You’ve packed your suitcase, checked your passport is safely stowed and you’re ready to go… but your knitting is crammed into a corner of your bag getting tangled and damaged. It’s every knitter’s nightmare.
The good news is that you don’t need to put up with dropped stitches and knotted yarn when you travel – there are lots of smart ways to keep your WIPs intact when you’re on the go, whether you’re meeting a friend for a crafting session or boarding a long-haul flight.
You don’t need to compromise on sustainability either – Cocoknits is committed to using sustainable materials in their products and packaging wherever possible. Their products are made using eco-friendly materials and they avoid using petroleum plastics and glues. All their products are beautifully made, environmentally friendly and a joy to use.
Meet the team behind Cocoknits
Cocoknits founder Julie Weisenberger completed her first sweater when she was studying abroad in Austria – and she’s been hooked ever since. She ran her own knitwear company in the 1980s and designed sweaters in the 1990s, eventually founding Cocoknits in Oakland, California, in 2007.
Julie’s surrounded by a small team of women who are enthusiastic crafters and knitters, and all their products are designed to make crafting as enjoyable – and sustainable – as possible. Read on to find out how Cocoknits can take the stress out of your next trip overseas.
12 knitting travel essentials to protect your projects
Accessory Roll
We’ve all used improvised bags and containers to store our craft tools – with varying degrees of success – so having a dedicated accessory roll is a real gamechanger. This handy little case folds out origami-style to reveal four pouches that can be used to carry all your bits and bobs.
These pouches have an ingenious feature: they’re all attached to the accessory roll using poppers, so you can detach the individual pouches if you don’t want to carry the entire roll with you when you’re on the move. You could even use it to store a few of your travel essentials to save space!
Surprisingly, this roll is made from kraft paper fabric, which is washable and softens with use. It’s available in the original Kraft colour or a cool shade of grey.
Project Wallet
This stylish project wallet is both pretty and practical, making it perfect for a craft session at a café or to take with you on adventures further from home.
Cocoknits founder, Julie Weisenberger, came up with the idea for this bag because she needed a way to keep all of the tools and needles for a specific project together. The result is a lightweight bag with enough space for your needles, tools and more. Its accordion design means that it can be expanded to fit more tools inside, with 11 pockets and 3 removable tabbed folders.
The tabbed folders give you easy access to small tools at the bottom of the pocket, as you can use the tabs to lift the pocket up, bringing tiny items to the top of the pocket.
It’ll even stay upright on a flat surface when you open it out, making it easy to dig out anything you’re searching for.
This is a travel essential that you’ll want to take everywhere with you. It’s made using the same kraft paper fabric as the accessory roll, which is durable and easy to clean.
Stitch Stoppers
There’s nothing more annoying than opening your bag to find that your latest WIP has slipped off your knitting needles and dropped loads of stitches. Don’t worry, the Cocoknits team feel your pain! That’s why they’ve come up with these nifty stitch stoppers, which are made of durable EVA foam.
Traditional needle stoppers tend to come loose if they catch on something, but these little cylinders slide neatly onto your needles and stay firmly in place. The stitch stoppers come in a variety of sizes, so you’ll be prepared to secure any project and keep it safely on your needles. The stitch stoppers come in three gorgeous colourways: colourful, neutral or earth tones.
Yarn Snip
Leave the scissors at home! These sharp little yarn snips will soon be your new best friend. Unlike other yarn snips, this set is made without plastic and forged from one piece of metal. This means that they’re much sturdier than mass-produced snips and you’ll be able to use them for years to come.
These yarn snips can be taken on flights in the US as their blades are less than 3in long, but if you’re travelling in the UK or the EU we’d recommend checking with your airline before you fly. In some cases, you may need to put your yarn snips in your hold luggage when you fly.
This yarn snip is razor-sharp, but comes with a natural vegetable-tanned leather case to protect the blades (and you!).
Emery Boards
Say goodbye to splintered needles with a mini pack of emery boards. Use them to sharpen needle points, smooth leather cords, remove small pills from delicate yarn or even to sharpen your pencils!
You can also use them to file your nails to prevent them catching on your latest project. They might be small, but they’re a lifesaver for a travelling crafters.
