I like to start the new year organized, so I tidy up my knitting needles and notions at the start of the new year. When you are ready to cast on a new project, there is nothing worse than searching through a tangle of needles to find the size you need.
Read on if your knitting needles look like this:
Let's solve that problem!
First, I go through my bags and projects and collect any needles that are not in use. I give them a little clean (see my blog post called "A Fresh Start to 2021") and sort each needle by type: double-pointed, fixed, interchangeable.
I give a wrap to any fixed circular needles so they are easy to store and the cords do not become bent.
If you wrap your needles that way, here is a handy trick to tell how long the needles are tip to tip:
You can store fixed circular needles in several ways. Della Q has the best option for multiple needles, which I have seen with the Maker's Circular Needle Case. It opens accordion style and has 11 pockets to hold various sizes of needles. You can put multiple needles in one pocket. It also has stickers to label each pocket with the US and mm sizes.
You can use the Della Q Tri-Fold Circular Needle Case if you have fewer needles. The pockets are labeled, and there are two zippered pockets for notions. It all folds up into a neat little rectangle.
I have quite a few fixed needles since I use Signature Needles, and I bought a little storage box on Amazon. The quality is ok, but it fits on my shelf perfectly, and I can sort my needles by size.
My favorite way, hands down, to store my double-pointed needles is in the Della Q Double Pointed Needle Roll. It holds every set I own and rolls up for storage. I highly recommend this solution!
If you don't fancy a DPN roll, you can always use a Walker Bag and rubber band your double-pointed needles together. This is also a great way to keep them at the ready in your project bag.
Most interchangeable needle sets come with a case. The ChiaoGoo cases are the nicest ones out there. I make sure that I keep everything organized in those cases. I keep the cords in the proper plastic bags so I can grab them quickly.
So, where do I keep my needles and notions when not in use? Take a little tour of my knitting cabinet here!
Get organized and be happy!
Boy do you make me feel like a disorganized slob ! I have my stuff everywhere. I tend to have duplicates of everything because we have a motorhome and I hate forgetting something. Also it’s a good excuse to shop at Monarch for more fun things !
This is a great reminder to organize my needles. I look forward to your newsletter and now the blog! Thanks for sharing all your knowledge and wisdom with us!
The only thing about rubber banding the needles together – be very careful and keep a close eye on the rubber bands. As they age they corrode and leave a sticky residue on the needles – especially metal ones – that is very hard to clean off!
Ann,
Thanks so much for sharing your storage methods. It gave me some helpful ideas.
Happy New Year to you and the Monarch team!
Nancy