Here I am, writing to you from Raleigh, North Carolina where it is about 26 degrees. This came as a total surprise to me, because when I glanced at the weather for here last night I assumed it had defaulted to Fahrenheit, which apparently it didn’t, because when I stepped off the plane today my hair instantly frizzed, and the warmth swept over me, and I saw the concrete shimmer, and I thought "Oh man. Look at that. I have finally managed to get my computer to default to Celsius" because it was obviously that 26, not the Fahrenheit 26, one of which made tons of sense for December, and one of which is actually summer.
I adjusted quickly (and happily) but someday lets talk about how all of the things I’ve brought with me are stupid. Hold on. I’m just going to shove my mittens in my bag.
This morning before I left (and right before I packed three scarves that are taking up real estate in my suitcase for no damn reason) I packed up my knitting. This time of year is no season to be unprepared for knitting, so I had everything bagged and ready. 
See that? The picture of varied and prepared sneaky Christmas knitting (socks, socks, sweater, sweater) and seeing it there gave me my idea for Gifts for Knitters: Day 6. Bag it.
Now, if you’re a non-knitter, let me tell you something about your knitter that you might not know – or you might know it in your heart but not quite have owned up to it. Your knitter doesn’t just like yarn. They like carrying it around with them. They like shoving it into little bags and stashing it all over the place, and because most knitters are usually knitting several things at once. they like to have a lot of bags. As a matter of fact, I think that knitters and bags go together like Thelma and Louise. I’ve got a bunch of them pictured up there, but trust me, oh trust me – I have more, and I still don’t really feel like I’ve got enough. If you left me to my own devices it’s possible that I would individually bag every bit of yarn in the house, and I’m not so sure that I’m unusual.
The blue and white gingham one up there is a Della Q project bag, charming, simple, inexpensive, but can you stand how cute this one is? (Ok. If you’re a non-knitter you might not be feeling it, but trust me. That’s cute.) They’ve got a little pocket inside, and they’re soft cloth that keeps everything clean and together.
The black and white one there is a classic Tom Bihn stuff sack, crazy useful, and don’t get me started about the fact that they have a clear bottom. Super useful. As a knitter, I have multiple projects in multiple bags and being able to flip it over and see what’s in there without opening it? I love that little feature, and these are extra double plus good for knitters who have a gift for misplaced liquids. They’re pretty much waterproof.
The brownish one with the knitting fabric is a winner from MisoCrafty. It’s a gorgeous box bag with a handle on the top and like the yellow one from Splityarn next to it, it holds nice big projects and all their stuff, plus your knitters wallet, if she or he were just stepping out for a minute. (Also, because some knitter will ask, Yes. Splityarn is also where you get those funny tee shirts. For the non-knitters, yes. That shirt is funny.)
Other options? Slipped Stitch Studios has, as always, a killer assortment of fabric bags with pockets and spots for your mobile phone and are reversible. Sock bags, two skein bags, great big bags. Awesome stuff, and so many fabric choices that there just has to be one that reminds you of your knitter. (Maybe bikes? Oh, wait. That’s me again.)
As a matter of fact, no matter what your knitter is into, I’m pretty sure that you can find someone who makes a project bag that reflects that. Squirrels and Rabbits? Funny little owls? Dots? Not those dots, these dots? One like a tardis? One with a lot of Tardises? (Tardii?) This one has yarn on it. This one is plainer. This one closes with a knot. This one too. This one is sort of scary. This one has bunnies.
Keep looking. Your knitters bag is out there.
I love the bicycle bag! Such a happy yellow!
I’m trying to keep myself from getting more bags because my stash doesn’t have anywhere to go right now. I don’t want to accumulate bags and no yarn, y’know? I’d love to have these bags, though.
As for temps, this SoCal girl is shivering with our highs being in the mid-50s. (Yeah, yeah, I know. We’re just accustomed to the mid-70s.).
Also, got the airy cashmere yarn for Pretty Thing and am almost reluctant to use it. It’s too precious!
Stephanie, thank you for a wonderful night of laughter. We, The Twisted Knitters, will certainly be talking about tonight and sharing some of your stories with the rest of our knitting group who could not be there. Hopefully you will return to Raleigh again!
The one my hubby got me that I don’t know about it. (This link may disappear fast, there’s only one left.) http://www.gilt.com/personal/sale/7971531851225843697/product/1006396378-charlotte-ronson-embossed-leather-tote With embossed knitted cables on it.
