Moss Stitch Sewing Needle Case

When I asked mum what she would like for her birthday, she requested a sewing needle case so I started planning the design for the Moss Stitch Sewing Needle Case.

After thinking about it for a while, I decided to make one with a moss stitch knitted cover. I based the size and style for the design on my grandmother’s old leather-covered one that I use all the time.

Yarn

I used a lovely hand-dyed 4-ply wool that I bought a few years ago.  I loved the colours when I saw them.  This is an ideal stash buster project for leftover sock or 4-ply wool.

Materials:

• 2.75mm double pointed needles (dpns)
• 4-ply yarn
• felt – I used two contrasting colours
• 1 button
• I used a sewing machine to sew the spine but you could also sew this by hand.

Moss Stitch Pattern

Moss stitch is a simple and elegant textural stitch.  It consists of alternate knit and purl stitches.

• Row 1 (RS):  k1, p1, repeat to last st, k1
• Row 2:  As Row 1
• These two rows form the pattern when worked over an uneven number of stitches.

The Moss Stitch Cover

Front:

• Using 2.75mm dpns cast on 33 sts using the 4-ply wool.
• Work in moss stitch until the front piece measures 8 cm (3 1/8 inches).
• Leave the stitches on the dpn needle.

Tab:

• Work the tab separately.
• Cast on 9 stitches.
• Start the moss stitch with a knit stitch.
• Work 7 rows in moss stitch.
• Create the buttonhole in this row, work 3 sts then cast off 3 sts, then work to the end keeping the moss stitch pattern correct.
• The second part of the buttonhole is created in this row, work 3 sts then cast on 3 sts then work to the end.
• Continuing in moss stitch, work another 11 rows.
• Leave the sts on the dpn needle.

Back:

• Cast on 33 sts
• Working row 1 of the Moss Stitch Pattern – Moss stitch the first 12 sts, starting with a knit stitch and ending with a purl stitch
• Work the next 9 sts and the 9 sts for the tab at the same time, starting with a knit stitch and ending with a knit stitch
• Then continue to moss stitch the remaining 12 sts, starting with a purl stitch and ending with a knit stitch
• Working row 2 of the Moss Stitch Pattern – continue the back until it measures 8 cm (3 1/8 inches).

Join the Front and Back together:

• Place the back and front pieces with the Wrong Side facing each other and cast off the sts using the 3 needle cast off.  Darn in all the loose ends.

Adding the Felt “Pages”:

• Take your felt for the felt “pages” inside the case. I chose 2 contrasting colours, pale aqua and a deeper shade of turquoise.
• Measure the needle case and cut the felt to the required size (twice the width and once the height) – I used my rotary cutter, mat and omnigrid rulers.
• Open the needle case cover and lay it on top of the two pieces of felt.
• Pin along the spine and sew, by hand or using a sewing machine, along the spine.
• After the case was folded over, I carefully trimmed the felt wherever was necessary so that it had even sides, then trimmed the corners to a 45-degree angle.

Finishing Touches:

• Choose a button for fastening the case. I chose a beautiful metal button recycled from an old cardigan.
• Sew the button onto the front below the “closed” position of the tab buttonhole.
• Just add sewing needles and the finished needle case is ready for gift wrapping.