Handmade Knitting Needle Case

 As you may recall, I give a lot of handmade gifts for Christmas. I love giving handmade gifts because I love getting handmade gifts! It's a "do onto others as you would have them do to you" kind of thing. This past Christmas, my Aunt totally surprised me with the most fantastically crafted knitting needle case.

 When I first learned to crochet, my maternal Grandmother (who taught me to crochet) made me a crochet hook case. I still have it, even though it is in shreds. She replaced it on my 21st Birthday with a new version, but I can't get rid of the old one. Too many feels.

Since I started knitting, I have been trying to cram dpns and circs into my crochet hook case. Each time I struggled to close it, I vowed I would actually get on top of my life and make myself a case for my needles. I'm a big girl, I can sort of sew. It shouldn't be too hard, right? So, I started doodling plans for the needle case I would make after Christmas for myself.

 But low and behold, I didn't need to! My Aunt (my mom's sister, so my crochet-teaching grandma is her mother) is an incredibly talented seamstress. She would be all "Oh nooo, it's nothing, I just mess around" if she was reading this (which...she might be?), but let me tell you, she is so precise with her stitchery. Everything she makes is so sturdy and beautiful. She often makes purses and tote bags out of placemats. I am lucky enough to have one that she made. I've had it for 4 or 5 years now, and it is still in tip top condition. (And that is really saying something, because I abuse my bags.)

This case is going to last forever.

 Another surprise: it was full of circular needles when I opened it!! There is this spectacular shop on ebay that sells high quality, yet affordable, bamboo knitting needles. She scored me a full set!!

 The fabric she chose was "home decor" fabric. Aka upholstery. Aka Carolyn-proof. Seriously, it was a miracle that my first crochet hook case lasted from when I was 7 until 2 years ago. Bags tremble at the sound of my name.

 For even more ridiculously awesome detail, check out those labels!! My Aunt does not have a Pinterest account (though she occasionally peeks at the site), but I tell you, her projects that she undertakes are pure Pinterest gold. She took regular hardware-store washers and some number punches and put the sizes on each washer. Then she rubbed some black ink into the indented numbers to make them even easier to read. -swoons over the details-

I love gifts that are cool, but useful. Not just useful like, "Oh thanks yeah, I needed toenail clippers," but useful like "this is so pretty I want to keep touching it and I forget why I got it out in the first place." I think this needle case wins. Especially now that I have a whole slew of projects that I will need a whole slew of needles for. I'll know riiiiggghht where to find them.


Happy Monday, loves!!!
-Carolyn

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