The Knitting Barber NZ: Clever Knitting Tools That Make Every Project Easier
The Knitting Barber NZ: Clever Knitting Tools That Make Every Project Easier
Sometimes the smallest knitting tools make the biggest difference.
A flexible cord that lets you try on a sweater while it is still on the needles. A tiny metal tag that remembers which needle size you used. A compact scale that tells you whether there is enough yarn left to finish another repeat. These are simple ideas, but once you use them, it is difficult to imagine knitting without them.
That practical, problem-solving approach is exactly what has made The Knitting Barber one of the most exciting modern knitting accessory brands to emerge from Finland.
Direct Sewing is proud to bring an extensive selection of The Knitting Barber products to New Zealand, including the brand’s famous stitch holder cords, handmade stitch markers, needle trackers, row counters, project bags, garment-care accessories and finishing tools.
Who is The Knitting Barber?
The Knitting Barber was founded in 2020 by Finnish knitter and barber Jojo Stolpe in the coastal city of Vaasa, Finland.
What began as a small side project for promoting Jojo’s own knitting patterns quickly developed into an international knitting accessories brand. The name comes from Jojo’s own story: barber by day and knitter by night.
Rather than creating accessories simply because they look attractive, The Knitting Barber focuses on solving the everyday frustrations knitters regularly encounter. How do you try on a top-down sweater without losing stitches? How do you remember which needles belong to which unfinished project? Where do you store all the tiny tools that normally disappear into the bottom of your project bag?
The resulting products combine practical Scandinavian design with a playful personality. Many products are designed, assembled or made in Vaasa, while others use materials such as leather, waxed canvas, cork, stainless steel and red cedar.
Today, The Knitting Barber has grown from one knitter’s side project into a global brand with hundreds of stockists around the world.
The Knitting Barber Cords: The Product That Started It All
The best-known product in the collection is the The Knitting Barber Stitch Holder Cords.
These soft silicone cords provide a faster and more convenient alternative to waste yarn, spare circular needles and traditional rigid stitch holders. The hollow end of the cord fits over the point of your knitting needle, allowing you to slide live stitches directly from the needle onto the flexible cord.
Once the stitches are on the cord, you can:
- Try on a top-down sweater or cardigan
- Check the fit and length of a garment
- Hold sleeve stitches while knitting the body
- Separate sections during garment construction
- Free up a knitting needle for another project
- Store live stitches without threading waste yarn through them
Each set contains one approximately 150 cm cord for garment bodies and larger sections, plus two approximately 75 cm cords for sleeves and smaller areas. The three cords arrive inside a reusable metal storage tin.
How to use The Knitting Barber Stitch Holder Cords
- Push approximately 1 cm of the silicone cord firmly over the point of your knitting needle.
- Check that the connection is secure before moving your stitches.
- Carefully slide the live stitches off the needle and directly onto the cord.
- Use the flexible cord to hold the stitches or carefully try on your garment.
- When you are ready to continue, reconnect the cord to the needle and slide the stitches back.
- Remove the cord by gently pushing it away from the needle tip with your fingertip or nail. Do not pull it off by stretching the cord.
The cords are designed for needles from approximately 2.25 mm to 7 mm and generally work best with reasonably pointed needle tips. Very blunt needles, unusually tight stitches or highly textured yarns may require a little more care when transferring stitches.
Why Stitch Holder Cords Are So Useful for Garment Knitting
Fit is one of the biggest advantages of knitting your own clothing, but it can also be one of the hardest things to judge while a garment is still sitting on a circular needle.
A circular cable may not be long enough to let the fabric sit naturally around the body. Needle tips can also make trying a garment on awkward, especially when working on a neckline, yoke or fitted sleeve.
Moving the stitches onto flexible holder cords gives the fabric room to relax. This makes it easier to check:
- Whether the neckline sits comfortably
- Where the armholes fall
- Whether the yoke is deep enough
- How much positive or negative ease the garment has
- Whether the body or sleeve is ready for the next stage
Checking the fit as you knit can prevent hours of unnecessary work and reduce the chance of having to unravel large sections later.
Keep Every Knitting Project Organised
Many knitters have more than one work in progress. The problem begins when the needles are removed, the project is packed away and nobody can remember whether it was being knitted on 3.5 mm or 3.75 mm needles.
The The Knitting Barber Needle Trackers solve that problem with reusable stainless-steel tags engraved with needle sizes.
Attach the appropriate tracker to your project, stitch holder cord or project bag. When you return to the project weeks or months later, the correct needle size is recorded and ready.
The trackers are available in two sets:
- Small, covering needle sizes from 2.25 mm to 3.5 mm
- Large, covering needle sizes from 3.75 mm to 6 mm
For tracking rows, repeats and shaping sections, the The Knitting Barber Retro Row Counter offers a refreshingly simple solution. Press the button after completing each row, then reset the display using the spinner on the side. There are no batteries, apps or screens to distract you.
Project details, yarn information, gauge results, measurements and future ideas can also be stored in the The Knitting Barber Dot Grid Journal.
Stitch Markers That Are Practical and Collectable
Stitch markers are one of the simplest ways to reduce mistakes in knitting. They can identify the beginning of a round, separate pattern repeats, mark increases and decreases or highlight an important section of a chart.
The The Knitting Barber Handmade Stitch Markers combine that everyday practicality with distinctive designs.
The collection includes designs such as Sweetheart, Dragonfly, Gold Bee, Bee Special, Celtic Rings, Kitty-Cat and Sardines. Each set is assembled in Vaasa, Finland and presented in a reusable metal storage tin.
