UPDATE:

Congratulations to RYAN for being the randomly selected winner to the contest on this blog post.  A message was sent to him letting him know that he won, and he'll be getting a Kyle William tape measure.

Thanks for playing!

(feel free to continue posting comments about what you like to keep in your knitting bags! - the answers won't count towards the drawing, but it's interesting to see what people use!)

Every knitter (and crocheter!) who travels, across the country or down the street... to "Stitch -n- Bitch" or "Knit Night"... has a list of necessities that they bring with them.  Just in case. 

In addition to my project and instructions, here's a list of some of the things I have with me in my knitting bag when I leave the studio

Carrying Case - My most-used bag of the moment is a little bag I got on a United international flight.  It's see-through, and that makes digging for the right tool in a knitting emergency so much easier.

Pen - I use a retractable "click" pen so that there's less chance of ink getting all over the place.  Some people might use a pencil instead... but I'm OK with scribbling out mistakes! ;)

Scissors - Full disclosure, I usually can't find my scissors.  They're around... somewhere.  But when I'm organized, or the planets are aligned, I have my little cutting tool the "Quickie Cutter" which I picked up at a trade show or fair somewhere.  Other options are cute vintage scissors (which can open and cut or stab unless they're in a case), or clippers that fit into some sort of cover.  I've heard of people using finger nail cutters as well.

Gauge - My favorite is the little spiral gauge from Debra's Garden.  This is the one I carry around if I travel, but in the studio I use my big Susan Bates gauge.  If I'm sorting needles to put them back away, my little one from Seven Yaks is my "go to" tool.

Coil-less Safety Pins - What can I say about these?  They're perfect for "parking" dropped stitches, marking rows, or the front of a piece, and for holding things like stitch markers (don't worry; they're in the list too!)

Cable Needle - I use cable needles to fix mistakes, as a "third" needle when needed... and, of course, for cabling.

Chicken - Every knitting toolkit needs a tiny rubber chicken.  I have no idea where it came from, but it was in my toolkit!

Stitch Markers - These come in so many varieties.  I love my little lamb ones that I bought at Stitches.  Other ones I uses:  a little silver baby ring, plastic ones (from Boye), O-rings (from the hardware store), and truthfully, anything I can get my hands on if I am in a bind.  Bits of yarn tied into a ring, a twist-tie, even paper clips (or those coil-less safety pins!) work in a pinch.

Head and Health - Snacks for emergencies, aspirin, antihistimines, etc. to fix what's hurting.  In this category I'd also add a few dollars.  It's not in my essentials bag, but I do keep change and some cash in my knitting bag for parking meters, public transit fare, and emergency purposes.

Golden Needle - My favorite needles to use for finishing are the golden needles.  I also love my little chibi case from clover.  I also keep dental floss in my bag for lifelines (and for flossing!)

Stitch Holders - These are transient.  If I'm getting to the point where I might need one, in it goes.  They're used, of course, to hold live stitches.  If I don't have one, a length of yarn or dental floss works almost as well.

Crochet Hooks - Used to pick up stitches, for provisional cast on, and crochet (of course!) I have a couple in my bag to use, or to lend.

Latch Tool - I have a little latch hook tool that's used in machine knitting that I got from Florence Bishop years ago.  She swore by these for picking up stitches.  Sometimes it ends up in my knitting bag because it's a great tool for picking up a column of dropped stockinette stitches.

Tape Measure - Of course, measuring tapes are the #1 must-have in knitting bags.  (and now there's Kyle William tape measures!) 

The Kyle William tape offers measurements in centimeters and inches up to 60 inches (150 cm).  They're the standard 2" diameter x 1/2" and have a push button that retracts the tape.  Compact, cute, and emblazoned with the Kyle William logo!  Want one of your very own?  Keep reading! :)

What's the one thing you can't live without in your travel knitting bag?  (and why?) Post your answer in the comments to be entered to win your very own Kyle William tape measure!

A random entry will be selected on Friday, August 2, 2013.  If you can't wait, feel free to hop on over to the SHOP where you can buy your very own!

Over on the Facebook page, I ran a little giveaway.  Once the page reached 250 "likes", I would randomly select someone to receive their choice of fiber in their choice of colors.  Once the goal was reached, I used a random number generator and Lynette was the winner!

Lynette asked for Alpaca in greens, golds, and blues.  I delivered to her 4oz of fiber rich with color and ready to be crafted into something beautiful.  I love working on Dye Lab (one of a kind colorways) because they're unpredictable!

