Crochet / Knitting Needle Case

Happy Friday!

I made something on a complete whim last night.  I hadn't been planning to make it, and even when I started it I wasn't very confident of the outcome.  But it turned out to be fantastic!  If I had a shop, I'd sell these.  They're practical and very, very easy.  A little over an hour from conception to completion, I think.

As you may (or may not) know, I've recently started knitting and crocheting.  At first I threw everything (yarn and needles) into a tote, since I didn't really know if I would like either activity, but now that I'm turning it from an experiment into a hobby, I thought it was time to make some sort of system for it all, so I wouldn't have to go digging for a needle every time.

So I came up with this needle case:

I have some large knitting needles already and plan to buy even larger ones at some point.  So, to be safe, I made it 12" tall and 14" wide.

To start, I cut two fabrics into long pieces: 15" x 25", and sewed them together, exactly like I would sew a pillow.  (Lay the fabrics with the 'good' side facing each other, and sew the edges together all the way around, leaving a 2-3" gap in one corner.  Turn right-side out through the gap.)

I folded the bottom of the case (which becomes the pocket) so that it was 4" deep, and the top so that the edge of the flap reached the edge of the pocket.  I ironed both creases.  I sewed a simple stitch all the way around the case (1/8" from the edge), sewing together the sides of the pocket (don't sew the sides of the top flap together.)

To make the needle 'sleeves', I put a bunch of straight seams into the bottom pocket, anywhere from 1/4" to 1", depending on the size needles I had.  Since I plan to buy many more over the years, I left a large gap in the middle of the case where I can add sleeves as I please.

Finally, I added a tie onto the case.  If I were to make it again, I'd probably choose a strip of velcro, or a ribbon, or some kind of snap or button, but for this first one, I made a long fabric strip and sewed it on the back.  To determine where the strip would go, I folded the case up, with the needles inside, and rolled it left-to-right, then pinned the tie approximately where I thought it should go (it's a very scientific method, you see.)

It's certainly not elaborate, but it will absolutely work for my needs.  If you plan to make one, you can, of course, tailor it to your specific needs.  If you only crochet, for example, and use standard needles, you may want to make it much smaller, perhaps only 6" tall. 

What do you think of my spontaneous project?  :)

~ Sarah