These are working tools rather than decorations that simply sit in a notions box. The different ring shapes and feature markers make it easier to distinguish one section of a project from another while adding personality to your knitting.
For protecting stitches while your project is resting, the flexible silicone The Knitting Barber Stitch Stoppers fit knitting needles from approximately 2.5 mm through to 10 mm. Their playful designs include animals, coffee cups, cupcakes, books and the brand’s exclusive “Knitting Is My Yoga” design.
Useful Tools for Managing Yarn
How much yarn is left in that partly used ball? Is there enough for another stripe? Can the remaining yarn be divided evenly between two sleeves?
The The Knitting Barber Pocket Yarn Scale is designed for exactly these questions.
The compact digital scale weighs up to 200 grams with a readability of 0.01 gram. That makes it useful for weighing leftover yarn, dividing a ball evenly, planning colourwork or estimating whether you have enough yarn to complete another repeat.
It includes a tare function, backlit display, automatic shut-off and two AAA batteries. Its compact size also means it can travel inside a project bag instead of remaining permanently on a kitchen bench.
Better Lighting and Easier Finishing
Dark yarn and fine stitches can be challenging under ordinary household lighting. The The Knitting Barber Rechargeable LED Clip Lamp clips onto a project bag, book, table, sofa or another suitable surface and directs light towards your work.
It offers three brightness settings and three light hues: warm, neutral and cold. This lets you adjust the lighting for the yarn colour, surrounding room and level of detail involved.
When it is time to finish your project, the Coloured Curved Darning Needles make weaving in ends, joining seams, working Kitchener stitch and completing an Italian cast-off more manageable.
The curved tips help the needles move through knitted fabric, while the large eyes accommodate yarn more easily. The bright metallic colours also make them easier to find inside a notions pouch.
A compact pair of The Knitting Barber Small Craft Scissors completes the finishing kit. Their short 18 mm blades are suitable for trimming yarn, cutting embroidery thread and handling detailed craft work.
Project Bags Designed for Knitters
A good project bag needs to do more than look beautiful. It should protect the project, keep tools organised and allow yarn to feed without catching.
The The Knitting Barber Marilyn Project Bag is made from waxed canvas with genuine leather details. Its open top contains no zipper that could snag the working yarn, and the top can be folded down to turn the bag into a convenient knitting bucket.
It is an ideal size for socks, hats, mittens, scarves and other small to medium projects. A zippered internal pocket provides secure storage for scissors, stitch markers and measuring tools.
For smaller accessories, the The Knitting Barber Notions Bag combines black cotton canvas with a natural cork base.
The structured pouch has room for a row counter, tape measure, darning needles, stitch markers, scissors, needle trackers and other everyday tools.
For an even more compact option, the Sir Percy Leather Notions Pouch is made from genuine cowhide leather and includes a convenient wrist strap. The leather naturally softens and develops its own character with use.
Caring for Yarn and Finished Knitwear
Quality yarn and handmade garments deserve proper care.
The The Knitting Barber Red Cedar Balls can be placed inside wardrobes, drawers, storage boxes and project bags. The naturally aromatic cedar releases a woody fragrance that helps discourage moths around stored yarn and natural-fibre clothing.
When the aroma begins to fade, gently sanding the surface with fine sandpaper helps release more of the natural cedar fragrance.
For removing dust, hair, lint and dried surface debris, the The Knitting Barber Bristle Garment Brush uses natural boar bristles and a smooth wooden handle. Always brush gently and test delicate, loosely knitted or fluffy fabrics in an inconspicuous area first.
Which The Knitting Barber Products Should You Start With?
For garment knitters, begin with the stitch holder cords, stitch markers and needle trackers. Together, these make it easier to check fit, hold sections and remember which needle sizes belong to each project.
For knitters with several WIPs, consider the needle trackers, dot grid journal, notions bag and retro row counter.
For knitters who travel or attend knitting groups, the rechargeable clip lamp, small craft scissors, pocket scale and Sir Percy notions pouch create a compact portable toolkit.
For a thoughtful knitting gift, the stitch holder cords, handmade stitch markers, leather measuring tape, project bags and novelty stitch stoppers are practical choices that still feel special.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are The Knitting Barber Cords worth buying?
They are particularly useful for garment knitters, anyone who regularly places stitches on hold and knitters who like to try garments on during construction. They reduce the need for waste yarn and spare circular needles while making it easier to move stitches back onto the working needle.
Can The Knitting Barber Cords replace waste yarn?
In many situations, yes. They can be used for holding sleeve stitches, trying on garments and temporarily storing live stitches. Waste yarn may still be preferable for very long-term storage or where a pattern requires a particularly secure or narrow holder.
What needle sizes work with The Knitting Barber Cords?
The cords are intended for knitting needles from approximately 2.25 mm to 7 mm. They generally connect most easily to pointed needle tips.
Are The Knitting Barber tools suitable for crochet?
Many products are useful for both knitting and crochet, including the project bags, notions bags, darning needles, scissors, pocket scale, clip lamp, measuring tape, garment brush and cedar balls.
Where can I buy The Knitting Barber in New Zealand?
You can shop The Knitting Barber in New Zealand at Direct Sewing, with products available online and through our Auckland superstore.
Discover The Knitting Barber at Direct Sewing
The Knitting Barber proves that good knitting accessories do not need to be complicated. The best tools often solve one small but persistent problem and make every future project a little easier.
From the famous stitch holder cords to handmade markers, project bags, needle trackers and finishing tools, the collection is designed for real knitters and the way real projects are made.
Explore The Knitting Barber collection at Direct Sewing and discover clever knitting tools designed to keep your projects organised, protected and enjoyable from cast-on to finishing.