Knitting Needle Organizers

Until a few months ago, I kept most of my knitting tools in a plastic shoe box. This was a little awkward, because the long needles didn't fit inside, and the whole box had a habit of tipping over and spilling everywhere. This summer, I inherited a tool bag and knitting needle roll from my husband's grandmother. The roll was not nearly big enough for all my needles, but gave me the answer to my organizational quandary. Thus, I designed the large needle organizer roll pictured above to suit my needs.

From left to right: An orgainizer roll made from a basmati rice sack, one made from my favorite pair of embroidered blue jeans, and my own roll (not for sale).

All of these knitting needle organizers are made from upcycled fabrics. The label of the linen striped hippie shirt that went into two of the rolls made me smile.

Because these are rather a specialty item and take quite a bit of time to create, I only made two of them to sell. But I do love both of these rolls! The first is made from a basmati rice burlap sack, and lined with linen fabric from a pair of men's pants and the red striped hippie shirt.

This organizer roll closes with a loop from the bag's handle, around a button from a cast-off leather coat.

A close-up of the embroidery on the organizer made from my favorite blue jeans. This roll is slightly longer and heavier-duty than the burlap and linen organizer, and is lined with a pair of my husband's pants. It closes in a similar fashion to the roll above, with a loop made from jeans belt loops and a vintage button.

Both rolls have a lot of pockets, sewn in sizes from 1/2 in. to 4 in. This allows you to tuck away everything from the smallest knitting needles to more awkwardly shaped tools, like small circular needles, stitch holders , or leather thimbles. Basically, anything which is small enough to get lost in a tool bag has a home in this organizer roll. Plus, they both have a small burlap patch into which you can safely place your tapestry needles. I love this feature on mine!

Each knitting needle organizer comes with a free felted stitch marker.

Suggested Retail: $35.00

Felted Pincushions

In the same style as the felted bouncy balls, I knit this bright tomato pincushion from some of my recycled hand-dyed yarns. It's an unique twist on that indispensable accessory of seamstresses: the tomato pincushion.

I also made a slightly larger version from a couple of felted sweaters. This one has more dimension than the smaller tomato, and is tied with the same hand-dyed recycled yarn that I used to knit the top pincushion. Both pincushions are secured with a vintage button also rescued from a thrift store sweater. I love both styles and love to imagine them in the hands of a fellow crafter, holding the tools to make something handmade and beautiful.

Suggested Retail: $8 for the small knit pincushion, $10 for the large pincushion.

Leather Thimbles

When I go on a prolonged knitting spree, usually around Christmas time, sometimes I'll wear my fingers raw. I have an old leather thimble that I use on these occasions, and every time I pull it out I'm so thankful to the person who invented them. Leather thimbles are flexible enough to move supplely with your finger, but stiff enough to keep the pokes of knitting and sewing needles from irritating your fingers.

It wasn't until a few days ago that I realized I had the supplies to make some pretty cool upcycled leather thimbles right in my sewing room. These leather thimbles are made from old leather jackets (and the elbow patches of a cast-off sweater), with the ribbing from felted sweaters for elastic. They're extremely comfortable and flexible. Come check out my booth at the Bloomington Handmade Market on Saturday and you can try them out for yourself!

Suggested Retail: $5.00