After many years of dancing, sewing, knitting and crochet I’ve come to prefer certain products for making things. It doesn’t mean you can’t start with something else, or that what I’m using would work best for you, but that over time these are the things I prefer crafting with.
Dancing
- Shoes – I wear primarily Tangolera shoes in 90mm heels. I prefer the wider styles in regular leather. In general, I prefer regular leather shoes for their durability and ability to mold to my feet. I find the sole on Tangoleras to be flexible enough for me to point my foot but not so much as to feel unsupportive.
- Ballet Slippers – For warm up exercises sometimes we work in flats, and I prefer leather Capezio split sole ballet slippers.
- Fishnets – I typically don’t wear stockings for performances; however, some require fishnets and Capezio professional fishnet stockings perform the best! I can get many wears out of a pair – they are really durable!
Sewing
- Sewing Machine – I have and used my Pfaff Quilt Expression 2048 for many years. I’ve sewn jeans and baby quilts on it with no problem. I love how easy it is to locate specialized presser feet for it, and it’s been very easy to maintain. I grew up sewing on a Pfaff and this has been very comfortable for me to thread and troubleshoot when the rare problem occurs.
- Serger – I bought a BabyLock Diana several years ago and really enjoy it; it’s a basic serger with a coverlock function, and has been easy (for a serger!) to thread and switch between serger and coverlock. While a serger is not necessary for making dancewear, I like to finish all my woven fabrics with a serged edge before prewashing. I also like the nice finish a serged seam makes on dancewear.
- Rotary Cutter – I use Olfa Rotary Cutters to cut out everything from quilting to dancewear. I have a 60mm as well as a 45mm, and I find these two cutters are accurate and ergonomic to use (I’m left-handed and it’s very important to use tools that are ergonomic for me to prevent injury, especially with sharp blades!).
- Tape Measure – My very favorite tape measures are Clover’s Shiro Tape Measures. I use them for both my sewing and my knitting, and love their compact size and ease of use.
- Seam Ripper – I love my Clover Seam Ripper. It fits well in the hand, unlike the tiny cheap ones that come with your sewing machine, and it’s very sharp! The only thing I wish is that it came with a better cover for the blade.
- Ironing Board – I have an extra wide Rowenta Ironing Board. It’s been discontinued, but this one seems to be an updated model.
Knitting
- Knitting Needles – I’ve been using a set of ChiaoGoo 5″ Interchangeable Needles for several years and really love the tight connection I can get with them. I also have the mini needle set. The needles feel very comfortable in my hands and I like how I can buy additional cables and extra needles (I had to purchase a 2.5 set for a project, which isn’t included in the main set) to suit my needs. The needles feel quick to me, and the stainless steel construction is very durable.
- Stitch Markers – I’ve tried a lot of stitch markers over the years, but keep going back to Clover’s Ring Lock Stitch Markers. They are lightweight, brightly colored, and can use them for both knitting and crochet projects.
- Gauge Ruler – I purchased an Ankerworks Swatch Gauge in the Summer of 2020 and really love it. It’s a bit expensive, but the “window” in the gauge makes it so easy to see what your gauge is, while the teeth on the opposite side keeps you from cheating your gauge and lying to yourself.
- Row Counter – I’ve always liked Clover’s Knitting Register. You can’t accidentally advance the row count, and it can stay parked on your needles so you won’t misplace it!
- Fix-it Tool – The Susan Bates Fix-It Tool is perfect for picking up dropped stitches and as a cable needle.
- Snips – I used a pair of Puppy Snips until an ear on the cover broke off and the spring was prone to popping out of the snips. I’ve replaced the snips with a splurge on a pair of Mini Scissors from Cohana; they are really beautiful snips with a tiny leather case and I have no doubt I’ll be using this for many years.
- Needles for Weaving Ends In – I have a separate place to keep my sewing needles, but I use a Clover Chibi with darning needles for my knitting.
Crochet
- Crochet Hooks – I use a set of Clover Soft Touch crochet hooks for pretty much all my crochet (as well as for beading on knitting projects). The grips fit comfortably in my hand.
Weaving
- Loom – I have a Schacht Flip 25″ loom mounted on its stand. I wanted something wide enough I could make shawls or rugs with but also something that would be portable and easy to store in a small space.
- Shuttle – I use a Schacht 11″ Slim Boat Shuttle in Cherry. It’s so comfortable in the hand and helps me maintain consistent selvedges!
- Warping Board – I use a Schacht 4′ Warping Board. I love that I can break it down and store it away.