Video: My Favorite Knitting Tools

Do you need ideas to add to your Christmas list? These are the knitting tools I use everyday and recommend hands down. With all the tools I've tried, these are the ones that have stood the test of time, so if you are curious about my recommendations then head over here or click through the video below to watch!

*Also today is the last day to get the Knit Picks swift and yarn winder combo for just $33. Head over here if you want to grab this amazing deal!

Knitting Organization: Giving My Organization New Life

 I've been mildly obsessed with my knitting needles and organizing them lately. It all started when a lovely friend of mine lent me her Chiaogoo interchangeable set, which has lead to reconsidering what I thought the knitting experience had to be. That's a story for another day, but this did make me remember something I forgot I even had...

I came across 2 of these older Knit Picks needle cases YEARS ago in a thrift store. They were each full of needles in these plastic pages and I snapped them up for $2 each! Craziness because 1) knitting is not a common hobby in Florida, so you never find good supplies - just things you can pick up at a big box craft store and 2) why would anyone think $2 was enough for these? I loved that thrift store for that reason, lol. Anyway, I bought them both, but I really never even took the needles out for an investigation. They both just got put on a shelf, which eventually got covered over with stuff. I decided to unearth them and see what I had when I started obsessing about quality of needles a few weeks ago.

I was happy to discover I have many sets of Knit Picks and Addi circular needles in these little binders, BUT the pages themselves were ... yucky. It's hard to see in the photo, but they had yellowed considerably and developed a gooey film that rubbed off on your hands and the needles inside the pages. Gross. This type of needle case isn't even sold by Knit Picks anymore, though they do sell replacement pages... for $5.99 for 2 pages. I know that may not sound incredible, but for the amount I would pay to replace these pages I could have bought a new needle case, so that was just too much for me. I decided to check on Temu to see if they had anything that would work.

I got a 12 pack of these pouch pages that have rainbow zippers for $2.58 and they worked great for the fixed circulars. Quite the savings! I actually bought several types of pages because I didn't know officially which ones would work, so I also got some that are designed for budgeting cash, so they have fold over tops and are sized for dollar bills and these were great for my flexi dpns. I have a few other types of pages as well that can hold notions if I want.

While I was at it, I decided to upgrade my notions bag as well. I LOVE this little bag I've used for my whole 11 year knitting career. It's a Shinzi Katoh Alice in Wonderland bag my sister got me when she lived in Japan. I love Shinzi Katoh stuff, and I know it's hard to tell from the photo, but this is a bit dirty after such a long time of use.

I had a sad occurrence recently - ALL this time I've kept it so nice, but a pen came uncapped and stained my bag :/ I removed that pen, but honestly this bag wasn't great for being organized anyway, so I decided to buy one that I could compartmentalize a bit more.

This new bag has 3 zipper sections, one of which has elastic for pens, so I can keep my pens and crochet hooks and stitch holders and whatnot in that one, then my jump drives and post it notes on the opposite side, then all my stitch markers and measuring tape and needle gauge in the center. This bag was $3.88 from Temu.

So now I have all my fixed needles ready for use now that I know what I have and where they are ... and now that they don't have a gooey film on them. These binders are pretty neat, honestly, and I'm excited to use all these "new" (to me) needles at long last.

And my notions bag is nice and organized to go with my Chiaogoo needle case, which is also nicely organized. I'll post more about the various tools I use (and more upgrades I got from Temu as well - they have a surprising amount of knitting and crochet tools and they are so cheap).

All in all, I'm super happy with the items I got from Temu and I think I paid less for all this stuff than I would have for just a few replacement pages from Knit Picks. Gotta love a deal!

*This post contains affiliate links, but all these items were unsponsored and purchased with my own money.

