#knitting tools

If you're interested in ordering some yourself, you can find my shop here:

The current turn-around time is 1-2 weeks for the first order, 2-4 weeks for the second, 3-6 weeks for the third, etc.

Do you have any recommendations for someone with dyscalculia and knitting? as dumb as it sounds, I really want to get into it. I have tried a few times but I mess up the simplest of rows and usually it ties back to the fact (or so I think!!) that I struggle with counting :( Feel like a bit of a dumdum tbh.

Are there any methods a baby knitter may not be aware of that could help?

Thank you for your question! I am not super confident on this subject, but I will try my best to write down a few tips. I did study a bit of special education a long time ago so I should know a bit about this tho. I asked my former spec ed classmate for help as well.

What first comes to mind is picking a pattern that doesn’t require much counting, or a pattern where the fit doesn’t matter. For example, with a long, narrow scarf it doesn’t matter much if it ends up being 30 or 33 centimeters wide, so that could be a good place to start if you are new to knitting.

But I am sure you want to create more exciting things than just long scarves.

Casting on the right number of stitches can be tricky for anyone. When casting on a specific number of stitches it helps to use markers. Cast on 10 stitches, place a marker, cast on 10 stitches more and so on. The markers can be removed later.

There are a few tools that could be useful to try. Row counters and gauge rulers may be useful. Use lifelines. And use markers.

Identify which parts of the pattern that require counting, and which parts can be measured for example by trying the piece on. If you are making mittens, then you may need to count the number of stitches to cast on, but the rest of the mitten can be knitted based on how it sits on the hand. Mittens and socks require a quite small number of stitches, and if you are using dpns the stitches are naturally distibuted on four needles which could make counting easier.

Learning to ”read the knitting” may also help. I am not sure if this is also something that is more difficult with dyscalculia. Reading the knitting can mean for example seeing wether the next stitch on your left needle is a purl stitch or a knit stitch. Another example would be if you are doing decreases, being able to see if the row before was a decrease row or a plain row by how the stitches look. And reading the knitting is not something you need to do with your eyes. It might even be easier to read the knitting using your fingers, feeling the stitches.

Using two or more colours could actually make counting easier, because the different coloured stitches are easier to see. The same goes for texture stitches I think, since they make the stitches look and feel different from each other.

If anybody has experience with knitting and dyscalculia, or useful tips please do share!

Hello my crafty people! I wanted to share something I thought would be a great tool for those creating plushies through crochet, knitting, and fabric. Craft Easy Tools has created a safety eye snapper tool that can help ease some of the pain of trying to pop on the little eyes. They are trying to raise enough funds to create a stringer model of the tool and have it more readily available to more people.

If you have the time, please check this out and spread the word. It is a cool gadget and I believe more people could use it for their projects.

Disclaimer: I am not getting anything out of this. I just want to share something that can possibly help others.

Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/crafteasytools/craft-easy-tools-safety-eye-snappers?ref=discovery_newest?ref=discovery_newest

Also a video with a better explanation: