Teach me about stitch markers

[jesse_the_k]

I’ve been tasked with making some stitch markers, and I’m a knitting idiot.

7mm, 9mm, or larger rings? Closed loops? Hook like an earring but tighter? Small round clasp?

How simple should dangles be so they don’t catch in the work?

Can you point me to the ones you love? Warn me of the mistakes not to make?

Comments

[xeger]

"It depends".

I use 6mm rings for fine work, and 8mm rings for larger work -- they're much like tiny keychain rings (spiral, can be put on/off of the cable part of circular needles easily) -- and are both easy to detect in the flow of work, by hand, if not by eye, as well as not intrusive enough to cause gaps in the fabric from being in place.

I've also got a few colours of bulb pins, which are handy when you're trying to add a marker to the needle, rather than the cable (or when you're wanting to mark out a stitch further down).

It's probably worth noting that safety pins tend to be fail as markers, because it's so easy to get the yarn tangled up in the head end, or split, or both -- and that makes a mess of your project.

While I'm sure that some people like markers that can't be opened, I'm not one of them -- I'd need to reliably remember when to place markers (and not drop them), which just isn't going to happen. That said, an openable marker should be easy to open, and stay closed once it's in place (completely unlike a dungeon door) -- I wouldn't want to have markers that couldn't be opened/closed one-handed either, since needing both hands would lead to frequent dropping of stitches.

As far as dangles go, it's not so much needing to be simple, as needing to be smooth/non-catching -- a simple thing with sharp edges is way more problematic than a jangle of smooth beads. That said, I personally don't like them much, because I tend to use lightweight yarns, and they're often heavy enough to distort the knitting (which really just boils down to "pick appropriate weights").

Hopefully this helps a bit -- if there are parts that are unclear, confusing, or just "Huh, what?", feel free to elbow ;D

Very helpful!

[jesse_the_k]

Thanks a lot.

FYI, "keychain rings" are called "split rings" in jewelry jargon.

*snort* re dungeon doors: Now I want to market a Goth-themed line of stitch markers with dungeon and ball & chain charms.

Speaking of findings ...

[xeger]

Speaking of findings -- would you by any chance know where to find cufflink findings like the sort here or here (warning -- that site has some truly amazing cufflinks -- I continue to drool over these Art Nouveau Lion Cufflinks).

... and trying to find a picture actually led me to a suggestion to search on 'ball return cufflink finding', which took me to pasternakfindings.com and their unhelpfully named "18K Yellow Gold Cuff link- Pair" which look like they're pretty close to the right thing, although totally out of my price range, and still lacking any method other than trawling through pages of google images to try and find them :(

Re: Speaking of findings ...

[jesse_the_k]

Rio Grande has several fixed-end cuff link blanks:

https://www.riogrande.com/category/chains-and-findings/silver/incidentals/cuff-links-and-tie-tacks

But you need a wholesale permit to buy there.

This seems like a perfect job for 3D printing, or barring that, precious metal clay.

[sanguinity]

I don't know how useful my input will be: I make lace with fine-gauge yarn, and anything that can snag the yarn or tangle in the openwork, will. Consequently, I prefer absolutely smooth, closed, undecorated rings. My preferred size varies with needle diameter, but large enough that I can comfortably put a needle-tip into the ring while it's still on the body of the other needle, so... inner diameter maybe 2x the needle diameter?

More data is always good

[jesse_the_k]

Also: increases my admiration for lace makers!

smooth, smooth, smooth

[ironymaiden]

I hate rings with splits or jump rings. They inevitably get caught in my yarn. Opening rings sound like a cool idea but I've never had luck with split ones that weren't commercial plastic.

My favorites have soft loops rather than rigid rings - tiger tail or elastic. My absolute favorites are these yarn balls. They show up against my work and my needles, they're perfectly smooth, and they work on every size of needle I own without disturbing the stitches.

Re: smooth, smooth, smooth

[jesse_the_k]

My, those "monkey fist" stitch markers are beautiful in their own right. Thanks for the link: I'm plotting how I might be able to reproduce that design.

Re: smooth, smooth, smooth

[xeger]

Animated Monkey's Fist Knot. There's also a ton of other neat knots there.

Re: smooth, smooth, smooth

[jesse_the_k]

Thank you so much! That site IS AMAZEBALLS -- you have just made my week!

Re: smooth, smooth, smooth

[xeger]

While I'm thinking about it, The Ashley Book of Knots is your canonical dead tree book of knots, and is pretty amazing, to put it mildly.