Fuzz Off Comb II
The Fuzz Off Comb II was designed with travellers in mind. The comb is a smaller version of Cocoknits’ original Fuzz Off Comb, which has been updated to make it easier to hold.
The comb is designed to keep your garments looking their best by removing unwanted pills and fuzz, so it’s a real travel must-have. It can be used on both natural and synthetic fibres too.
Combs can become dulled with heavy use, but you can buy comb refills separately from Cocoknits, making this a brilliant sustainable option. The comb body is 100% biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA), which is made from plant fibres.
Maker’s Keep
If you’re the kind of person who tends to lose their knitting notions, a Maker’s Keep is exactly what you need. Slap it onto your wrist to hold it in place (one size fits all) and use the magnetic square to hold your notions while you work, or to keep them together when you’re travelling.
The Maker’s Keep is incredibly useful if you enjoy other crafts too, as it can hold everything from sewing needles to hair grips and paper clips. It might not spend much time in your knitting bag!
Maker’s Clips
Maker’s Clips are true multi-taskers: you can use them to secure needle cords, clip a pencil in place on a board or hold a row counter firmly in place. The ends of the clips are magnetic, so they can clip together or you can attach them to a steel surface.
The clips come in three pleasing colourways: colourful, neutral or earth tones.
Natural Mesh Bag
When you leave your yarn loose in your bag, the yarn always seems to find a way to tie itself to your headphones, wind around a hairbrush or wrap itself around your pens. This natural mesh bag is the perfect way to protect your knitting and keep it in good condition when you’re out and about.
Give your yarn the protection it deserves by stashing it in this eco-friendly Natural Mesh Bag. The bag can hold two small skeins or one large one, with added snaps to allow you to alter the size and configuration as needed. This makes it great for stranded yarn work, as you can keep multiple yarn strands separate using the snaps. It’s made of woven paper fabric, which is both lightweight and washable, making it ideal for crafty travellers.
Maker’s Board
Keep your knitting charts organised and easy to read with the fabulous Maker’s Board by Cocoknits. The board has internal metal sheets, so you can attach magnets to the exterior and it can be folded so that it stays upright.
As well as supporting your patterns, you can also use the Maker’s Board to hold tools or support a tablet, making it wonderfully versatile. You’ll find endless different ways to use this board, making it a real must-have for travelling knitters.
You can fold it away when it’s not in use and it could easily slip into a bag or suitcase when you go away.
Project Portfolio
Tired of using dog-eared patterns on crumpled scraps of paper? This sleek Project Portfolio will keep your charts in pristine condition. You can slip books and magazines inside and use the interior spine elastics to hold them in place. There’s a pocket to hold notebooks, sheets of paper, tablets or even the odd pen. The Maker’s Board will also fit inside the Project Portfolio, so it’s easy to keep everything you need together when you travel.
When you head out of the door, simply slip the portfolio into your bag and you’ll be able to access your favourite patterns wherever you go.
Kraft Caddy
The Kraft Caddy is a travel essential for the crafter who wants to bring everything. This chic caddy comes in olive or grey, with punched holes so you can add handles if you wish. There are a generous number of pockets to store your craft supplies and travel essentials: three exterior pockets with nine inside to hold everything from yarn to water bottles and chargers.
Don’t worry about accidental spillages – it’s fully washable and resilient enough to survive your travels. The paper fabric is rigid enough for the caddy to hold its shape when you set it down on a firm surface, so it could double-up as a storage box in your home.
Stock up on elegant, eco-friendly crafting supplies from Cocoknits
Cocoknits products are beautiful, durable and designed with the planet in mind. If you’re looking to update your craft tools – or choose a gift for the crafter in your life – why not explore their product range for smart, sustainable products?
Their range includes everything from stylish knitting patterns to sweater care washing bags and tape measures in pretty pastel-coloured shells. What will you choose?
Explore the Cocoknits product range
UK and EU stockists
Want to find your nearest Cocoknits stockist? Here's where to buy their products in the UK and the EU:
UK
- Yarn Worx
- Stitches and Cream
- The Little Knitting Company
- Tangled Yarn
- Ginger Twist Studio
- Tribe Yarns
- Knit With Attitude
- The Needle Store
- Loop
