to actually put them into the dish. Totally useless.
~ Silly me thought that paying $20 for a pattern that it would be a PROFESSIONAL pattern not an amateur pattern.

It's possibly the worst written pattern in history ...but the finished result is really cool!  
Yes, totally weird!   

I wish the designer would 'cut out all of the crap & waffle' and just have a plain pattern with instructions instead of a "hey, I made a bag & put together some instructions that'll be lost in my long-winded tutorial because I'm going to assume that you can't sew for shit" type of thing that costs the earth to buy. 

The designer assumes that you need help,
instead of giving you confidence in making it all by yourself.

Am I being harsh? No.
I joined some of her Facebook groups to get the confidence to sew this bag and then promptly removed myself from them because geesh, things got spiteful when people asked polite questions about their orders, what I saw made me so sick to the stomach with the horrid way they treated people that I run from that group so fast. 
I do not condone bullying in any format for any reason.

Ok, so all this sounds a bit tough but I was just so shocked by the pattern that I wanted to share and if this helps you to decide to make this or not or to choose another pattern then go for it.
Live a little, perhaps try the pattern and see if you agree with me or not, tell me, try another designer just keep making!  
If still in doubt, try one of these patterns and then you will understand what I'm talking about when I talk about a good pattern (especially this one).

Or even better, try the 'original version' of this bag, grab the pattern here....

So tell me, have you made this bag and what did you think of the pattern? 
Perhaps you would like to review the pattern in the comments too.

The bgb / bionic gear bag pattern, is it really worth the money? No.

If you need more Crafty Inspo, then check out my shoppable lists here....

I utilise affiliate (aff) links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you. So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links! Many thanks, Rie

Makers Tote

I've done it... I've finally impressed myself with my sewing skills!  (It's only taken 30 years!)

this post contains affiliate links

This most awesome bag is the Makers Tote and I made it!  Yip Yip!

At first I thought the colours were too much but I stuck in there and finished it but when I stepped back from it ... wow!  I LOVE it!

What do you think - too much colour or just right??

So what pattern did I use?
Pattern is the Makers Tote - keep an eye out for it here.
Magpie fabric is from my stash.

The pattern was easier to make than I thought it would be!  Honestly, I thought I may have been out of my depth when I decided to make it but the hardest thing was just cutting the fabric and that was only hard because my workspace is the kitchen table and well, I have two young kids with bottomless pits for stomachs - if you get my drift!  I used all my skills from when I made this bag -- it was a great way to start my bag journey! 
I'll be making myself another bag and then another -- I LOVE it!

#MakersTote

Tinker Tote

Here I am, sitting here staring at this bag. It is awesome and I made it!  Yes, a super proud Ta daa blog post from me!

                          this post contains affiliate links

The pattern was supplied via this Craftsy class. The class was awesome! I sat down with a cup of tea, watched the it and totally enjoyed it, the instructor is very inspiring.

I then sewed & sewed & sewed!

I LOVE it!  In fact, I'm thinking of making another with longer handles to go over the pram.
I found the skills that I learned in this class will be skills that I can use in all of my other sewing projects. I can now confidently choose colours, cut, sew, quilt as you go, add zippers, attach clasps and ...bind!  Yep, all the most essential skills that you can have if you want to sew!  I totally recommend it, even if it just for the confidence that you gain from the making it.
Have you made this bag?  Will you make this bag? Maybe we should have a bag-along!