New Year, New Needle Case (a.k.a. How To Sew Your Own Double Pointed Knitting Needle Case)

It seems I have started a new tradition for myself - it seems that the last Sunday of the year makes me want to make cases for my knitting needles, lol. In 2013, I made this case for my 6" dpn set - this is honestly one of my favorite things I have made, and definitely the best as far as how functional it is. I use that case all the time and it has held up great. This past year, I was given an 8" dpn set for Christmas (this set from Stitchberry) - it's only right to want a pretty new place to put them all :)

I purchased these fabrics last New Year's Day at The Sewing Studio sale. I was on a kick from my recent make and decided I should make cases for my regular straight needles as well. Obviously that didn't happen, but it worked out so that when I decided to make this case I knew exactly what fabrics to grab. Knowing that I wanted to make this case for bigger needles (just not knowing how big at the time), I purchased 1/2 yard cuts of both the outer fabric and lining, but only got a fat quarter for the pockets like last time. The crazy floral print is an awesome Alexander Henry fabric called "Sloane" - I chose this for the outside of my case. It's basically all my favorite things in a fabric, but I knew I probably would never wear it, so this seemed the perfect chance to see it frequently :) The gray is called Quatrefoil Mini by Riley Blake and it will be my "lining" fabric. The teal is a fat quarter of broadcloth that will be my "pockets".

I wanted to write this up as a standard "how to" style tutorial/pattern, so I decided to just use the measurements I figured for my original 6" needle case I made in 2013. You can certainly change the pattern like I did by simply adjusting the length of your pieces - not the width. All widths will stay the same if you are housing a standard set of 15 sizes of double pointed needles - 5 of each size. Literally all you have to do to lengthen the pattern is add you additional inches to the length before you cut - easy peasy :) Everything is sewn with a 1/2" seam allowance unless otherwise noted.

Materials:

• 3 coordinating fat quarters of fabric, 1 for the outside, 1 for the inside, and 1 for the pockets and strap.
• Medium weight, Sew-in interfacing (I used Pellon 40)
• Snaps for closures
• Coordinating thread

1. First thing, we need to cut out our pieces. Cut 1 outer fabric, 1 lining fabric, and 1 piece of interfacing 12" wide x 22.5" long (for my 8" case, I cut these pieces 12" wide x 24.5" long). Cut 4 pocket fabric pieces and 2 interfacing pieces that measure 12" wide x 5.5" long (for 8" case, I cut them 7.5" long). Cut 1 piece for the strap measuring 4" wide x 21" long (just cut the strap as long as your piece of fabric - I got lucky with my fat quarter and there was an extra inch there on mine). Now you're ready to start sewing!

2. Line up 2 pocket pieces with right sides together placing 1 piece of interfacing beneath them. Sew across one longer side.

Press the seam, then separate the fabric pieces, folding as close to the seam as you can and press again. This seam is the top edge of your pocket. Repeat this step for the second pocket.

3. Lay a ruler across the top of your first pocket piece. Using a chalk marker, mark lines vertically down the front of the pocket at the following increments: 0.5", 1.2", 1.95", 2.8", 3.75", 4.85", 5.95", 7.1", 8.4", 9.75", 11.15". Next, lay the ruler across the second pocket, marking at the following increments: 0.5", 2.15", 3.9", 6", 8.4", 11.15". These measurements are exact to fit sizes 0-15 of needles, so be as precise as you can.

4. Being careful not to rub your chalk lines too much, top stitch a 1/4" seam parallel to the top edge of the pocket. Next, embroider the numbers between each of the chalk lines. The top pocket will have numbers 0-9 and the bottom pocket will have numbers 10-15. I tried to line my numbers up about 1/2" below the top stitched line at the edge of the pocket just for consistency. Be sure to trim all your threads before moving to the next step - you will not have access to the back of this piece again. *If your sewing machine does not embroider, you could certainly embroider the numbers by hand or even draw them on using a fabric marker.*

5. Line up the bottom edges of your first pocket (with numbers 0-9) with the bottom edges of your lining fabric. Pin the pocket in place between the chalk lines (don't be afraid of pins here - you really can't use too many). Starting at the top of the pocket edge, sew down each chalk line being sure to back stitch at the top. Press entire pocket to remove any remaining chalk.

