[courier770]

For years I used those fabric "rolls" for my single point needles, but was never very happy with them. Then I used one of those round wine gift boxes, nice but no cigar. The lantern moon needle vases intrigued me, yet the cost seemed a frivolous expenditure. One day while cleaning out a kitchen cabinet I came across something! Any Vase will do, my needles are handy too!

 

[Glory23]

Good idea!

 

[snowstorm]

I am also use a large ceramic cookie jar. When you go to a tag sale they have one cheap because the top is chipped or broken or not there at all. Has any one found a way to keep them in pairs. I have so manny more than she shows in her jar. How do you save save your 4 & 5 sock needles.

 

[courier770]

I took the picture with only about 1/4 of my needles in it. For dnp sets...easy...toothbrush travel holders! You can get them really cheap at Walmart, write the size on the holder in marker.

 

[snowstorm]

great idea but how do you save the single point needles in pairs. mine all a mess and to know how many that aren't a pair.

 

[courier770]

The single points are easy, the size is on the end, just put em all in a vase with the size end up, makes for an interesting display. It never takes me longer than a moment or two to find what I'm looking for.

 

[tootsie001]

to keep needles in pairs, simply wrap them in rubber bands, pony tail bands or even the spacing bands used in teeth braces. You can decorate {contact paper} pringle cans and separate the needles according to size and or length. For dpn long bead tubes or cigar tubes work well. A small wad of cotton in the bottoms protects the tips from chipping. Hope these ideas will be of help in keeping things tidy and efficient. Tootsie001

 

[AllyMu]

I, too, use a vase for my needles. If you want to keep them in pairs you might want to try attaching them with rubber bands or the small hair bands for ponytails. I also put some yarn in the bottom of the vase so the tips are cushioned. Another storage for my needles is a grated cheese container. I use these after I finish the cheese. Kraft Parmesean has a small and large container and you can keep the cover on and closed halfway and have your needles come out the top. The top is divided in half with holes in it which fits a pair of needles and then there is the other side where all of the needles come out of the same hole. I guess you could cut a circle out of cardboard to fit the open container and put holes in it with a hole punch. This may work for keeping pairs together. I use the larger container for my 14" and the smaller container should work for 10" needles.

 

[sweetkate]

I took the picture with only about 1/4 of my needles in it. For dnp sets...easy...toothbrush travel holders! You can get them really cheap at Walmart, write the size on the holder in marker.

That's brilliant! My little wooden sock needles will fit perfectly in the toothbrush cases. No more rummaging around to find the set. Thanks for a great idea!

 

[pamela Lehmann]

For dpn's, I use bracelet boxes--the ones that snap closed. You can write the size inside the box

 

[asharine]

Another way to store single pointed needles is by storing them in those heavy cardboard wine carriers.They are attractive and very inexpensive when on sale at michaels etc.

 

[TammyK]

I while back I got a little tired of deciding what project to do based on the needle sizes I had available, and since I was on a hat and mitten kick at the time I got myself a complete set of 7" bamboo dpn's in 15 sizes (thanks to my boyfriend and my Amazon.com Wish List). They are really nice needles, but they came in flimsy celophane sleeves that were really not meant for long-term storage. I found the perfect storage container at the Dollar General, but any store that sells school supplies will have it - a hard plastic pencil box. The box is about 8" x 5" by 2" and neatly holds all 15 sets of 5 dpn's (which I've kept in the celophane for over a year, which still looks like new despite almost daily use) with room for a small tape measure and a set of 8 Boye crochet hooks. The whole box fits nicely in my knitting basket right next to my Boye interchangable circular needle set. I have used a smaller compartmentalized plastic pencil box for many years to hold all of the other knitting necessities like stitch markers, cable needles, row counters, tapestry needles, etc. This year's Amazon wish list (and that wonderful boyfriend of mine) has brought me a set of 15 sizes of 16" circular needles, which will be getting their own pencil box in the near future.

If you are going to keep single point needles or dpn's together in sets with some type of elastic band I would strongly recommend elastic hair bands rather than rubber bands. Rubber bands don't age well - they either turn to goo or dry up, become brittle and break. Gooey rubber bands will gunk up your needles, and broken ones are, well... broken.

 

[Doreen]

I am also use a large ceramic cookie jar. When you go to a tag sale they have one cheap because the top is chipped or broken or not there at all. Has any one found a way to keep them in pairs. I have so manny more than she shows in her jar. How do you save save your 4 & 5 sock needles.

For my dpn I use an elastic to keep them together. Or if you have the snack sized baggies you could use them and then use a marker to label the baggie with the size that the needles are.

 

[SuzieQ]

Nice idea! Love the vase. So elegant!!

All of you have started the wheels turning in my head about needle holders.

Part of my business is micro-sandblasting, high-speed hand engraving and woodburning, sooooooo.....I could put a really unique design on one of my glass vases, for some of my knitting needles or, I also turn wood on a lathe and could make a wide mouth wooden vase from a pretty piece of wood in my pile and carve or woodburn a design into it. YPPPPEEEEE, another project! Thanks for sharing and, for the inspiration ladies! Live life to its fullest!!

Be blessed! :-D

 

[courier770]

OH I love that wood vase idea...very chic! My place is all done in glass, stainless steel and black leather so the glass vase fits right in. Gotta love "functional" art!

 

[emcontrary]

I use a vase too. Most of my needles are bamboo or birch so size is somewhat of a mystical gues. My vase is shorter so I can compare differences in shaft sizes. The needles tend to stay in pairs so all I need to do is determine whether the first size I select is the right one or whether I need to go smaller or larger. I admit I only have 9 or 10 pairs of needles in the vase, the sizes I use most often. I have a hard, zip needle case that I keep the remainder in. I'd really like to find a pattern for a new needle case like I have. The only thing I don't like about it is that it uses elastic to hold the needles in place and it is loosening. If I make a case, I'd make it with pockets like the rolls, but with a stiff backing so I'd hopefully have the best of both worlds. If anyone has a good pattern for making needle cases, I hope they will share their source.

 

[Ruth on the GA coast]

I made this from old wooden thread spools for my circular needles. I got the idea from this website:
http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/circular_needle_holder

It works really well for needles up to about a size 9. For larger needles you need to drill the hole in the spool a little larger.

I'm Ruth, BTW and new here

 

[courier770]

em, those rolls drove me nuts. I wanted something functional, stylish and handy. I've seen patterns for what you are talking about can't remember where though.

 

[emcontrary]

Nice idea Ruth. I keep my circulars in 2 zipper bags the size of bank bags. I tried hanging them but I like to keep them handy in my ever expanding knitting tote.

 

[courier770]

You only have a tote? I have en entire room devoted to knitting/fiber arts! Suppose that qualifies me as an addict, but after 40+ years of knitting and crocheting and now I'm also spinning I need an entire room!