Felt Needle Book with Crochet Cover

Coming up with ideas for gifts or even craft shows that won't take umpteen million years to complete can be such a frustrating experience. On the gift end, this is especially the case when you're doing one of the many exchanges that holidays of all sorts entail. For craft shows, one of the biggest pieces of advice that experienced crafters say over and over is to have several inexpensive products on hand for impulse purchases.

It was actually neither of these reasons that I created the felt needle book, but they were reasons I thought on as I was zipping through it. In my case, I was creating a gift for a woman who sews (and she sews adorable things, too http://www.PopsieDaisy.etsy.com) and I had these cool self-threading needles that I wanted to make part of the gift.

Whatever your reasons - gifting, selling, or personal use - this needle book is so easy to make and it looks great all finished up. It has felt for the actual "needle book" part, but it also has a nifty pocket for holding things like the stitch markers I included in my friend's gift.

Needle Book Pattern

Materials Needed:
Size 10 crochet thread - a small amount in color desired
Size 6 / 1.80 mm crochet hook
4" square of felt

Gauge:
5 rows / 7 stitches = 2"

Abbreviations:
Ch = Chain
Sc = Single Crochet
Dc = Double Crochet

Cover
Row 1: Ch 46; sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (45 sc)
Row 2: Ch 3, turn; sc in same stitch, skip next st, *(dc, sc) in next stitch, skip next stitch. Repeat from * across. (45 sc/dc)
Rows 3-17: Ch 3, turn; sc in each dc and dc in each sc across, ending with sc in top of beginning ch-3 of previous row. (45 sc/dc)
Row 18: Ch 1, turn; sc in each stitch across. (45 sc)
Row 19: Ch 3, turn; working in the front loops only, dc in each of the next 23 stitches. Leave remaining unworked. (23 dc)
Rows 20-24: Ch 3, turn; dc in each dc across. (23 dc)
Fasten off, weave in ends.

Assembling Case
Cut 2 pieces of felt; one piece (pocket side) should be 2.5" wide x 4" long. The second piece (smooth side) should be 2.5" wide x 3.5" long.

Sew the bottom edge of row 24 to the bottom of pocket side felt. Fold pocket to the inside of the case, sew the inside edge (closest to center) of each felt piece to the crochet case - just treat the crochet case as a piece of fabric.

Work a blanket stitch around the entire case. Leave a tail for beginning trim.

Trim
Round 1: Work 2 sc in each loop around the case, placing 3 sc in each corner. Join with slip stitch to first sc.
Fasten off, weave in ends.