Your Knitting Needle Case is Indispensable

YOUR KNITTING NEEDLE CASE - 9 OTHER THINGS IT SHOULD HOLD

You should see my knitting needle case - it's stuffed to the brim with all kinds of things! Oh, and there's lots of knitting needles in there, too…

I'm going to give you a tour of my knitting needle case, so you'll know if you're missing anything vital in yours .

1. Other than knitting needles, the next most important item in my knitting needle case is, believe it or not, crochet needles. No, I haven't gone over to the other side, I promise - but knitters do use crochet needles all the time to help weave in ends or pick up dropped stitches.

2. A tape measure. It seems I'm constantly needing to know how long something I've knitted is (especially when I'm knitting scarves!) so I carry a cloth tape measure in my knitting needle case all the time.

3. Stitch holders. There are all kinds of these, and it doesn't much matter what your preference is, but keep a few handy. (My personal preference is the old British metal spring-loaded type that open and close like a barrette).

4. Row counters. There are generally two sizes of these magical little plastic gizmos, and they fit right on your needles. Before I acquired a couple of these for my knitting needle case, I always had to carry a little notebook with my knitting -- so I could 'chicken-scratch' what row number I was on, or how many rows of the pattern I'd completed. Be like me -- save a tree, buy a row counter!

5. Stitch markers. These are tiny little plastic 'hangers' that you put on your needle between stitches to mark a change in the pattern, or on circulars, to mark the beginning of a new row. Don't leave home without them!

6. Scissors. A tiny little pair of sharp scissors is an essential addition to a knitting needle case.

7. Likewise, a yarn needle. These are plastic (although the 'bodkin' type are handy sometimes, and they are metal) and I usually carry two of them, in case one gets broken or lost.

8. Needle protectors. These little plastic or rubber ends are supposed to be on the end of your knitting needles when you're packing them around. Mine rarely make it there, but I keep them in my knitting needle case just in case I remember one day to put them where they belong - on the pointy ends of my needles!

9. A cable stitch holder. Even if you're not knitting cables, this is a stitch holder that can also work to pick up dropped stitches or even 'pinch hit' for a knitting needle if you lose one.

Now that's a great knitting needle case full of accessories no knitter should be without!