…But oh, I do like that bicycle bag. And have a kid who’s an avid cyclist. Thank you, and enjoy the warmth!
See, you should have come on down to Dallas a few months early, where, shockingly, it really is 26 degrees F. Your scarves would be right at home.
Clearly you just brought the scarves and mittens and such along to give them a nice, relaxing vacation in the warmth. They thought they would have to work, but no! just sunshine and easy living. They must be the luckiest scarves on earth.
Don’t worry – you’ll be happy you have those mittens and scarves by Sunday when it’ll be in the single digits (aka just about freezing).
Enjoyed your talk tonight, and I hope you don’t have one of those experiences that ads another banned city to your list!
And for the cheese lover in you, see if someone can take you to A Southern Season. Lots of cheeses (and plenty of other stuff). Sadly, a bargain at half the price…
Love the bags! The rectangular shape with a handle is my favorite. And the way you tease, with little descriptions like “funny little owls, dots, or these dots?…” Lol, makes me gotta see what you’re talking about. Thanks for the tips. I will definitely request some of these in my letter to Santa.
And also definitely a scale, except I’m in sortof a decision dilemma – should I ask for the one that can also be used in the kitchen (measures up to 11 lbs), or a pocket one, or one that weighs many different types of measure (so cool!)? Hmm, maybe all 3, they’re so amazingly reasonably priced.
Definitely tardises. Not tardii. Because tardis is an acronym not a Latin word.
As for bags. -all I can say is yum!!
Welcome to Raleigh. I’m looking forward to your class Saturday Morning. Also, rest assured that you will need the woolens by Sunday. Welcome to winter in North Carolina.
Thank you so much for pointing these knitting bags out!!! I’m already in trouble as I see WAY too many that I already want. I love reading your blog as it inspires me constantly. 🙂
You may very well need your winter items if you are still there on Sunday. AccuWeather says it is supposed to be in the 30’s – fahrenheit scale.
Wishing you a wonderful visit to Raleigh from cold and icebound Kentucky! I love bags almost as much as I love yarn and have a few cool Crystal Clear Project Boxes left in my Etsy shop BlackDogFiberStudio. For the cross-craftual, there is also a sewing pattern to make your own. Enjoy the warm weather in Raleigh!
I hope all you knitters are printing these knitting suggestions, and leaving them about the house. They are great. And these bags are good for things other than wool as well, so one can NEVER have too many. Thanks Steph.
More great ideas. One can never have too many bags. Love the idea of the bags with the “windows” in them.
know knits has a fake fur pouch that is just delicious…grey with orange trim. I love it. It’s like yarn to stroke only better. (Not that I stroke my yarn or anything like that…just sayin’)
know knits has a fake fur pouch that is just delicious…grey with orange trim. I love it. It’s like yarn to stroke only better. (Not that I stroke my yarn or anything like that…just sayin’)
Oh *sob*
I can’t tell you how sadly disappointed I am. I live in Raleigh and you’re never in the southeast, and I didn’t know you were coming and missed my chance to come see you.
I hope Raleigh has treated you well. Maybe you can come back again soon?
Maybe put it in the Harlot on Tour bit so I can go?
Safe travels.
I”m pretty sure there’s only one Tardis.
I currently have 2/4 of the *exact* same bags sitting in my living room in use. I think we might hang in the same circles. 😉
Yes, we do love our knitting bags. I have no bags from any of those places but I do have an assortment from Erin Lane Bags…and Blue Tulips…and Daydee’s Doodads…I like knitting bags 🙂
I got one of these, in different fabric, at Knit City and love it. http://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/150577507/build-your-own-small-reversible?ref=shop_home_active
I still have Tardis Bags in stock 🙂
https://www.etsy.com/listing/110636872/blue-boxes-across-the-years-drawstring?
Saw lots of pics in my FB feed last night of you. Hope you had a great time! And that you brought your warm clothes with you. Tomorrow is going to be nasty. Have a great day teaching!
You were so wonderful last night! I completely enjoyed your talk, and my husband (who was with me) has had great praises for you and your talk ever since. Thank you for coming to Raleigh on such short notice, and yes, you will be grateful for the warm things you brought no later than tomorrow, if not already today.
I purchased a KOALAcaddie last year and love it, using it daily. You are right – a knitter (or crocheter) can never have too many project bags.
https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/KOALACaddie
Project bags really are a great gift!
