Tool Storage

[FreedomLover]

How do you store your needles, stitch markers, stitch holders, cable needles,.....?

[knitterlady13]

I keep all of my needle sets in individual cases. I have a square box/basket that is covered in fabric where I put my sets. I do have some straight needles that I store in a vase. For notions I use pencil cases to hold everything I need for a project. My stitch markers live in a small plastic box with a screw top. It's repurposed - the temp service we use for our business brought me several of them with chocolate sunflower seeds inside. I tend to like to have a set of everything in each project bag so that I don't forget to grab notions when I'm on the go.

For travel or for small project bags I have a small envelope case that holds everything I need. I find that small things can escape, so I repurposed an old starbucks gum tin to go inside of it. The tin is long and only about 1/8 in. tall. I'd love to have more of those little tins, but Starbucks doesn't use that kind anymore - the current ones are a totally different shape and size. It holds my fix-a-stitch, my cable needle, stitch markers, a couple of darning needles. Then I pop my scissors on top and snap the pouch closed. The pouch looks like these:

[Guest]

I was getting frustrated with circulars being bent and tangled, so I thought for a while how to store them stretched out. Under the bed was too messy, until I settled on modelling foam. It is dense and thick and comes in useful cubes. I attached those cubes inside the cupboard and stuck the needles underside. Now they are hanging like bats, ordered by size, and straightened with hairdryer.

[ilexedits]

Hands down, these "slip lid tins" are my favorite larger containers: http://hollybriscoe.com/my-fave-storage/

And for small stuff, I bought a 24-pack of smaller slip lid tins similar to the one that my multi-colored set of light-bulb markers came in: http://hollybriscoe.com/stitch-marker-musings/

For my collection of fixed circs, I'm currently using gallon zipper food storage bags, with each size (i.e., the tip diameter) in its own bag. Not very glamorous, and it's kind of annoying to pick out a 24" from the 32" and 40" circs. I usually have to take the size's whole set out, line up the tips at one end, then pick the desired length. The several bags are just loose in my knitting bag, which means I'm just one misstep away from busting a bunch of tips. I keep meaning to look at the various companies' quart bags, as some are more square and some are more rectangular, and I think the square quart bags would work better. (And I just got back from the grocery store, so double .)

My ICs are still in the original zipper bag they came in from the company, and I'm content to leave them there though I don't like the bag very much. I hardly every use anything bigger than a size 5, so I've not really pursued a better solution.

[katanamama]

I keep my interchangeable needles in their individual cases, circulars are stored in individual spaces by size in a hanging holder and dpns are stored in a rolled up soft case.

My day to day knitting tools are stored in a shiny gold zip up pencil case I found at my local 5Below store a few years ago. Everything I use regularly fits inside the pencil case including the empty mint tin that holds a plentiful supply of stitch markers.

[Char]

I have this little basket, for lack of a better word, from 31. I have a zip lock bag for every size of fixed circulars and some flexi needles (a single point but has a cable needle) mixed in.

looks organized right?



my problem is half of the zip lock bags have empty packages and no needles. And in some ways needles just land there and don’t quite get put away.

Is it really the thought that counts?

[Char]

I have thought about using cosmetic bags or something similar. Maybe pencil pouches - this is the season for that.

[FreedomLover]

Thanks knitterlady13 , 5xhappy , ilexedits , katanamama and Char. We just moved for the second time in a little over a year and I want to reorganize my crafting supplies, so I thought I'd see what others are doing. My knitting things and sewing things are beginning to mingle and I'm contemplating the easiest way to have knitting notions organized and at hand for knitting at home as well as toss in the bag and go. Beading is on my someday list and if I don't have a way to secure them that's going to be a disaster. I don't have any fancy stitch markers because I lose them with embarrassing regularity. I once found one in the garage.

