Wednesday, March 7, 2012

HOH in Crochet: The Supplies (Giveaway for Crafter's Tool Butler-CLOSED)


One of the things that makes knitting and crocheting so appealing is their portability. You really don't need much to keep a project with you as you're about town. Hooks or needles, a ball of yarn, the work in progress and a bag to carry it in if you are worried about it mixing around in your purse.


I am going to share the supplies I keep on hand for crocheting at home and on-the-go, including a review of the new and very versatile Jordana Paige Crafter's Tool Butler. There's a GIVEAWAY for a Crafter's Tool Butler too! If you can't settle on just one form of handiwork this may be just your thing (and who wouldn't love a "butler"?!).

Click below to read the details and enter the giveaway.

How-to tutorials, patterns, giveaways, reviews and interviews to make certain you are smitten.




For years now I have carried around this fuchsia faux patent bag to doctor's appointments, on plane trips, and shoved into my checked baggage on holiday visits. My sister, Sarah, gave it to me a few years ago for Christmas and it never fails to earn a double-take. It's funny because I have a few other better looking and higher quality bags but this one always gets the compliments. I guess it's hard to miss.

I've loved carrying it around because it's the perfect size for a medium sized knit or crochet project and a few skeins of yarn. I've been known to carrying around a few baby hats in progress or one or two scarves. It also has two zippered pockets for stashing some of the other essential supplies too. I have purchased a bag designed specifically for knitting and crocheting supplies but keep coming back to this one for its simple open compartment. If you are looking for a bag I would recommend starting out simple. My good friend Sue still prefers a reusable shopping bag with a drawstring at the top for similar reasons.


Whatever your pick for a bag, you'll need to consider a way to carry around a few other little tools, namely:
  • the hook, or hooks, required for your project (I'll talk more about hooks in a subsequent post)
  • a small pair of scissors for clipping yarn when you finish (I have a blunt pair and a little capped pair of Fiskars, which I love)
  • a tapestry needle for weaving in the ends (these are blunt with large eyes for threading yarn)
  • safety pins or stitch markers for marking your place for pattern changes, counting, or for help in seaming your project correctly
  • sewing needle and thread for sewing on buttons 
Crochet patterns will usually specify all the tools and materials you'll need but these are pretty standard.


I used a little pin box (came with the purchase of some straight pins) to hold a couple tapestry needles, safety pins, and a sewing needle and thread. I have a few straight pins in there too. You never know...


When not in active use I've been storing my other crochet hooks and knitting needles in a small cabinet, which used to be my grandmother's. It's been fun to use it as she did but it's also the perfect height for toddlers to play in and it's been difficult to keep track of my inventory. Seems I'm often more likely to find the hook I need under a girl's bed than where it should be. So I was excited when the Jordana Paige company contacted me about her new Crafter's Tool Butler. The name is just perfect! Who couldn't use some help keeping her crafting supplies organized?


This case is designed to store supplies for all your handicrafts: crochet, knitting, embroidery, cross stitch, probably many other things you could imagine too. I love the fact that it caters to those of us who can't pick just one thing to do with our hands! It measures 10.5" x W 2" x H 6.5", is made of "vegan leather" (are you up on this latest term for PVC?), and has multiple compartments for all your stuff.


I loaded mine up with all the crochet hooks that had been tossed in a drawer and quickly saw that I have four "J" hooks and am missing a few others. There's even a little inventory card for keeping track of this sort of thing. How would it be to know at a glance what you have and what you don't? I put my small scissors and tapestry needle in small zippered pouch by the needle pockets. I like the fact that it's mesh so I can easily see what I've got.


Then into the large zippered pouches (also mesh for easy seeing!) I stashed all sorts of things, which hadn't had a logical place before, such as: stitch holders for knitting...


...my stitch counter (love this little red thing!) and tool for measuring needle/hook gauge when I can't identify the size...


...some circular knitting needles...


..and stitch markers (for the times when I opt not to use safety pins!).

There's room for storing even more, such as a small pamphlet of patterns such as those they display on the yarn aisles. I think this would be really ideal for embroidery since you could store different color threads, and even projects, in the zippered pouches. Makes me want to take it up right away! It isn't big enough to store my long knitting needles but it can handle the double-pointed ones and just about everything else. The Crafter's Tool Butler is small enough to fit in a decent sized crafting bag  but I'm not sure I'd pack it along with my current project for every day. It's a great way to keep track of things at home though and I can imagine taking it with me on a longer multi-project trip--wouldn't that be nice?

Want one? The nice people at Jordana Paige are giving one away! It's been so nice to become more familiar with the company. (Did you know Jordana Paige started her company when she was just 18 years old? How great is that?)



To enter to win (multiple entries possible):
For extra good luck, this giveaway is open for entries until midnight, March 17th! Then I'll pick a random winner and announce it on the blog.

