Keeping your needles organized

How do you keep your needles organized and easy to find?

I’ve accumulated a collection of needles spanning three generations, and I was tired of always having to look up the right needle size in the size chart, so I’ve now sewn a little pouch for each needle size.




I always use old clothes like shirts, blouses, or dresses for this.

My latest little bag was sewn from an old placemat I no longer wanted. I embroidered a big “4” on it, and now my circular knitting needles have a new home.



What solution have you found that works for you?

Dear Petra,

that's a very lovely idea—also because you're reusing old fabric treasures. Sometimes you have a favorite piece of clothing or an heirloom made of old linen that can become something new this way. Just looking at the needle pouches is already a joy.

For me, I need to be able to see the needles when choosing them. Sometimes I don't yet know exactly which size and type I want to use for the project. That's why I always need to see them directly and be able to compare them side by side. So I need it to be more transparent.

Each needle is in a labeled zipper bag, all arranged one behind the other in a tin. I described it in more detail at some point in this blog post . But the same applies here: you have to keep things organized and always sort the needles back into their place after use. In my needle box there is also a needle gauge, so that if needed I can measure the size before sorting it back into its little bag after use.

Maybe some more interesting ideas will come up here.

Best regards, and wishing all readers a lovely Sunday—Ina

The needles I use most often are in a pencil case. The others are in a wooden case.

I have the Knit Pro set with interchangeable needles. The needle tips are arranged by size in small compartments inside the clear pouch. The cables and accessories are also sorted into clear bags inside the pouch. That way, I always have everything right at my fingertips. My needle gauge is also in the pouch. I gave away all the “cheap” circular needles because I didn’t want to use them anymore. 

I do it just like Ina, except that I keep those clear zip-top bags in a drawer. That way, I can find them faster. And I also need to be able to see and compare them.

However, I’m not quite as organized as you are. I always keep a selection of the ones I need right now (or will need soon) on a shelf in a box, along with other small items that I use often. My crochet hooks stand in my scrap-yarn containers. 

Hi,
many years ago I had a bag sewn for me on Dawanda. The seller had similar bags available, but they were too small for me, so I counted and measured everything.
I’m still really happy with it—this way, I can see everything at a glance, and there’s even a little pocket on the right for small items. I’m sure you can find something like this on Etsy. Best regards, Stephi 

This is how I store my needles: my sets of double-pointed needles are in a roll-up pouch that I sewed myself a while back. My knitting and crochet needles are in a clear pouch, so I can always find the right size right away, and I’ve packed the cables into this case for storage.