I loved your talk last night so much! If knitters had a comedy club, then you would be the headliner for sure.
Thank you so much for coming to North Carolina. Please come back again. The talk was great and the class I took on Saturday morning was inspirational. You are a great teacher!!!! I am going to practice my Lever knitting for 30 days. Take care and have a wonderful holiday season.
I am ecstatic about being a textile artist.
I have project bags in my etsy store.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MrKittyIsMyName
I totally just ordered myself a Tardis bag. Maybe it will be bigger on the inside.
By now you will have realized that you are prescient and KNEW that you would need to wear wool in NC, just not right away! Hope the ice misses Raleigh!!!!
I love the ones that close with a knot. I think I need to get out the sewing machine.
i cannot say enough good things about my big bag from slipped stitch studios. i got it for christmas last year and i love the heck out of it. it’s been through the wash once or twice too, and still is just as lovely. and what i really like about it? it’s day of the dead sugar skulls. if you’re funky, this is your knitting bag stop.
Oh, how I love knitting bags! I’ve got them in all shapes and sizes and kinds. In fact, I’ve already trained my husband to get me more bags. One can never, ever have too many bags, right?
Don’t worry. You’ll need your mittens by Sunday when we’ll have had a 50 degree (Fahrenheit) temperature change from Friday!
Well, if Raleigh is anything like Philadelpha, you needed your mittens by evening. Yesterday it was a balmy 61 degreees (F) when I left for work in the morning, and by the time I got home it was a very chilly 41 degrees!
Oh, my!! I love, love, love the DellaQ bag you linked to. So amazingly cute!! Yes, I would put my yarn in there. I keep finding cute bags at garage sales. And I keep buying them. Go figure. I have more bags than I do WIPs. But I still need bags, right? I might not have the right bag for the WIP if I don’t have options. Got to have options.
One day, when my kids have jobs, there will be a point to posting my Christmas Wish List; and on it will be a knitting bag, or several. I love to carry my knitting wherever I go as my life often involves lots of waiting around for other people to get on with their stuff, waiting to pick people up to give them a ride, waiting while other people shop, waiting for appointments. My current knitting bags tend to look a lot like those bags you get that have logos on them – like when you go to the drugstore and don’t want to destroy the planet by taking a plastic bag so you pay 79c for a reusable one. One is from a spice company, one is from a spinning supply house, one is from my bank and one is from a drugstore. The disadvantage is that they don’t close and don’t keep anything neat and organized and if you want a pouch for your accessories you have to tote that along separately. The only advantages are that they are cheap (or free, portable, and free-standing. YES I WANT A PROPER KNITTING BAG!!!!!
Those are wonderful bags! Great suggestions. I think you’re doing a great job with creating content without spoiling gifts.
The SuperNerd deep in my soul compels me to mention that TARDIS is capitalized since it’s an acronym, and my inner Classicist verifies that if it were to have a Latin pluralization it would be “TARDISes.” (Which doubles as its English plural form as well!) Of course, it doesn’t matter and I can take a joke. 🙂
I feel you about the temperature! I go to school in southern Virginia, so, we experienced the same strange heat wave that you must have. Also, I love all these bags! I’ll have to put some of them on my own wishlist.
I’m working in TN, but I’m from VT. I HEAR YOU about the weather. and WHY am I reading your blog and commenting instead of working on the Christmas socks I brought with me? 😀
You can check out my project bags at
http://www.mainstreetyarns.com/collections/knitclutch
You cannot tell from picture but there are grommets in the back of bag for easy sliding for yarn and a key fob on front. Fun and different. Love your blog!
That bag you linked to from Della Q is stinkin’ cute!!
How do you keep your 14″ needles safe from breaking when carrying project bags? Only the biggest bags are long enough to hold them, but I use long needles for small projects too (especially lace) and a big bag is overkill for long needles and one skein. I’ve made WIP tubes out of PVC pipe (like the ones for double points, such as this http://www.nancysknitknacks.com/WIP%20Tubes%20A%20.jpg) to keep long needles from breaking (I like wood best) but they still don’t fit into project bags. Anyone else have this problem?
I LOVE, LOVE my Thomas Bihn Bags, mom and I went on a self-propelled, knitting-weaving-craft-bag-stitchery shop “crawl”, from Portland, OR and ended up at the Thomas Bihn warehouse and factory. . and, well I spent a fortune there that day, LOL. My Favorite is the large Knitting tote called the swift!
http://www.tombihn.com/knitting_bags/TB0660.html#videos
Loved meeting you and hearing your “talk” in Chapel Hill! It did get cooler over the weekend so you may have needed some of those wooly items later during your trip. Safe travels home!!