6. For second pocket (with numbers 10-15), measure 7.25" above bottom edge of lining fabric and place the pocket right side down so that the bottom of the pocket is sitting straight across at the 7.25" mark. Pin the pocket in place well (again, don't be afraid of using too many - you don't want the pocket to shift), and sew using 1/4" seam allowance from the edge of the pocket bottom.

Press the seam, then flip the pocket right side up at the seam you just made, pressing across the bottom carefully as not to remove your chalk lines.

Top stitch 1/4" above the turned bottom edge of your pocket. Make sure the rest of the pocket is lined up with the lining fabric, pinning to keep in place, and stitch down each of the chalk lines making sure to back stitch at the top and bottom. Press the entire pocket to remove any remaining chalk.Your pockets should look like this:

7. Line up your piece of interfacing with the wrong side of the lining on top of it. Place the outer fabric on top of the lining right sides together to create a sandwich. Pin in place, then beginning just off the center of the top flap (the section with no pockets on it) back stitch and sew the perimeter using a 1/4" seam allowance down the long sides and 1/2" seam allowance across the top and bottom. Stop sewing 3" from where you began and backstitch, leaving a hole to turn the pieces right side out.

Cut each corner off near the seam junctions to create a sharper corner once the pieces are flipped.

8. Flip the case right side out through the hole in the top flap. Use a point turner or a chopstick to really push the corners out as much as possible.

Once you are happy with your corners and side seams, press the entire case making sure to keep the side seams straight. Fold under the excess fabric at the 3" hole and press well. Top stitch the entire perimeter of the case as close to the edge as you can.

9. Measure 6.5" from the bottom edge of the case and sew straight across the width of the case. Then measure 6.5" from the bottom edge of the 10-15 pocket and sew a straight seam again. These will help the case to fold nicely into thirds to close it up.

10. For the strap, fold the piece in half lengthwise with right sides together and press. Sew down the length of the piece (using 1/2" SA), then cut down the seam allowance as close as you would like to the seam. Press, then turn the tube right side out, and press being sure to keep the seams straight along the sides. Fold under about 1/4" at the top and bottom of the tube and press. Next, top stitch around the perimeter as close to the edge as you can. Press.

11. Place your strap at the center of your top flap, making sure to line up the edges. Pin the strap in place so it stays perpendicular to the side seam, and stitch a rectangle inside your strap to secure it to the top flap of the case. Try to keep the edges as even with your strap edges as possible, and pivot at the corners by keeping your needle down while lifting your presser foot to turn the fabric to stay with the edge of the fabric. Make sure the rectangle in at least 1" - 1.5" long so it is stable enough to be pulled on.

12. Before positioning the snaps, put all your needles in their respective pockets. Fold your case at the "fold seams" and line up the outside edges so you like how it sits. Next, wrap the strap around the case, overlapping it enough to hold the case snugly closed without causing it to buckle. Following the instructions on your packet of snaps, install them in the center of the strap, the first as close to the rectangle attaching the strap to the top flap as you can and the second close to the outer edge of the strap but so that you still have enough of a lip that you can easily grab the strap with your fingers to open the case. This is not an exact science, but a little extra effort will go a long way in the finished look of your case.

13. Sit back and revel in the glory of your new needle case!

Like I said at the beginning, the case in the photos is actually my 8" needle case. You can see my 6" case here. Because this case is larger, I had to do some interesting things to get my pieces cut as long as I needed, such as piecing the lining fabric together at the center and cutting my strap in multiple pieces, sewing them as one long piece, pressing the seam allowances down, and cutting it out in the length I needed in half the width using two pieces instead of just folding it over.  I positioned the joins in the strap to sit at the back of the case, and the seam in the lining is completely covered by the second pocket, so there are no unsightly seams where there should not be.

