Knitter's Tool Tins :: A Review

(Spoiler alert! There's a discount code at the bottom, so make sure you read the whole thing... :) )

Way back in the day, when I really started knitting in 2007, I loved to store things in old Altoid tins. I ate a lot of Ginger Altoids and hated throwing away the tins when the mints were gone, so I would decorate the lids with nail polish and use them for....stuff. It was only natural that I put my knitting tools in one and carry it around with me. It was so handy! But I never found a pair of scissors or tape measure small enough to keep in there, so those things were always separate. Kinda annoying.

So then my knitting Altoid tin broke some years later and I started using a little zipper bag thingy from Namaste, which happened to fit my scissors. Score! But it didn't fit my tape measure. Boo. So I still had more than one "thing" to worry about when I was carrying around my knitting. Still kinda annoying. For years, I thought: "Wouldn't it be nice if someone sold little kits of knitting tools that all fit into one cute container?" And, as it ends up, my good pal, talented designer Sarah Wilson, aka The Sexy Knitter, does.

The Knitter's Tool Tin is a brilliant invention of Sarah's, stocked in her Etsy shop, and she graciously offered to send me some last fall to review for all of you.

As you can see in the photos above, each tin includes a tape measure, teensy tiny scissors, 5 cute stitch markers, one of those cool double-ended crochet hooks that can be used to fix dropped stitches or just as a crochet hook, a stitch holder, a cable needle, a tapestry needle, and two more types of sewing needles. They all fit perfectly into an Altoid-style tin so you just have to grab and go. Sarah has a ton of great styles of tin lids (and even offers a freebie to anyone who submits a photo that she ends up using), though this month's exclusive styles are looking pretty good to me...(*wink*)...

(Ignore the dent in the Itineris one on the right. Totally my fault. Well, totally my 3 year old's fault.)

So what did I think of the tins now that I've had some time to use them? In two words: they're brilliant. Everything I was carrying around before was right there inside the tin. (Well, I did pop in a couple of removable stitch markers, but I just recently started using those a lot.) And they are quality products. The tape measure is good, the needles are good, the crochet hook thingy is awesome. The scissors (which are apparently new as of August) are fantastic. They're so teeny! But somehow they still snip yarn perfectly. I'll admit I didn't try steeking, so I don't know how great they are for that, but for every day knitting needs: great. (And really, how often does one steek away from one's home?) The only item I wasn't a huge fan of was the stitch markers. But I'm weird. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the stitch markers. I just don't like dangly stitch markers. Any of them. (I cut up straws, cheap-o style.) I will say that I did use them and they were fine in a pinch -- and they're so cute!! -- but I just couldn't love them like I wanted to.

Sarah suggested stashing a tool tin with each project I had going on, and this was a great suggestion. I'm actually a pretty monogamous knitter, but I always, always have project bags hanging around, packed with wound yarn, needles, and notes ready for swatching or starting a new project. With a Tool Tin in each one, I never had to search around for my little tool bag and tape measure. IT WAS SO HANDY AND MY LIFE IS CHANGED. Also? I do most of my knitting these days with a sleeping baby on top of me, so even avoiding walking across a small room for a knitting notion is nice.

Lastly, I love the little magnetic strip on the inside of the lid. So smart! I always seem to have to hunt for my needles, but not anymore.

Every month, Sarah does a set of exclusive tin styles and I'm very excited to say that my designs are featured atop her tins this month. The available styles are pictured below, going clockwise starting at the top: Glacerie, Itineris (this one's my favorite), Arrows Cowl, Spots Cowl, and (not pictured) Citron.

Each Tool Tin costs $25 plus shipping, or the whole set of 5 tins with exclusive The Yarniad designs can be had for just $100. OR, if you'd really like to stock up, Sarah offers tins at a wholesale discount of $150 plus shipping for 12 tins (that's 50% off) and doesn't require a wholesale license for these orders. I may actually take advantage of this at Christmastime next year -- these make fantastic gifts. (And I also want more for myself...) Click here for the wholesale listing.

Sarah is offering a discount to readers of The Yarniad and has set up a coupon code, FriendsofHilary, which is good for 20% off a purchase of $25 or more, excluding wholesale orders and the whole Yarniad set (which already has a nice discount). This coupon code is good for 10 days starting now....so what are you waiting for??