Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt
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alisakbeer.bsky.social
Alisa K Beer | KnitSpinQuilt
@alisakbeer.bsky.social
1.6K followers 460 following 830 posts
https://knitspinquilt.etsy.com for my project bags & notions for crafters. #KSQshop for shop posts.

Long COVID migraineuse & fiber arts multi-crafter. Medieval historian, former rare books cataloger, collector of c21 SFF(H).
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alisakbeer.bsky.social
Vending today at Eastworks for the Hyphae Community fundraiser market!

Here until 2pm.

Next market: December 13, also at Eastworks!

#KSQShop
Close up on the KnitSpinQuilt table with T shaped metal racks of stitch markers and a circular earring display. Close up on the KnitSpinQuilt table showing bins of project bags and small zipped pencil cases laid out flat. HANDMADE ITEMS FROM 20+ BIPOC & 2SLGBTQIA+ MAKERS POP-UP market NOV. 23 | 10A-2P HYPHAE Makers Market & Skills Studio 5C ARROW GALLERY YET ANOTHER QUEER POP-UP MARKET WESTERN MA EASTWORKS 116 PLEASANT ST. EASTHAMPTON SPECIAL THANKS TO BOMBYX CENTER FOR ARTS & EQUITY MUTUAL AID LET'S HELP PREVENT HUNGER IN WESTERN MASS FOOD BANK OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS TOGETHER, WE END HUNGER LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO GIVE OR GET HELP: WWW.FOODBANKWMA.ORG
November 23, 2025 at 5:15 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
I’m Alisa, disabled former librarian and academic. Now I make stitch markers and project bags for knitters, and sell at craft fairs in New England.

You can peruse things at knitspinquilt.etsy.com
A set of six cat themed stout CB markers with silvertone charms on locking leverback earring clasps. A large drawstring bag in a rainbow bookshelf print. There are white cat silhouettes playing on the shelves.
November 21, 2025 at 12:14 AM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
Today’s pop up market, at Eastworks, is organized by the Yet Another Queer Pop Up Market organizers as a fundraiser for Hyphae, a makers market and skills studio that’s being started here at Eastworks!

We’re here 10-2 today and I’ll be here 10-2 on the 23rd as well!

#KSQShop
An array of stitch markers and earrings and dice bags on a table with a grey tablecloth. An array of project bags, dice bags, zipped pencil cases, and DPN cases laid out in black wire bins on a table with a grey tablecloth An array of project bags in black wire bins on a table with a grey tablecloth. Four of the bags are stuffed and displayed to demonstrate the different sizes of the bags. HANDMADE ITEMS FROM 30+ BIPOC & 2SLGBTQIA+ MAKERS POP-UP markets NOV. 16 | 10A-2P NOV. 23 | 10A-2P HYPHAE Makers Market & Skills Studio YET ANOTHER QUBER POP-UP MARKET WESTERN MA 50 ARROW GALLERY EASTWORKS 116 PLEASANT ST. EASTHAMPTON SPECIAL THANKS TO BOMBYX
November 16, 2025 at 4:43 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
Trunk show setup at Knitty City in NYC, 12-6pm today!

#KSQShop

I’m having such a good (and busy) time here that I’ve only managed to post now!

Knitty City has built such a wonderful community of yarn crafters, and just re-yarnbombed the tree out front!
A rectangular table with an orange tablecloth, covered in stitch markers on display trees, zipped pencil cases, and bins of project bags. A circular table covered in an orange tablecloth in which are arranged bins of project bags and metal circular tins of DPN cases.
November 8, 2025 at 8:29 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
Hello, NYC, I am in you!

I will be at Knitty City tomorrow, Saturday the 8th, from 12-6pm. I’m so delighted to be doing a trunk show!!

#KSQShop

Knitty City is one of my favorite yarn stores anywhere—an amazing variety of yarns 🧶, and a helpful and knowledgeable staff!
Two by two grid of images. Top left is the Knitty city logo, top right a photo of four project bags in sushi animal prints. Bottom left is a picture of a DPN case with snaps, bottom right the KnitSpinQuilt logo.
November 7, 2025 at 8:18 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
I make project bags and stitch markers for knitters and crocheters!

I love choosing unique custom printed fabrics for the bags and dainty charms for the stitch markers!