*If you would like to add an additional pocket piece to the top flap (for notions and what have you), just follow the cutting directions for an additional pocket piece, though you will need to buy extra fabric for this. You will also have to decide where you want the pocket to be separated since I have not measured that part out, but it should be easy to do :) Don't be afraid to experiment!

I absolutely love these cases! I am able to carry my needles around everywhere if I want to, or flip it open and go right to the exact size needles that I need. These cases keep everything at easy access, yet still safely contained and organized. Another cool feature is that you can open the whole case, then wrap the strap backwards and snap the strap around something like a clothes hanger or a rod and the case can hang up. You can see an example of this in the link about my original 6" case.

I hope you enjoy your cases as much as I do :) If you have any questions, please feel free to leave me a comment or shoot me an email and I will answer you the best I can!

Final Project Of 2013 - DPN Knitting Needle Case

On Sunday, I decided to spruce up my sewing room. It was really not looking good after my Christmas gift projects plus the gifts I received that would now live in this room. One thing I have learned about myself is that I cannot create in a messy space. I don't mean that every surface has to be spotless or anything, but if I have to move a pile of stuff to use a certain surface I need or dig out a certain tool to make something, it probably isn't going to get made. I know that's pretty sad that any little hindrance will completely stand in my way, but it is true for me so I know I need to keep my spaces clean. Once I had things put away and cleared off, I had a sudden urge to sew something. Imagine that :)

I've been looking into knitting needle cases for about the past month. I've pinned several patterns and tutorials, but I just never found a case that I was hoping for. So, I decided to make one completely by myself - pattern and all!

I rifled through my stash of fat quarters and came across three that looked great together. The two florals are from a fabric line called The Girly Girl Collection - appropriate, huh? lol. I've had these for a few years now, and I only bought them because I thought they were pretty. I'm glad to finally have them made into something so I can enjoy them :)

To make my pattern, I started with my needles. I laid them out one set at a time and measured them. To get a real idea of how much space each set would need, I used a tape measure and held it down on my desk at the edge, wrapped the tape over and pressed the tape to the desk top again on the other side - this way I knew there would be enough room in each pocket to fit them not only side to side but their girth as well. I added 1/10 of an inch to each pocket space, then figured how many sets would need to go in each row. It worked out that sizes 0 through 9 together and 10 through 15 together fit the same area - 10.65". So, I added for seam allowances and cut out my pieces.

I sewed the pocket pieces together first, them marked each line to sew the individual pockets for the needles. Then I used my basic embroidery features on my sewing machine with a pink thread to embroider the numbers on each pocket. I tried to center the numbers in the pocket, but didn't really get it perfect, and that's ok. At least now I can look at the case and immediately pull out the size needles I need instead of having to take a bunch of individual bags out of a larger bag and sift through to find the size I want.

The second pocket bottom wouldn't be caught in any seams, so I had to fold over the bottom and top stitch it in place. I actually sewed 3 lines there - probably overkill but I didn't want any needles to poke through over time. When the pockets were in place, I sewed the from and back together with interfacing between, flipped them right side out, top stitched and stitched lines where the pockets would fold over.

Once the case was all assembled, I made a strap by making a 1" wide long rectangle and stitched it to the top flap. When it was in place, I folded the strap around and added 2 sets of snaps to keep it closed. The best part of the snap closure is that they are strong enough to fold the strap over onto itself and snap them so it could be used as a hanger as well :) Plus the snaps make it look much more professional in my opinion and they are more reliable to stay closed than just a tie.

I'm super pleased with my pretty new needle case! I love that I was able to use all stash items and that I made it completely on my own! Now that I have all the width measurements done, I'm planning on making more for different needle lengths. Also I might do the next one roll style so it's not so large. Now that I have all the kinks figured out, I will post a tutorial next time I make one :)

And that is officially the last project of this year for me :) I can't wait to make more fun things in this new year! I'm making a 'soft of'list of goals for the next year - nothing too specific, but I think it's always good to try and improve :)