Crochet Hook Pouch

Make This Crochet Hook Caddy
Maybe you've been crocheting for quite some time now, but you're just learning to sew, or maybe you're just now learning to crochet and sew. Either way, there's a really easy
sewing project you can do that will allow you to make a storage cozy for your crochet needles. The finished pouch will help separate your assorted hooks, yarn needles and scissors.

There are several different ways to make the crochet hook caddy. One way is to take a simple piece of felt and cut it to a size of 9" x 14". Felt is fabulous because it comes in many different colors and doesn't need to be hemmed. If you don't have any felt, cut two fabric pieces to the stated size, then stack them with right sides together. Stitch around three sides of the fabric. Turn the pouch right-side out. Stitch across the bottom of the fabric. Press.

Whether you're making a fabric or a felt pouch you'll lay it flat on a table with one of the 9" sides facing you. Fold the 9" end up towards the opposite side. Stop three inches from the top. Stitch down each side of the pouch, from the short end of the fabric, down to the fold. Stitching down the sides will form a large pocket from the felt or fabric.

Line the assorted crochet hooks up, side-by-side, inside the pouch. Place the first hook up against the side seam. Draw a line down the side of the hook, on the fabric. Position the next hook beside the first one and draw a line down beside it. Continue doing this until you've created a channel for up to 10 hooks. Make sure you hold each hook in place in the pouch, as you draw down beside it, so that it doesn't move as you make the line. The channels should be very narrow but large enough for the hooks to slide in and out easily.

Remove the hooks and set them aside for the moment. In the area beside the last needle draw an outline for your scissors. Lay a small pair of scissors on the fabric with the point of the scissors very close to the fold of the felt (or hem of the fabric). Draw a "v" shape by going from one side of the scissors, down to the point of the scissors, then back up to the opposite side.

On the opposite side of the scissors, and next to the side seam, make three channels similar to the ones made for the crochet hooks. These channels should be much smaller and more narrow. The channels will hold yarn needles which are much smaller than crochet hooks. Draw around the needles, as you did with the crochet hooks above, then remove the needles.

Now you're ready to stitch all the areas you've drawn. Start at the top of the short piece of felt or fabric and stitch downward. Stitch down each of the hook channels, around the scissors, and down the yarn needle channels. When you've finished all the stitch work remove it and clip all threads.

The crochet hooks will slide right into their individual channels on the fabric, but slits will have to be made for the scissors and yarn needles. Cut a small slit, horizontally, above the "v" shape. This slit will allow you to easily slide in the scissors. Cut three tiny but individual slits across the top of the channels for the yarn needles. If you've used fabric to make the crochet hook cozy you may need to treat the slits with a no-fray product found at sewing supply stores.

The excess fabric above the crochet hooks makes a great flap for holding the hooks in place. Fold this down and crease it well, if it's felt, or press it if it's fabric. A velcro strip can be placed across the inside of the flap to secure the crochet hooks. Even though the flap will keep the hooks in place it won't do much for keeping the scissors located. Roll the fabric from one end to the other to create a rolled pouch that will hold everything in place. Tack two lengths of ribbon to the pouch to tie it shut. One ribbon piece will go on the outer end of the rolled pouch. Where the end meets the pouch itself, tack on the other ribbon. Tie these and hooks, needles and scissors are all secure.

If you have a stationary crochet area, and don't need a travel pouch, make the cozy in a slightly different manner. Create the above pouch, forget the extra inches for a top flap, and mount the entire thing to a piece of cardboard. Just before gluing it to the board, glue the ends of a ribbon piece to each end, at the top corners. This will allow you to hang the caddy for convenience.

If you're in need of a crochet caddy then you're already hooked on the craft! Make a stationary pouch and a travel cozy. That way, you'll always have your implements when you need them, and you're definitely going to need them!