I’m also doing several in person shows—in NYC on Nov 8, and in western MA on Nov 16, 23, & Dec 13.

knitspinquilt.etsy.com
A two by two grid showing small drawstring bags, including one image showing what one such bag might hold — stitch markers, miniature altoids tins and tape measures, among other things. Four project bags, three drawstring in three different sizes, and one zippered box bag standing on its end. All bags are in different sushi themed animal prints. A stack of folded drawstring bags in a variety of prints. A two by two grid showing four different kinds of stitch markers available in the KnitSpinQuilt shop.
November 4, 2025 at 4:12 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
Excited to announce I’ll be doing a trunk show (aka a one-day in-store pop up market) at Knitty City on Saturday, November 8, from 12-6pm

Will you be in NYC? Stop by to say hello!!

Find info about the store here: knittycitynyc.com

#KSQShop
Two by two grid of images Top left, the KnitSpinQuilt logo, top right an array of four sets of stitch markers. Bottom left a stack of project bags showing an array of fabrics ; bottom right the Knitty City logo.
November 3, 2025 at 4:58 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
Good news: my bags are at Annie&Company, all ready for you to shop the crawl F-Sun!

Bad news: I’m having a nasty fatigue flare/crash, so I won’t be able to come see your smiling faces in person.

Can’t wait to follow the crawl hashtag this weekend to see how much fun you all have!!

#KSQShop
SEPT 26-28 Save the date! NYCYARN CRAWL @nycyarncrawl I'll be home in MA (I'm not feeling well) but my bags are at Annie's! Can't wait to see your posts!
September 25, 2025 at 10:03 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
More sweater bags in the shop, and sea-creature stitch markers to pair with the manatee bag!

(The manatee fabric has been discontinued and this is the last sweater-size/XL bag in this print that I have in stock!)

knitspinquilt.etsy.com

#KSQShop
A large drawstring bag with a black top sitting on a gridded cutting mat. The main fabric is a grey solid background on which are arrayed columns of colorful moths and butterflies. A large drawstring bag with a black top sitting on a gridded cutting mat. The body fabric is a chalkboard green color and features women of several different skin tones on ladders, apparently doing complex math among rockets and moons. A large drawstring bag with a teal top sitting on a gridded cutting mat. The main body fabric has a nearly grey background on which swim light teal manatees and floating coral sea stars. A set of five silver tone stitch markers on round lever back earring clasps. The charms are a crab, a dolphin, a turtle, a fish, and a snail shell.
August 23, 2025 at 6:00 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
I make project bags for knitters and crocheters (and cross stitchers and spinners and etc) and stitch markers for yarn crafters.

(The origami cat print bag is a one of a kind: that fabric won’t be back in the shop for a long time: if you like it, grab it now!)

knitspinquilt.etsy.com

#KSQShop
A drawstring bag with a solid back top and black ribbon ties, sitting upright on a gridded cutting mat. The main body of the bag is a grey fabric ornamented with geometric origami style cats in a variety of colors. Six silver tone stitch markers on round lever back earring “hooks” — all six charms are different styles of cats. A zippered box bag lying on its side on a gridded cutting mat. The main fabric is a light pink with a variety of line art cats, where the cats are the rice for various kinds of sashimi A zippered box bag lying on its side on a gridded cutting mat. The fabric is a pale tan, and is decorated with line art cats in coffee cups, a different kind of cat for each kind of coffee drink.
August 21, 2025 at 11:28 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
One of a kind (OOAK) sweater size project bags are updated!

How big are these bags? BIG.

The final photo shows the ELEVEN (4oz/113g) skeins of yarn you can fit into one of these bags, and still have space for another skein with needles or hook and project!

knitspinquilt.etsy.com

#KSQShop
A large drawstring bag sitting upright on a gridded cutting mat. The top is solid green and the main fabric features colorful owls. A large drawstring bag sitting upright on a gridded cutting mat. The top is black and the main fabric features a burgundy background against which is white text in all capital letters reading “coffee, work, wine, repeat” A large drawstring bag sitting upright on a gridded cutting mat. The top is grey and the main fabric features a stained-glass-esque pattern of irises. A large drawstring bag tipped over onto its side on a gridded cutting mat. Spilling out of it are eleven wound cakes of yarn, which all fit inside the bag when it is in use.
August 21, 2025 at 12:24 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
HALLOWEEN KIT PREORDERS CLOSE TOMORROW, AUGUST 20!

