Felt Needle Case

When I saw this tutorial over at Sum of their Stories I couldn't resist giving it a try as a little gift for a friend.

There is a pattern with the tutorial, but it didn't quite fit my need for precision accuracy, so I drew my own. I used a 7cm square, and added half ovals to each edge to make the basic shape, and created a rectangle for the needle holder centre like the one in the tutorial.

I also added the rectangle and the button attachments before blanket stitching it all together, so that all the excess stitching would be hidden.

I really like how clean the finish is, and I love the grey against the bright turquoise. I'm a bit obsessed with grey atm! I think the only thing I might change next time is the button loop - it is 6 strands of embroidery floss, and I am concerned that over time they will split and become tangled. Having pre twisted or plaited them may have been better... But it came together quickly and affordably, and I love the finished product.

Crochet Hook Case

If you like me on Facebook (something I recommend if you want sneak peeks!) you will be aware that I have been doing some sewing this week, but I haven't let on exactly what I've been making!

I was fortunate enough to inherit most of my crochet hooks from my Nan. They came in a 90s cardboard Jaffa Cakes circular tube, and whilst I loved that my Nan had put them in that, I wanted something more practical for my own use.

I spent a while scouring the internet, but couldn't quite find any tutorials which suited what I wanted: a fabric rectangle I could roll up, with a lower row for smaller hooks, and a higher row for longer hooks and knitting needles, with lots of room for me to expand my collection! So, some brain storming with my husband, and we came up with this design. This would probably be an afternoon make for most people, but I was thrilled to have made it in less than a week!

And even better, the only expense for me was some more thread... The outer floral fabric is from a pair of old curtains I received from a kind person on Freegle, and the inner denim is from an old pair of my jeans - the great thing about wearing flares is that you get a lot of fabric!! [The top of the jeans were used in this skirt!]

Assembling it worked out fairly simply...

• A large rectangle of floral fabric for the outside, with some ribbon added when it was finally assembled.
• A large rectangle of denim for the base of the inside.
• A rectangle half the size for the tall pouches for knitting needles, sewn on to the inside base.
• Two long thin rectangles for the short pouches for crochet hooks, sewn together and then attached at intervals to the tall pouches. [This has also added bonus pockets between the short and tall pouches, which I lined with more floral fabric!]

I'm so pleased with it! What do you store your crochet hooks and knitting needles in?