The Della Que Grand Circular Needle Case Holder

THE REVIEW

Followers of my reviews already know that I am a DellaQ fan, and that I love her Lily Straight Needle Roll. For those new to Knitting Companion, let me catch you up. I first came across the DellaQ brand at StitchesWest 2015, where she had a booth. I was totally impressed at the simplicity and deep functionality of her designs, and charmed at the beauty of her work. I bought the Lily Straight Needle Roll, figuring that even if it just proved a partial solution, my knitting life would be improved. I got it home, and discovered that I could fit my entire straight needle collection in to the roll. My knitting trunk was instantly better organized and my knitting life improved.

Fast forward a few months and my husband, who loves tidiness and organization even more than I do, began to realize just how many circular needles I’ve acquired over the years. When my birthday rolled around, I was delighted to receive the Que Grand Circular Needle Case.

INITIAL REACTIONS: Encountering this case in person was a bit startling. I’d seen videos where this case was discussed, but even so, I was taken by surprise when I opened it for the first time.  With 21 numbered pockets (for needles sized US000 to 17), this case impressed me with its storage capacity. It also has three unlabeled pockets, perfect for knitters who have 2.25 or 2.75mm needles (which have no US equivalent) or to store a spare tapestry needle or similar notion. The case was bulkier than I expected, due to padding along the front and the back of the case. The case itself is incredibly light, and made with the poly-silk fabric that I’ve come to delight in from DellaQ.

THE TESTS:  Like many obsessed knitters (who, us??), I have a plethora of circular needles. It’s always been easier for me to buy the needles that I need on an ad-hoc basis, rather than invest in interchangeable needles. To keep them organized, I’ve traditionally kept them in their original packaging. Stacking these needles or otherwise keeping them together became a challenge as I continued to purchase additional needles. Worse, I lost track of which needles I already owned and digging through all the packaging became tedious and frustrating. With delight and excitement, I tackled the effort of putting them all in my Que Grand Circular Needle Case.

It took me a couple of attempts to realize how I need to wrap my needles so that they fit in the pockets. Wrapping the cable snugly around my four extended fingers and then bending the tips over them got the fit that I needed to make the needles fit. From there, putting them in so that the tips face toward the open pocket edge ensured that they do not slip back out again. I also discovered that I am in a position to do a destash; for example, I have three sets of circular needles that are US10.5s and 27″ long. Who knew? However, I was easily able to get multiple circular needle sets into the pockets; I maxed out at three total if I still wanted to get the flap closed.

Closing the flap is a simple exercise, but still a bit awkward. It just needs to be folded over and slipped in to the pocket, but it can get a bit awkward once you have needles actually in the pouch. I almost wonder if an external closure – perhaps using velcro or a snap? – might be an improvement, but I’m confident it would be a price increase. All in all, this is a small point and it hasn’t actually hampered my enjoyment or usage of the case.

Closing the case, even with all the needles I own inside it, is still very easy and simple. My case closes and ties shut with minimal added vertical bulk, which was a pleasant discovery.

This circular needle case is pricey; $78 is nothing to sneeze at. However, I have regained my ability to effectively organize all my circular needles, which I am grateful for, and I have not accidentally re-purchased a duplicate size since I organized my needles. I consider this case a good value for the dedicated knitter who tends to hoard needles and needs a way to easily and nicely organize them. DellaQ makes this case a delight to use, especially with the usage of fun colors and fabrics. The one thing I wish this case had is a way to identify needle length, but I’ve communicated with DellaQ on this point and I concede that I may be asking a bit too much considering everything else you get with the Que Grand.