#yarnit

So TL:DR , I helped fund the Yarnit kickstarter for the creation of a bigger and better Yarnit. I was unemployed at the time so I only pledged enough to get a pretty basic Yarnit (with sparkles) and I kind of loved it but here are some alternatives

My dear friend @thegoddesswater​ though, pledged for the new and improved Yarnit and has a host of issues. I know there are a bunch of other people in the same boat as she is so I’m here to present, as queen of long-ass commutes, alternative to Yarnits!

Long post is long

So the obvious answer is project bags. I bought a couple of these small bags from knitpicks with my last order and can honestly say I’m a huge fan. Pros:  - flexible exterior means they can easily be stashed anywhere but also can hold almost everything  - independent of anything else; these ones have a drawstring and can be easily closed and carried without the need for another carrier - fun to look at; Knipicks has some really fun designs in them that apply to both knitting and crochet

Cons: - single storage space; yeah, these bags hold anything and everything but try to find a lone stitch marker in a mess of yarn and hooks and ephemera.

So this is the Yarn Valet Yarn Holder Plus Storage. I bought it off Knitpicks though I’ve recently seen them in my local Michaels. As you can see by the picture... I don’t really use it. The description sounded really neat and the draw was to not only have my yarn and hook kept together but the pattern was protected as well as readable in the plastic tube.

Pros: - Thin makes it easy for storing it in a larger bag if you’re say, commuting with a backpack or messenger bag - Stores yarn, hooks/needles, and you pattern! You don’t know how often I lose a page of a pattern to rain... water bottles... textbooks... dogs... - Stores yarn in any form: ball, skein, cake, etc. though you are limited by space

Cons: - I found the shape super awkward as I try not to commute with larger bags at rush hour - The long, thin structure also loans itself better to knitting, I think, than crochet. My hooks would get jostled to the bottom and tangled in the ball or skein

All joking aside, this worked.  Pros: - Holds everything you need for the project: pattern, ephemera, yarn, etc. - You get a large stuffy at the end... or a bag. Cons: - SO MANY LARGE STUFFIES! - Like, what if you want to make a sweater? What do you do then? - Doesn’t really protect your project... because it is your project.

That’s not to say I don’t still use my Yarnit. I do and it is my go-to to hold onto balls and cakes of natural fibres that my dogs love to get hold of.    But I can’t deny the way the company and the woman behind it has treated her backers who went out of their way to give her money and have been lied to and put off for far too long.  My new Yarnit review: Pros: - The sphere part is pretty and very durable - Rubbery, non-slip bottom to hold the bits associated with your knitting/crochet - Space to stick your knitting needles when you need to put aside your work - Small enough to be packed into larger bags but large enough to hold enough yarn to keep you busy

Cons: - Creative team (And that’s personal but if the people making your product is important to you, I’ll expand on it in PMs. Drop me a line. I’m usually friendly)  - The bottom piece does tend to loosen with age. Mine is constantly falling off in my bag and I’ve lost a ton of needles this way. You can buy others but I feel this is a waste. - The dome is held together with tiny rubbery stoppers that fall out and wander off. - The original Yarnit is quite small. It holds a little over 50 grams of yarn in a ball and a little more in a cake if it’s a finer weight and a small cake. - Crocheters, you can’t really stick your hooks in the same way a knitter could put their needles in, especially if you’re using ergonomic ones like I am.