The Search for a Good Needle Case

Crochet Hook Case $25

I stole permanently borrowed my initial collection of knitting needles from my mother. At a Salvation Army in upstate NY, she found a giant, funky plaid case (we're talking 1960s in all its glory) full of just about every size knitting needle you could ever want.  When I went to college, it came with me.  The collection of needles is a bit odd.  It's so a product of the 50s and 60s - long needles in sizes 1, 2, and 3, but only one set of dpns (size 5, so random), and not a circular needle to be found.  The needles are all metal. I love to wonder about the woman who collected this set and what she made with the needles.

My crochet hook case was a little case that came free with my mother's order of Vanna's Afghans A to Z.  Funny that she ordered it, because she did almost no handicrafts in the 90s.  In the 90s I was very into crochet, especially doilies (it was my Victorian phase, okay?), so I had a complete set of the impossibly small crochet hooks and a few larger ones.  As I (thankfully) outgrew the Victorian phase, I slowly added regular crochet hooks to my collection.  My mother gave me the case, I did not steal that one.  However, it was lined with a felt-like material that was always snagging my tiny metal crochet hooks.  This tells me that Vanna is not a doily-maker, because an actual tiny crochet hook user would never have let that lining go in.

Anyway, now that I have become more of a knitter I have found the dear 1960s knitting needle collection to be insufficient.  I have added many circulars and several sets of dpns.  I had been storing them all in a magazine holder, which just wasn't cutting it.  I had been looking around for a cute case, but hadn't been having much luck.

I am so happy to report my search is over!  I have found the most adorable cases for knitting needles and crochet hooks.  They are made by Stephanie Boardman who owns the etsy shop Fanciful Belongings.  I bought the two cases shown in this post a few months ago and they are great!  So great, in fact, that I just ordered another needle case for my dpns and a small zippered pouch for the growing collection of stitch markers and notions that I've been shoving any old place.  Boardman uses a beautiful array of fabrics and you can pick which you want when you place your order.  She then makes the cases just for you.  They are of excellent quality and I cannot recommend them enough!

Circular Needle Case $29