Knitting Storage

I have a lot of yarn. And a million knitting needles, circulars, double-points...all in various sizes and lengths and parts. I also have been cursed blessed with an amazing affection for yarn in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Now, HOW will I store it all, so I can easily find it and also so it looks neat and tidy?

Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you...my tips and tricks for storing knitting supplies. And yarn.

Step One: Buy a bigger house I mean, invest in cheep storage! The littlest things can be used to help organize your needles and you might not even know it! I found this round ice-maker thing at Goodwill for 99 cents. It holds my double pointed knitting needles perfectly! I also plan on taping and writing the sizes of my needles on the side (or maybe the top?) for even easier eyeballing.

Step Two: Use something you already have! My circular needles always get tangled. And then I have to search through every one looking for the size I want! So, I put all my hat needles through this sizer. I just leave them there. Now it is super, super easy to find the one I'm looking for. I only have one longer circular at the moment, so I'm not worried about that yet.

Step Three: Convince husband you need entire room to store yarn. I mean, pick up a hand-me-down that used to hold children's toys to store yarn. I have finished projects in the top slot, and things I'm currently working on next to that. The rest is yarn divided by weight and substance. It works!

Step Four: Makeup bag? Who needs that? YARN BAG! I don't wear makeup anymore, so all my containers are free to hold yarn projects and miscellaneous items. I use one in specific to hold all my cable needles, stitch markers, and other yarn paraphernalia. It's easy to pick up and take with me when I'm headed out but still want to bring a project along.

Step Five: If all else fails, make your own! A long time ago when I first started knitting, I made this needle case to hold my straight knitting needles. I hardly use them anymore (always knitting in the round) but it still works!

How do you organize your hobbies? Let me know, I'd love some tips!