WE HAVE A WINNER!

238 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   201 – 238 of 238
Jessica said...

I "Like" the Facebook page for Aesthetic Nest

jessicarwarfield at gmail dot com

Amanda said...

I desperately need one of the crafter's handbags. With all my crochet supplies in a big basket with my yarn, it's a mess! And with a toddler in the house, it's constantly in disarray.

Amanda said...

I liked Aesthetic Nest on FB!

Amanda said...

Her story is AMAZING! I am most impressed with the $15,000 she raised selling her imperfect bags, all going to charity. Such an inspiration and makes you feel anything is possible when you have the heart and right frame of mind.

Taylor Entsminger said...

I would love to win the Crafter's Tool Bulter! I would store all my Crochet hooks in it. Right now they are all in a ziplock bag. Great giveaway!
TayEntsminger@gmail.com

Amanda said...

I would use this whenever I get to travel to visit my parents or for work. It would be so useful to throw in my carry on!
I'm also following you guys, great post!
Amanda

Taylor Entsminger said...

I am now following you on Facebook!
TayEntsminger@gmail.com

Sandi said...

This is every yarn hobbyist's dream for organizing your stuff.
Sandi
Lafayette, La

Sandi said...

Am a follower.

Sandi said...

liked you on facebook

Sandi said...

It is wonderful and amazing that such a young person did such a great job with a need and a dream.

Kim said...

Love the Crafter's Tool Butler! I have been looking for something to help me organize all my crochet hooks and scissors and such.

Anonymous said...

i follow you!!

Angela said...

Lovely crochet here. Great tools. Love those crochet needles.

Angela said...

Lovely crochet here. Great tools. Love those crochet needles.

rads said...

lovely giveaway! .. would totally help keep my tools organized

rads said...

wow- 15,000 in donations!

rads said...

following you now

Sheery said...

Your blog is beautiful and I am a new follower!

I also just recently discovered Jordana Paige. Her products make me drool but I haven't yet purchased anything. I'm sure I will, though. I really admire that she and her company are charitable.

If I had the Crafter's Tool Butler, I'd store all my crochet supplies that my young children are always fascinated by and inevitable carry away with them.

Rebecca said...

If I have the strength to give it away, I would gift it to my Granny for all her DPNs, crochet hooks, and circulars. The best gifts are the ones we would rather keep!

Kimberly said...

I liked you on Facebook

Kimberly said...

I liked you on Facebook

Kimberly said...

I have also followed you on my blog "Kimberly Can Has KitchenAid?" You're my first follow.

Kimberly said...

I use a cosmetic bag for my hooks and notions. The Butler has pockets for organizing better, though! And I bought bags during the JP fundraiser, too. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I am glad I found your page! I liked you on Facebook and hope others do too!

Anonymous said...

The first time I heard of Jordana Paige it was a knitting friend who showed me her craft butler she just ordered. I'm saving for one of my own!

Anonymous said...

I followed you on Facebook and shared your page with everyone! :)

LynnIL said...

I would use it to organize my knitting tools. I think it would be quite handy!

Eiresicilia said...

Found you thru Jordana Paige about the free butler bag, how cool :) Subscribed, Liked You Aesthetic Nest, already fan of Jordana Paige and have "Pinterested" and "Twittered" for good measure. I would love the egg plant purple butler bag.

Melissa said...

Liked your fb page. I love JP products :D

Anna M said...

I'm actually thinking I'm going to need two of these. One for my knitting and it will hold the usual suspects.

However I also want one for an on the go mixed media bag. I can store watercolor 5x7 sheets, large tags and ATC's in the zippered compartments. Markers, Watercolor pencils and a waterbrush in the other side. I'm sure I'll find ways to fill this up, pop it into my backpack and then I can do my art when I find a cool thing to inspire me.

bitsy8 said...

I would use it in my knitting bag, especially on Knit Night with friends.

danielle said...

This would be so perfect to keep the essentials for traveling....whenever I go anywhere that hubby is driving, I take a project with me. It would be nice to be so organized that this would be the only tool kit I would have to grab to go with anything I am making!

MicheleinMaine said...

I would use it to organize my many, many circular needles.

I'm a bag entrepreneur as well, and respect what JP has built.

SurpriseAvonLady said...

Being an artsy person, my hooks,scizzors, tape measures just cannot play nicely and scatter around the house. A tool butler might get everyone gathered together! I am knitterdawn@gmaiil.com and just found your site. Yayy!

SurpriseAvonLady said...

Following on fb too! KnitterDawn

Anonymous said...

I am a follower. I love your Tutorials!

Anonymous said...

Love the space for all my DPNs for my road trip this summer when I plan to knit a lot of socks!

«Oldest ‹Older   201 – 238 of 238   Newer› Newest»
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...