Monday, April 14, 2008

How Do You Organize Your Tools?


There are many, many different ways to organize your tools. My scrapbooking stuff is nicely stored in Creative Memory totes, and my stamping stuff is stashed away in a Crop In Style tote that I paid a pretty penny for about 5 years ago.

At the moment the needles that I use most often are in a needle roll that I sewed a year ago. My other needles, however, are kind of stuck here and there in skeins of yarn that I have in the shelf next to my bed. My circulars don't really have a home. They are resting peacefully on some yarn that I have in a basket next to my bed.

So, my question for our readers is how do you organize your tools?

One lucky poster will be interviewed for next Monday's article and will be entered into a raffle for a $25 gift card for the Container Store.

6 comments:

meg said...

I have the large orange tote from the craft store where I keep all the essentials- it has lots of inside pockets & a large open area for all the essentials: circular needle case (as seen on the Ravelry thread), stitch markers & holders, gauge rulers, tape measures, cable needles, scissors, pencils, notebook, project cards, etc. It zips closed to keep my fur kids from camping out & has pockets on the outside to hold yarn; I keep it next to my chair when I'm home or can take the whole thing along for a knitting getaway. For individual projects, I just take out the things I'll need & put them in a small project bag to take with me.

catsmum said...

I have a large white cane basket that fits nicely under the rumpus room coffee table - scene of most of my fibre activities [ fabric related stuff is the other end of the house next to the studio and has its own storeroom ]
It contains my KP Options, a little zipped purse thingie which holds a needle gauge, tape measure, magnetic needle case, stitch markers, small scissors, two stitch holders, one cable needle, one crochet hook and three safety pins, a notepad and a pen. The basket holds all current projects/yarn and a needle roll with straights and dpns from 2mm to 6mm.
my other straights are in a large vintage blue and white tin next to the tv and there is a small pair of scissors, pad, pen, and extra needle gauge in each of my zippered knitting bags which live in a hamper at the end of the couch usually with a travelling project in each.

catsmum said...

oops me again
I forgot - all the crochet hooks are in a gorgeous little circular tea caddy covered in blue and white japanese rice paper. Sometimes it lives in the big white basket under the coffee table but usually it's sitting on top of the unit that the DVD player sits in, next to the couch, just looking beeoootiful... kinda the same as the big blueandwhite tin of straights...knitting supplies as decorative objects??

Unknown said...

I currently have all my yarn and roving in Sterilite containers with latching lids. (I have ferrets and don't like my yarn going for "a walk"!) These are all stored in a row on the shelf above my clothing in my closet -- two layers of protection against animal mischief!

My loose patterns are stored in sleeve protectors and bound in two 3-ring notebooks, which sit on one of the two shelves for my knitting books and magazines, which is an IKEA Billy Bookcase. All my books are catalogued on my LibraryThing account and in Ravelry. )I'm still working on the magazines...)

My needles are in one of three places (the only part of my crafting storage I'm not at all happy with): my KnitPicks zipper binder for my Options and some of my DPNs, my project bags for the in-use needles, and the box for an Eagle Good-to-Go tote holds all my straight needles.

My project bags are draw-string bags from Blue Kitty Designs (katiefleck on Etsy), which keep my yarn and my needles safe from my curious and smart ferrets.

And finally, I keep a small USB drive on my keychain with a back-up of all my knitting patterns I've bought (PDFs) and found online.

I hope in the future to move away from the Sterilite totes into some beautiful IKEA PAX wardrobes, with my yarn arrayed beautifully in drawers, but still safe from animal intrusion!

Anne.

Anita said...

My sil made me needle rolls for my straights and my double points. She then sewed me a hanging container for my circulars. It has numbers next to each tube like area that you slide your circs into. I love it. I then took an old tin and that is what I store all my extra notions in. Now I have to figure out my printed patterns.
Anita T

Unknown said...

I have a "carpenters" tool bag that opens wide and also zips closed. I bought it at a local department store in the tool/hardware department about 12 years ago. It has pockets on the interior and exterior perimeter and holds all of my must have near me knitting tools and gadgets. This bag sets on the floor near my chair and it where I put my main wip. I have a medium size wicker basket that holds the extra yarn for my wips. I will be placing some pictures of my Tool Bag and it's contents on along with my other fiber related spring cleaning and organization.