I think pairing one skein of the kit yarn with two of witch’s brew would make a lovely Arcade Shawl!

What would you make with this kit yarn?

Would you pick knitting or crochet or a secret third thing? 🧶

periwinklesheepyarns.com/products/hal...
A close up on a project bag and purple yarn. Overlaid text reads: last chance! Halloween kit pre-orders close tomorrow, August 20! A coil of hand dyed purple and green yarn laid on top of twisted skeins of the same colorway. Three skeins of yarn laid out on a purple and black mushroom print fabric. The left skein is nearly black solid, the center skein is a variegated purple, black, grey and green, and the right skein is an acid yellow-green solid. A project bag in a purple black spooky mushroom print with a black top sits on a wooden stool with a skein of purple and green variegated yarn lying next to it.
August 19, 2025 at 2:41 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
One of a kind (OOAK) bags are prints that are leaving the shop — bags whose fabrics aren’t coming back for one reason or another.

If you’ve got your eye on any of these fabrics, snap them up now before they’re gone! Search “OOAK” in the shop to find them all!

knitspinquilt.etsy.com

#KSQShop
A white drawstring bag with a teal top. The white fabric has a print of teal-blue cartoon spouting whales on it. A box bag standing on end. The fabric is a white background with tessellated geckos on it in orange, green, and grey. The bag’s handle is orange. A drawstring bag with a teal top. The main print is a navy background with origami dragons on it in shades of red, teal, and grey. A box bag standing on end. The white fabric is illustrated with grey construction equipment and colorful dinosaurs.
August 16, 2025 at 4:20 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
I make project bags and stitch markers — and some of them are cat themed!

Project bag:
knitspinquilt.etsy.com/listing/1738...

Stitch markers:
knitspinquilt.etsy.com/listing/4296...

Halloween collaboration kit (cats&bats lining! orders close August 20!)
periwinklesheepyarns.com/products/hal...
A large drawstring bag sits on a gridded quilting mat. The top is black and the body print is a rainbow bookshelf with white silhouettes of cats stretching and climbing about amidst the books. A set of six stitch markers with silver cat shaped charms. The charms are attached to round silver lever back earrings so they are detachable. A drawstring bag standing on a gridded quilting mat. The lining features stylized cats and bats. The outer fabric is a spooky mushroom print in shades of purple. A close up on a purple hand dyed skein of yarn lying before a purple mushroom print project bag, which is slightly out of focus.
August 15, 2025 at 1:31 AM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
Luckily I’d also ordered a backup choice that Karin really liked and when I sewed it up into a project bag, I knew we had a winner!

Have you ever had this kind of unexpected discovery while in the process of making or designing something?

#KSQShop
A white quilting cotton laid flat on a table and scrunched up into a swirl at the center. The pattern printed on it is black cats and bats. A drawstring fabric bag in a deep purple spooky mushroom print with a solid black top and black and white striped drawstring ribbons. The lining is the scattered cats and bats fabric from this same post. The boldness of the cats and bats on the lining balances the strong character of the exterior mushroom print.
August 13, 2025 at 4:15 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
But when it arrived and I sewed it up? It was a bit lackluster. Just not the right oomph to balance out the spooky mushrooms’ bold print.

#KSQShop
A drawstring fabric bag in a deep purple spooky mushroom print with a solid black top and black and white striped drawstring ribbons. The lining is the scattered small dot fabric from the previous post. It looks out of place in this context.
August 13, 2025 at 4:15 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
But for the Halloween collaboration kit, Karin from the Periwinkle Sheep and I decided we wanted to do something a bit special for the linings.

We looked at and discarded so very many different fabrics, until I was sure I had found just the right one: a Halloween colored scattered dot.

#KSQShop
A white cotton quilting fabric with a speckled dot pattern. The dots are the size of pin heads and are in black grey and orange.
August 13, 2025 at 4:15 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
Today I’m talking about choosing project bag linings!

You may have noticed that the overwhelming majority of my bags have solid white linings.

