I was pretty taken with this knitting needle case and thought I’d run one up for a Christmas present for a knitter in my family. Does this look like something that you’d actually want? I don’t knit myself at all, so I think it looks neat but I’m not sure if it’s actually cool. (Mine will be in dark blue batiks.)
I use almost exclusively circular needles, as do many of my knitting acquaintances. So it depends on the individual.
Aye, lissener has the right question. Does your knitting relative use straights/dpns or circs? There’s a growing movement to use almost exclusively circular needles amongst knitters, for which a case like that is less useful.
I would love to get a case that would hold circular needles nicely, but that isn’t it.
Well, I’d like one because I have a lot of straight needles (given to me by my Nana, who doesn’t knit anymore).
I’m thinking of making a short one for my dpn’s to keep them neater than pencil cases that I generally keep them in right now.
Another vote for “I don’t use straights.” Can you find out if the recipient has a preferred needle type, discreetly? I’d adore a really nicely made case for all my circs. If she does use straights, then yes, I’d say it’s definitely nice!
Heck, I don’t know what she uses. She’s made sweaters and scarves mostly, and I think a bag or two. Dang. What does one use to hold circular needles anyway? A drawstring bag?
I had something like that for a while - and it worked when I had exactly the needles that fit in the case - but then I got longer straights or circs or dpns or multiple needles of the same size and it just got easier to throw everything into my plastic rubbermaid needle box.
But I’m also a bit scattered and disorganized and not an “everything in it’s place” person. If your knitter is organized, it could be great for them. (If you made the pockets wide enough, you could even put circulars into that - but at that point, it’s pretty useless for straight needles.
It’s my one-hour solution to my circular needle problem. One hour because I didn’t really measure, just eyeballed everything. That it didn’t turn out more weird than it did is something I credit to the gods.
Basically, you take two pieces of fabric twice as long as you want the finished object to be, plus an inch for seam allowance, place them right sides together, and sew them together around all edges like a pillow. Clip the corners, turn it right side out, and press it really well. Topstitch an 1/8 inch from all edges. Fold it in half the not-hotdog way, and sew 1-inch wide channels as pictured.
Mine just has elastic/ribbon run through the top and bottom channels to tie it to the door of the standing closet I keep my fabric in. A more sophisticated version is to work a buttonhole in the top center of the holder before folding it in half and slipping the hook of a padded clothes hanger through the buttonhole. Or you can put grommets in the top and tie a pretty ribbon through it use as a hanger. It will be more stable if you put some stiff cardboard through the channel before punching the grommets.
A good finished size is 17 in X 10 or 12 in. That gives enough room to store needles between sizes 1 and 15, with room for the top and bottom channels. You can also embroider/paint/use iron-ons to label the channels if you want, but I just use my needle gauge to figure out what size the needles are.
I also made myself a needle roll very similar to the one you linked to for my straight needles and DPNs. I folded the pocket layers in half and top-stitched the edges instead of binding them, though.
I have something similar to the OP, only it’s made out of heavy felt. It rolls up quite nicely, and since I don’t have that many circular needles (I bought one of those make your own needle kits, so I can switch out what I need) I shove the circular needles in their cases in the needle caddy, then roll the whole thing up.
I really like that needle case because it looks like it holds the straights in the back section and has wider pockets in the front for circulars, DPNs, and tools. Most needle cases that I’ve seen hold only straight needles and I don’t know any knitters who don’t have a variety of needles. For someone like me (I HATE circular needles, but have some for when they’re necessary), that case would be perfect. Are most knitters really going to all circulars? Why??
Here’s my needle case, by the way. I designed it and my mom made it for me. I think I need to cull some needles from it, though…it’s getting a little cramped. That little pocket above the cable needle is for my yarn needle.
For my DPN’s, I use this.
and for my Circ’s I use this or something like this . You get the idea. Very portable and highly organized.
I paid about $10 for the circ one and about $4 - 7 for the DPN one. I use a vase to hold my straight needles.
What can I say, I go threeways. 
Because they are so adaptable. You can use them for flat pieces as well as in the round, and if you are adventurous you can use them in lieu of DPNs using the double circular or magic loop method (I haven’t tried the former, but the latter is handy for bus where if we hit a bump and I lose my needle it’s not going flying and landing in a puddle on the floor three seats behind…). And if you have one of the interchangeable sets you have practically an infinite number of needles without having an infinite number floating around.
I still somewhat prefer straights for certain flat pieces, but I love my Options.
But, but, but…they’re short! And uncomfortable! And the stupid cable is always in the way. I even prefer DPNs over circulars. Should we take this to GD? 
You *know * that will end up in the Pit. 
They are short, which is why sometimes I prefer the straights so I can rest one needle on my leg or stomach or something instead of all the weight on my wrists. Uncomfortable? Not so much all the time. Depends on the project and how heavy it is.
Maybe you need a shorter cable? Or a longer one. Sometimes a change in the length can make a big difference in how in the way it gets if using them for flat pieces.
I agree with The Blue-Sighted Shadow, we’d probably end up in the pit!
I use a variety of needles, but since I do a lot of my knitting away from home, I find it’s easier to deal with circs than dpns or straights. The dpns are more likely to be dropped on the bus (nasty floor, that needle won’t go anywhere near my knitting again until it gets washed, so since I am currently using two sets on a Christmas present you bet your buttons I’m careful not to drop them though it’s been near a few times when the bus takes the train tracks too fast) and the straights need a bit more elbow room, which can be hard to get on the train and bus.
I prefer circs for a few reasons:
You never lose one. There it is, still stuck to your project. It’s like kids who have their mittens on a string through the sleeves of their coats.
I can knit flat or circular on a circ, while I don’t have that flexibility on a straight.
For larger projects, it keeps the weight off the ends of the needles so I’m not holding it up with my aching wrists.
I am very fat, and even half of a sweater for me won’t fit all that well on most 14 inch straights.
The cable being in the way sounds like it might be an issue with the type of needle you’re using? Cheap ones often have cables that refuse to ever straighten out properly. Better sets I don’t have that issue with.
Another factor for me, though, is that I knit continental style, so I don’t have that same desire to rest my needle on something as I wrap the stitch. I can knit English-style, and I do agree that it’s much harder to do that with a circ.
Misread Knitters as Kittens.
Immediately thought of this.
I’ve never really had a problem, except maybe for the first couple stitches sometimes until there are several to kinda grip the needle so it won’t slip back out easily. I only knit English style, I can knit Continental but I never got into the habit.
I figure changing styles of knitting works like changing your handwriting… you have to think about it and work at it until it becomes second natureto do it that way. 
This is really mine main issue with circs. I knit English-style and I do usually rest the needle on my leg. I actually will use circs if I have to. Right now, I’m knitting a Knitting Pure & Simple cardigan, which is knit flat but is huuuuuge (because it’s done all in one piece). So, I’m sucking it up, but I occasionally fantasize about really long straight needles.