I also love those bags. I have just graduated wanting a bag with shape – not just a soft draw-string. So…I’m going to search out those zipped bags. Thank you.
alison-i’ve never needed one so i’m not sure of the dimensions, but can’t you get a mailing tube from the post office or ups store? it isn’t a perfect solution but it will give some protection.
I love my project bags so much, I’m working out some way to hang them all over my walls. Why not show them off, right?
They are definitely cuter than what I generally knit.
Oh man! I love project bags – which is why I started making them!! I’m glad I was able to keep a couple of the experimental ones. 🙂
Katie =^..^=
P.S. I love that purple decorated one…hehe
I have tried and used them all over the years – my favorites are the plastic ones that knitpicks sells. The plastic is sturdy, but not too stiff, they come in 3 sizes, are inexpensive and they have handles. Best of all, I can identify projects immediately. When I meet someone for lunch, I can throw my wallet in it, and carry it like a little see-thru handbag!!
Vera Bradley made a bag a year or two ago–the name of which is “Cheers to You”–meant as a gift cover for a bottle of wine. But it’s perfect for sock yarn in progress–as it’s just big enough to hold to balls of sock yarn, plus the sock in progres
Bags! What are they if not portable bins?
And I have to say I’m feeling a bit validated now, having just recently given in to my inner Martha Stewart and bought a 9-cube organizer AND 9 lovely fabric bins to go with, all so I can organize my knitting projects. Not, of course, that it stops me from also stashing yarn/needles/patterns in other household baskets…for instance in the living room credenza, etc.
Now about those bags…
Oh, I’m all giddy and laughing right now!!! Yes. YEs! YES!!!!
It has always been my philosophy that this bag thing is a contest and the one who has the most wins….just what you win is a little vague, but maybe having all of the bags is enough of a prize! (And when you combine knitter with teacher the desire for bags is increased to a ridiculous degree!) Thanks for more bags to drool over!
Quick question….totally new topic…..
I’m knitting a wool hat but have run out of yarn. I have about 4 rows left. I do have some cotton yarn the same color as the red stripes in the hat and am wondering if it’s ok to finish it off with cotton. I know it’s not great, but will it work? Or will it be a catastrophe?
Thanks.
I love the yellow bicycle bag! I have to admit to being addicted to project bags and buy almost anything with flowers on it-fits the name wildflower wool 🙂
elizabeth-if i were knitting the hat i’d try to find the same weight wool in a color that doesn’t fight with what’s already in the hat. i’d be afraid that if i mixed cotton with wool, it would handle differently in the wash.
i look forward to seeing what others say.
I have a completely different question. Ever since I saw your Afterlight in Progress I’ve been waiting for the FO. Have I missed the post? I’m thrilled because for the first time in my life I dared to knit as I go, so to speak, trying on and making design decisions in the process. I’m almost done with the body of the sweater, but still scared stiff. Could you please show me it’s possible to win? By getting gauge and trusting? Please, pretty please 🙂
How do we contact Stephanie to set up a visit to our knitting guild?
WHOAMYGOD. I just broke The Christmas Rule (no shopping for myself in December) and ordered the Tardis bag. Coolest thing EVER.
ahh yes i am down in atlanta and the weather keeps going back and forth here also . yesterday was the coldest night in the 30’s
I know you’ll understand this. I forgot I had purchased fabric (printed with Rocky and Bullwinkle, hubby’s favorite characters). I found it in my Christmas hiding place when I pulled everything out to start wrapping. In the meantime I had found a pretty-much-perfect reincarnation of his grandfather’s bathrobe and declared it the perfect gift. So, Rocky and Bullwinkle will soon be project bags. I’ll use them to stash the yarn and squares for his new blankie.
I should mention a huge holiday stress relief. The Cornerstone Blanket is still incomplete. It was supposed to be last year’s gift. I finally found, and had money for (that doesn’t always happen at the same time), an appropriate yarn for the borders last week. While I was driving myself crazy trying to find a way to finish it and everything else on time my sweet daughter, mother of the most wonderful grandchild on earth, called and said, “I got Daddy a new blanket for Christmas. Do you think he’ll like it?” I am officially off the hook, finishing wise. I have plenty of time to finish it before our anniversary.
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