With curious cats and foster kittens in my house, it’s very important that I keep tools tidy and put away. By giving my needles and hooks a consistent home I’ve also eliminated the time wasted in looking for them and also stopped buying yet another set of size 2mm needles because they hadn’t been put away properly (needing another set because I’m working on several projects at that particular gauge is another story entirely).
I primarily work with interchangeable (circular) needles, a variety of dpns, and various crochet hooks. My system was fine-tuned over the past few years though a climbing kitten this past summer ensured that there will be a few additional changes before next kitten season.
I keep almost all my tools in zipper pouches (pencil binder pouches I picked up at a 99ยข store, the clear plastic window makes sure everything stays inside) in three ring binders. There are now multiple binders, with the most commonly used pouches in one binder for easy access. I keep the knitting needles, interchangeable tips, and crochet tools of a certain size together in one pouch. General notions and interchangeable cables each have their own pouches. While I currently still keep steel crochet hooks and metal dpns in this divided plastic bin from muji, a curious kitten this summer had me moving it to higher and higher shelves in my office. As soon as I acquire the materials, they will be moved into pouches and a binder.
How do you keep your tools tidy?
2022 Update: I now use a different system for keeping my needles and hooks tidy, but I’ve kept this post as it was a good system for me … until it wasn’t. My updated system can be found at Thoughts on my supply & tool organization (03 June 2022).
melanie says
Loose-leaf binders — What a great idea! I’m going to steal it.