Hey there knitters,
I've been meaning to go deeper into why I love my crystal stitch markers so much, so here it is.
The other day, I was peacefully knitting a new project. It's a cowl I'm self-drafting. Casted on 132 stitches with worsted weight yarn (Anzula For Better or For Worsted) and working in fisherman's rib for sooo manyyy roundssss. Once it gets tall enough, I'll switch to garter stitch and increase the width to create a semi-cape, just enough to widen for the shoulders so I can wear it underneath my winter jacket, before binding off.
If you don't know fisherman's rib, just know that it's an amazing stitch pattern that makes the squishiness of garter stitch feel flat compared to this. It's awesome. But... It's kind of annoying to knit. The pattern is Round 1: k1, sl, repeat. Round 2: sl, p1, repeat.
The issue is that I can never remember which round I'm on, and it's almost impossible to figure it out by "reading" my knitting... Ugh!
Thus, having a beginning of round stitch marker is a must to tell me when the change of round happens and that I MUST switch rounds.
As many of you know, you can use anything as a beginning of round marker. A piece of scrap yarn tied in a loop, a ring from a spare straw, an earring, even a bread tie will do in a pinch! There's no actual need to use a fancy stitch marker (I am a very bad saleswoman, apparently, since selling stitch markers is what I do on this platform...).
Despite all the pretty other stitch markers I have in my stash -- the resin ones, the glass beads ones, etc. -- I find myself always going back to my Austrian crystal beads ones for beginning of round markers.
Why is that?
Here's why I love love LOVE my Austrian crystal stitch markers, and why I sell them.
Honest answer: They're just soooo prettyyy! <3
They sparkle in the light. The true sparkle of gemstones or diamonds. Swarovski was onto something all right.
My Austrian crystal stitch markers aren't made with Swarovski beads anymore. They used to be, but the company decided to drop this line of products, so I've had to find another supplier. If you bought some of the first ones I've listed, or bought the very first Advent Calendar that was released, you might just have Swarovski beads in your stitch markers stash! #thingsyoudidntknow
Regardless of the brand name attached to the beads, those are REAL Austrian crystal beads and they shine like jewelry.
So when I slip this gorgeous stitch marker from my left needle and onto the right, the bling reminds me that this is a fun hobby, that there's joy to be had right here, right now, in this moment. It's just me, enjoying this thing I love to do.
Every time I get to that stitch marker, I stop for a second and am filled with gratitude for this wonderful hobby that I share with you. Joy, gratitude, love. All great feelings.
I don't act this way when my stitch marker isn't pretty. It's just what it is. I slip and move on and find that my knitting is flat. But not when I use my pretty ones.
And that pause to admire them, that feeling of gratitude that emerges from it, is worth its weight in gold and more. It's part of why I knit, part of why I love crafting so much. This quality of product is impossible to find in big bucks stores anymore, and that's what makes these even more special.
I wish for you to experience the joy of working with high-quality tools that truly bring you joy, gratitude, and love. That's why I hand-make these upscale stitch markers -- whether they are made of Austrian crystal beads, glass beads, semi-precious gemstones, or fun resin. And I'm not saying this to sell you stuff, but rather so you get to experience this joy and gratefulness that I get to experience. It would be selfish of me to not share it with you.
But whether you buy from me or not, I'll be over here in my little space full of crafting ideas, sharing my experience with you, hoping it fulfills your needs for a crafting space and community. Feel free to share with me your favorite stitch markers!
Knit on, my friends!
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