This is to make it easier to find things inside your bags when digging around, and to make my workflow just a smidge more streamlined.

#KSQShop
A white piece of quilting cotton scrunched up into a swirl in the center.
August 13, 2025 at 4:15 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
The pink houndstooth is actually tiny uteruses; the “tartan” is illustrated birth control methods, one per square. The squeal of glee I heard at my last market when a midwife found these prints was AMAZING.

knitspinquilt.etsy.com/listing/1737...

#KSQShop
Two drawstring bags side by side. One features a small houndstooth print that is actually tessellated uteruses. The other looks like a tartan or plaid from a distance but each square contains a drawing of a different kind of birth control. A drawstring bag standing on its boxed base. It features a small houndstooth print that is actually tessellated uteruses. A drawstring knitting project bag standing on its boxed cornered base. The pink printed fabric looks like a tartan or plaid from a distance but each square contains a drawing of a different kind of birth control.
August 12, 2025 at 6:36 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
Sock bags (medium drawstring bags) are updated in the Etsy shop!

I had hoped these particular prints (first offered in 2016) would be out of fashion by now but … well, Current Events do keep happening, so I pulled these bags out of retirement.

knitspinquilt.etsy.com/listing/4345...

#KSQShop
Two drawstring project bags for knitting 🧶 or crochet One is white with rainbow text reading “resist” in a variety of fonts. One is a grey print with light grey outlines of upraised fists. Both bags have black tops.
August 12, 2025 at 6:36 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
Right! She does amazing work. Let me see if I can find a picture of another sweater I knitted from her yarn …
Here we go. A vest in progress in Neptune DK.
Another sample knit in her non-superwash cormo.
And a Light Academia in her sock yarn in “tweed blazer” and “ivory tower”
Close up on the front panel of a cabled hand knit vest. Close up on the front shoulder and neckline of a blue hand knit sweater featuring horizontal rows of eyelets An intricate colorwork sweater patterned to look like gothic arches and windows.
August 8, 2025 at 1:12 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
Slightly better photos of the Edinburgh sweater by Cheryl Mokhtari, which I knitted in Triton MCN DK for Murkey Depths Dyes as a sample!

I’m reasonably proud of the floats on this one. They’re not perfect, but I’d give them a solid 9/10.

Knitting 🧶 this out of the Triton MCN was a delight!
A grey boxy sweater lies on white foam mats. Its yoke features a geometric diamond pattern in a darker contrasting grey. Close up picture of the yoke of a grey boxy sweater lying on white foam mats. Its yoke features a geometric diamond pattern in a darker contrasting grey. Inside view of the yoke of a colorwork sweater. The body of the sweater is light grey, the contrast color is a darker grey. The pattern is a geometric diamond pattern. The floats are quite even.
August 7, 2025 at 11:12 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
This one is the Aurealis sweater by Jennifer Steingass, knit up in White Birch Fiber Arts (a cashmere blend DK weight yarn) to show off a spring green to deep green gradient. It’s damp enough to obscure the true colors here, sadly.

Knitting this gradient was a joy! 🧶

whitebirchfiberarts.com
A skinny grey colorwork yoke sweater laid flat on white foam. The yoke has a diamond patterned colorwork pattern knitted in a green gradient yarn that fades from a pale but vibrant spring green at the neck to a deeper emerald at the bust. The gradient continues on the cuffs of the long sleeves.
August 5, 2025 at 10:07 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
Terrible photos while they’re still blocking, but I’ve nearly finished knitting these two sweaters! 🧶

First up, this all grey one is the Edinburgh sweater knit in Neptune DK yarn (a DK weight with cashmere in) from Murky Depths. MurkyDepths.etsy.com
A pale grey boxy sweater with a colorwork yoke in geometric diamonds. The contrast color is a darker grey.
August 5, 2025 at 10:07 PM
alisakbeer.bsky.social
I’m so happy with the way the collaboration I’m doing with Periwinkle Sheep is going. Working with other people can be truly satisfying when you’re on the same wavelength!

Alas, Ponky!cat disapproved of me writing a blog post about it instead of petting her.
A dark tortoiseshell cat lies in elongated loaf pose on the back of a sofa, head held erect. She is watching a human (whose shoulder is visible) very intently.
August 4, 2025 at 8:49 PM