I, personally, prefer the Harmony case over the Options case. I find it much less bulky in my knitting bag. I labeled each “slot” with the needle tip size and have both my Hamony and Options tips in each slot. I then used the single pocket sleeves from the Options binder (cut off the part with the ring holes) and labeled each one for a different size cable. I put those, along with my needle sizer and an extra Chiblis needle case holding the keys for the cables, in the middle section of the Harmony case. I do wish it was a little more “luxurious”, but other than that I really like the way it all stores with so much less bulk (and weight). I like having the full set in my bag at all times
There is a thread in the Buy/Swap forumwhere several people exchanged KnitPicks cases with each other – apparently people seem to prefer either one or the other. (There also appears to be a binder up for grabs still. )
I only have the new bag so I have nothing to compare it to. So far I like that it is not bulky, but I have not used it for more than a holder for the pieces still in their original packaging. :oops:
When I ordered my harmony tips, I just put them in my organizer with my nickel options, I just put each wooden tip in beside each nickel needle tip, and they fit just fine. I later ordered the harmony bag, because I’d read so many peoples’ posts, saying that they loved it more than the origional case, but when I put my needle tips in it, I didn’t feel comfortable that they’d be secure. So I put the tips back in the original case, and I use the harmony bag for organizing notions and tools.
I’m curious about something. I have the Options binder and like it although it is a bit large. The Harmony case seems to have room for each size needle, but what about the cables? I have each size in a separate “envelope” in the binder so it’s easy to find the size I want. How’s that work the Harmony case?
Hey thanks for the TIP, jdee! Doh. :doh: Why didn’t I think of that??
Here’s what I did (like you): I put my Harmony tips in with the appropriate nickel tips…and put all the cables, and endcaps into the clear plastic case! They are all coiled up in those single 6 hole plastic pages. I may slice off the 1/2" where the holes are.
I kinda loaded up on nickel tips a while back…got 3 sets of my most frequently used tips…6,7,8,9.
My cable count is: 12 sets of 24", 4 sets of 32", 2 sets of 40", 1 set each of the 47" & 60"…and all the end caps to go with. They took up a lot of the room in the black binder, even all coiled up in the sleeve pages.
At this point, [U]the black binder has all the tips[/U] AND [U]the plastic case has[/U] [U]all the cables and end-caps[/U].
I like the system now. The plastic case came to the rescue afterall. I don’t mind them being separate. If I travel, I will just load what I need into either the black binder, or the plastic case, and GO!
Now, my next dilemma: I bought all the fixed 16" Harmony circs…they are in transit…but…I will put those in with all my other fixed wood & bamboo circs. I got a couple neat circ needle cases a while back…and I store my wood and bamboo circs in one, and my Addis and Susan Bates in another. I like some of my old timey Susan Bates aluminum circs. A size 6 worked just right for my BORGHILD sweater set recently. Not too pointy, not too blunt.
I also have 3 sets of vintage vinyl circs (They’re pink. Maybe some of you remember them.) I’m sentimental, I guess. :shrug:
When I [U]used to[/U] use the Harmony clear case for the Harmony tips…I coiled up the cables and put 'em in that little clear envelope with the snap along with the end-caps and the key.
Some knitters (I read) have cut off the edge of the binder sleeves (the edge with the 6 hole punches) so as to slide them into the center of the Harmony clear case and still be able to zip it closed.
I cut the sizes out from off the needle tips cardboard insert…and dropped it into each little pocket. Sometimes they fell out, and I had to put them back.
Is that what you meant, Jan?
Another thing I do for my tips in the black binder…I drop the Needle Size ID Tags disks into the appropriate sleeve with the tips. The disks are supposed to be for putting onto your cables when you want to put the work away and take the tips off, and screw on the endcaps. But, in the meantime, they identify what size tips are in the sleeve! I have two sets. One set for actual use, one set for identifying the needles in the pocket. They stay there permanently. Needle Size ID Tags
So there is a pocket for them then? I thought maybe they just got tossed in the center. There are no good pictures of them.
I don’t use the needle size tags. I used my labeler and put a label on each zippered bag - needle size on the needles and cords I put like 24" or whatever. On the classic needles I put a label that says something like 16" #8, etc.
Yes, the clear case has individual plastic pockets secured to both inside walls. Most of them are about 2 fingers wide…and there are two at each end that are about 3 fingers wide.
The pockets could each hold 2 sets of needle tips, maybe 3 sets of the smaller sizes. They are roomy in width. That’s why, if the needle case turns upside down, the needle tips fall out. They don’t hold the needle tips real snug, and they don’t have a flap to snap over the top.
But, all in all, the clear case is nice! Like I said, each little clear pocket could hold 2 sets of tips, so you could really load it up!
I’m using mine to hold all my different cables and endcaps for now.
I ordered 3 ‘cable cases’ tonight…just for the cables. I think we get one free cable case when we order the set of Harmonys. I have one. I need 3 more.
I love all my nickel OPTIONS and wood Harmonys so much, I love organizing them just right. I’m a rather odd duck that way, I think.
The Options are now coming in the same zipper pouch as the Harmony. I ordered mine after the holidays and received the pouch not the binder. So far I am happy with it, it is compact and portable, I do alot of knitting “on the go”. But then I never had the binder so don’t know if I would prefer that.
Just call me Goldilocks, I guess. I had the binder, and I thought it was too bulky and too irritating to get into it to pull out my stuff. There was even one project I did where I used straight needles simply because I didn’t want to root through that binder to find what I needed. Of course, I spent the whole time I worked on the project cursing the straight needles…
So I made a trade and traded my binder for the other case. I like the other case better than the binder, but I still don’t think it’s the best solution for storing the Options. Never having had a set of interchangeable needles before, though, I’m not sure WHAT would work best, but I do think KnitPicks could come up with something better.
I had started with the Boye Needlemaster (hated them btw), then got the options nickel plated. I’ve sense ordered the harmonies and will have them on tuesday! yay! Anywho, I like the needlemaster case so I moved the Boye needles to the options case and gave away as gift ;). I’ll probably order just the needlemaster case for the harmonies as well. I know boye sells the case seperately, just hard to find.
In reading through this thread, it’s not clear that you got an answer to this question.
The harmonies come with the two 24" and two 32" like the Options do. They have one little plastic case to store them in.
If you stick with the original parts to the set, it’s not a big deal to see which is the shorter and which is the longer cable, but, I like the original binder better…I have the cables in separate pouches, labeled with the size.
My system, such as it is, at this time is to leave both sets in their original binder/case. I’ve added my fixed circulars to the binder already, in their own sleeves, and the cables keep wandering over to the appropriate sleeve in the black binder, though a few are staying in the Harmony case.
For ease of portability, the Harmony case wins, hands down. For convenience of storage, the binder is the clear winner, IMHO. I typically just pull what I need for a project and keep that with me while I’m working on the project.
)