Of course, giving one prize is fun.... but the fun didn't stop there.  Lynette selected ANOTHER person to win fiber, and she chose Gilda. 

Gilda asked for Merino so I gave her 4oz of it in a new colorway which has yet to be named! 

So... here's one more way to win.  Help me name this fiber! - First, visit the Kyle William Facebook page and "LIKE" it. 

Then, come back here and leave your name suggestion for this colorway in the comments here on the webpage.  On August 1st I'll choose a winning name, and the person who coined it will get their choice of fiber from the Kyle William Shop! 

Feel free to enter as many times as you like and HAVE FUN! :)

Over on the Kyle William Facebook page there's a little contest!  It's super easy to enter... here's how:

1.)  Go to the facebook page: www.facebook.com/kylewilliam, "LIKE" it (so that you get all the fun shop updates and pattern releases).  Find today's post that talks about the contest.

2.) COMMENT on the post - I'm curious to know your favorite color combo(s) - are you an "all green" kinda person?  love the colors of a sunset? the deep crimson of a persimmon?  Inquiring minds want to know!

3.) SHARE the contest post with your friends by clicking "SHARE" at the bottom of the post.

Once the fan page reaches 250 "LIKES", one of the people who entered and did all 3 of these things will be randomly selected as the winner.  They get either 4oz of hand dyed fiber or a hank of hand dyed yarn custom dyed in the color(s) of their choice.

THEN, they get to select a SECOND person to win - they will get their choice of fiber or yarn custom dyed as well!

The winners will be announced on the Kyle William Facebook page (and the good news might even find its way here!)

It's that simple - so head over the page and like, comment, and share away.  While you're online, you can also visit the shop and see some of the goodies that are ready to head home today! 

Congratulations, John Niegowski of Flint, MI - YOU are the winner of the polished Aluminum yarn bowl!  Yes, it's true - thanks to your generosity and a little bit of luck (and the help of random.org to select the number) YOU, my friend, are the winner of the highly sought after polished aluminum yarn bowl!!! 

I appreciate everyone's donations more than I can say - in total I received 21 donations totaling $174.92 as a result of this contest!!!  - that money goes right to AIDS Project Los Angeles and they'll use it to provide essential care and services to those affected by HIV/AIDS!

Tomorrow, I'll be running 7 miles (a recovery run from last week's 14) and I can't wait to tell my fellow runners how generous all my friends in the knitting community were with this contest!  THANK YOU to everyone who participated and took time out of their holiday schedule to play along.  I plan to hold future contests to continue raising money for APLA and in hopes of reaching my fundraising goal of $5,000.00!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

I have the second set of gorgeous yarn bowls available for sale - I will be posting them tonight on my ETSY shop - there are a limited number of dark gold or violet yarn bowls available!  Here are the two colors available:

If you're interested or know of anyone who might be, please send them a link to my blog or etsy shop and have them buy right away - these are sure to sell out this week!

Because these bowls are made of cast aluminum (they won't break!) I had lots of requests for a polished aluminum bowl just like the first prototype.  You asked, I responded:

The only way get this ONE polished aluminum yarn bowl is to enter my raffle!  Remember, I'm training with the National AIDS Marathon Training Program?  Well, I'm still looking for tax deductible donations.  This bowl is your online raffle prize!  Here's how to win:

1. Visit my donation page - http://apla.convio.net/goto/kylewilliam

2. Make a tax deductible donation in any amount ending in $___.26 - with a minimum donation of $5.26 (Five Dollars, Twenty-Six Cents) - The donation site requires a minimum of $5, and I am adding $.26 in honor of the 26.2 miles I'll be running and also so I can easily find the entries.  YOU ARE WELCOME TO ENTER MORE THAN ONCE - SEPARATE ENTRIES THAT MEET THIS RULE ARE EQUALLY COUNTED!!!

3. PLEASE Share a link to the site on your blog or facebook or by email to friends, your knitting group; anyone you think might be interested.  Posting a comment on this blog entry helps get folks excited as well!

I will pick a WINNER on December 26, 2009 with the random number generator and make a post announcing who it is once they are contacted.  I will pack and ship this bowl at my expense to you - and you will be the only person to have a bowl like this.  The only limitation I can only ship the bowl to a U.S.A. street address.

Email me with any questions - and remember that your donations are tax deductible - the money you give benefits AIDS Project Los Angeles and helps me reach my fundraising goal while I train for the Los Angeles Marathon!!!

Thank You!