Knitters: DPN storage solution?

My current “system” for storing double-point needles is cramming them back in their original packaging, but that’s all starting to come apart at the seams.

I want a cool and organzied way to store them. I have a hankering for test tubes with caps, so I can label them, and store them all in a box or a rack or something. I’ve been prowling Surpie, though, and it seems that the International Cylindrical Council l had declared an industry-spanning maximum length of 6 inches for all tubular containers (test- and otherwise). DPNs are 7-8 inches long.

One can buy roll-up cases, of course, but they tend to run to the spendy. I guess I could make my own, but I definitely want them to be labeled, so I’d hafta embroider numbers on or something and bleh, it all sounds to complicated.

Anybody tried toothbrush holders? Doesn’t sound very elegant, but might do in a pinch. And Surpie has them 8 for 75 cents. And naturally one can’t just order 75 cents. One would have to get one’s self a sexy LED flashlight, and perhaps some keen refrigerator magnets. :smiley:

So, whaddaya do with your double-points?

I’m in the same boat as you, it seems - I just stick 'em back in their little, flimsy original containers. But now you’ve got me thinking about what would work. Pencil cases, maybe? Hmm, I’ll have to ponder this one for awhile…

I’ve got a roll up, which I love. I also use a pencil case, which works fine for the shorter ones.

I keep them in a mug on my coffee table. Very handy for grabbing one when a stitch falls off a needle, and other assorted incidents. Of course, it is not at all organized.

I keep them all–hundreds of them by now–in the same drawer, like so much spaghetti, along with a needle gauge. I’ve gotten pretty dang good at eyeballing them accurately, but the gauge is there when I need it.

Since mine have never left their initial packaging ( and are probably from the 60’s) I’m good for awhile with what I have.

I’ve always thought that maybe making a ‘case’ out of duct tape ( with a liner in it of tape as well, so as it would not be sticky and defeating the purpose, would be a good, cheap storage solution. Probably even make a flap on it and some kind of fastener for it ( paper clip, rubber band)
Lord knows I have two rolls of Duct Tape that are calling my name since I bought them on a whim a few months ago.

Unorganization is the secret ingredient to all knitters.

I bought a plain cloth roll-up case at Joann’s for something like $6. I slipped the original packaging (with the size on it) into the slot then put the needles in front, so that way I know what size I’m looking at without having to pull out a needle then grab my sizer and compare.

Ooo, just when I was trying to cut back on spending for arts and crafts and geegaws! Very cool site.

I’ve been looking for a roll-up case for a while now – you found one at Joann, Ferret Herder? I haven’t found one at three different Joanns nor online. I’m about ready to break down and make myself one. Except I’m not quite that desperate since I just switched to the Denise Interchangeable Needles. But I still am cramming my DPNs back into their original cases, too.

I just dug through my DPNs last week and found some 10-inch ones in a size 7 (4.5 mm) I got back in the early 70s that are solid metal. They weigh a frigging ton – it’s hard to keep them from falling out of the knitting, they’re so heavy. But I still love them. I don’t know if you can even find solid metal ones any more; they’ve been tubular for years. I’ve switched to bamboo DPNs, though, for the most part, because they’re not as slippery.

A pencil case is a great idea – I’ll have to check the dollar store and see what I can come up with. I’m currently just using a small zipper cosmetic case for all my small odds and ends – yarn needles, stitch gauge, 6" ruler, markers, small scissors, etc. – but it’s just too small for the DPNs, and I don’t want to switch to a bigger case that would hold the DPNs just because the smaller one takes up far, far less room in my knitting bag.

Clarifying - by “roll up case” I mean a piece of cloth, folded in half to make a cover, that can be rolled up and tied shut with a cord. Open and unfold it, and you’ll see various sizes of narrow, deep pockets sewn into the bottom half. That kind of “case”, nothing hard-sided or anything similar. And yeah, it was at a Joann’s - one of those large, nicer remodeled types that now carries 100% wool yarns in their selection.

Have you considered mailing tubes? They come in all sizes and can be purchased at most post offices and office supply stores.

Enjoy,
Steven

Heh. I’ll just use my old paper towel cores, thankyouverymuch. They’re not terribly sturdy, but the price is right, and they can easily be labelled. I only have one set of DPN so far, though I imagine that this will change in the future. I’m more of a crocheter than a knitter, though I will knit the occasional baby blanket or scarf.

Right now almost all of my crochet hooks live in a compartmented plastic box that’s somewhat like a fishing tackle box. The box also holds some rubber stamps and ink pads, some beads, and other sewing and craft notions. One crochet hook is in the log carrier that holds my current project (a huge shawl) next to my seat in the living room.

I use those tall thin jars that olives come in, but I have shorter wooden DPNs. I keep crochet hooks in olive jars too. But now I’ve seen some other pretty good ideas… thanks folks!

Olive jars are not a bad idea at all. My daughter and I love olives of any type, and I suffer agonies each time I throw out a glass jar. I lived with my grandparents for a couple of years, and got into the habit of saving things “just in case” because they had grown up during the Depression. I was a pack rat before that time, and I really got worse after living with Grandpa and Grandma. Now I will have an excuse to save those jars!

The fax paper rolls from work are smaller, sturdier, and hold exactly 5 DPN.

I keep wanting to lace them together like a roll-up bamboo window shade thingy, but haven’t got around to it yet.

Another place to look for knitting supplies and doodads would be Ebay (supercrafty and Jeff_wonderland are two of my usual hits a week for stuff) and my favorite secret… Etsy for everything your girly heart desires.