I forgot to add the link to the circular needles holder I have and love.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/6125678...0aAvryEALw_wcB

[knitterlady13]

FreedomLover I use Fleegle beaders for my beading projects. You can load up the beaders and then put them back in their storage tubes for easy transport or when storing them in your knitting bag. (I put a link below which shows the beader. When you receive a beader it's in a tube to protect it during mailing.) I will take my beaded knitting anywhere because the beaders are so easy to carry along. These days it's easier for me to do beaded knitting when traveling because I have uninterrupted time to focus on a project. Also, if you want to try the beaders, order from Miss Babs (link below). I ordered direct from Fleegle once and had a terrible experience with her. I won't go into details, but some people just shouldn't interact with...anyone!
https://www.missbabs.com/collections...fleegle-beader

[FreedomLover]

Good to know!

[Char]

I had one of these on hand and thought to myself “Self - this might just work!” I will get a few more - one for each needle size. I’ll write the needle size on the top of the case. They fit perfectly in the black tote shown above. I’ll probably have another for notions - the smaller ones will have to stay in baggies, but I think this may improve my (dis)organization.

And this is the right time of year for these... :-)

[Char]

Now to decide -
Do I keep the envelopes all of these needles came in or not...

[plainjaneknitter]

For my circular needles, I use a Della Q Hanging Circular Needle holder. The sizes are right there on the edge & works great for me.

For my interchangeable needles, I re-purposed a Day-Timer Verona from my Administrative Assistant days in the 90s. It was burgundy leather and I could not part with it. I took out the calendar/notes & added zipper pouches for the wires. The needles fit well where the business cards used to be.

[FreedomLover]

I have a similar hanging organizer, I linked to it earlier in this thread. I use circs more than any other needles and love that they're so easily organized. I've yet to fall down the IC rabbit hole, but love that you found a way to re-purpose something for them. I was raised on the saying "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."

[jenneyun]

I use my leather interchangeable needle case for when I'm on the go. It tucks into my project bag really nicely and I can carry a couple of different sizes for when I need to change needles on the fly for sweater cuffs/sleeves.

[Hellokitten]

I made cases for my straight needles, dpns, and circular needles. Prior to that is was a horrible jumble in a drawer. I think most of you have seen the straight and dpn roll up cases elsewhere.
I designed my circular case. Basically it is like a quilted notebook, seam binding trim, etc. I made pages with pockets on both sides. and sewed them to the interior binding. I also put in a small pocket for a needle gauge. Each pocket can hold a small quart freezer ziploc. I keep one for each size, because I have different lengths of fixed needles for each size. I don't use the interchangeable circs. Ziplocs are good for keeping the cords from getting dry and brittle. That occurred to me when one I had inherited snapped. It was pretty old. 50-60 years? Also I write the size and lengths I have on the ziploc bags.

I have various other little notions cases I repurposed from various things.

[EllenDeKnitter]

I know FreedomLover started this conversation in 2019, but ...

I've been trying to figure out something more convenient for storing my circs. I've seen people who used three ring binders, punched holes in Ziploc bags and store the needles in "pages" (of bags).

I ran across small binders containing heavy duty zippered pouches. People are using them, or something similar, to do a cash budgeting system. I'm wondering if anyone has used a binder, or some other similar system, to keep their circs sorted and all together. It might just mean that cords are always really kinked. It might be prohibitively expensive, I didn't really look at the prices. I would want to slide my binder into some kind of bag or closed container, so that things didn't fall out if I didn't close the pouches correctly.

Your thoughts?

[EllenDeKnitter]

Thanks for the suggestion Reneelmt !

My needle hoarding tendencies have caused me to outstrip the capacity of the Knit Picks products, lol.

[Reneelmt]

Got it. Might I then suggest a fishing tackle binder? I think they hold quite a bit.

[EllenDeKnitter]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the suggestion Reneelmt !!!

I'm enjoying the dive down the fishing tackle binder rabbit hole. I'm bound to find what I need!

[FreedomLover]

Reneelmt my Stepmom gave me one of these years ago and I just love it, plus you can order it from our Affiliate Amazon.

[EllenDeKnitter]

Those are nice FreedomLover !

I don't think it would work for me. I'm looking for something to store in my car. I go back and forth between different places and I want my needles to be all together in one container and accessible to me wherever I happen to be.

(Yes, I'm that crazy, lol. I also have a stash of yarn in my car.)

[FreedomLover]

There's nothing crazy about keeping yarn in the car for emergency knitting.

[EllenDeKnitter]

FreedomLover I am glad you understand, but... um.