Lately I've gotten pretty good at keeping only certain items handy in my knitting bag. Trying to be concise, precise, using my noggin, I've whittled it down to some pretty basic things.
- A gadget box, which in my case is a tackle box, serves me well every time I go to knit. I always need stitch markers, and I am way too lazy to traipse upstairs to get a few extra markers when I'm knitting in front of the TV at night.
- Scissors are a must have. Nothing replaces them, not nail clippers, knives or sharp pointy teeth.
- Needle gauge, because it seems like I am forever checking the size of the needle for some strange reason. Don't ask me why, I just do.
- Sticky note pad. You can use these for so many purposes, but mostly for taking notes or marking my place on a pattern row.
- Pen/pencil. *See above.
- Ruler or tape measure- for checking stitches per inch and for checking progress on a project. Like making sure the arms of a sweater will stretch from the ceiling to the floor, that kind of thing.
- Reading glasses. Usually I have already grabbed a pair, but just in case, its good to have them already in the bag.
- And last but not least, Ziploc bags. Great for taking projects on the go, in the car or packing in a suitcase. Some people will begrudge me for using the brand name, but its just how I roll. Like Kleenex or Duck tape or Tide. So leave me alone on this one - okay?
The best kind of bag is big enough to hold the pattern, needles, and yarn for the project. Maybe not all the yarn, but at least a skein/ball or two. I don't see the need in taking 12 balls of yarn everywhere I go, and its really just a waste of space, no matter how much you like the yarn. IMHO.