Lost...Ounces of Prevention

[BlueDode]

Lost tatting tools are most frustrating. Here's some of my "ounces of prevention" -- are there any others out there?

1. Picot gauge: I have one with measurements that is black on one side and a dark gold on the other: for the life of me, I had fits trying to find it even when I knew where I dropped it! So, I tied a colorful piece of yarn on it (bright purple): so, between the color and the curvy 3-D shape of the yarn, I have much less trouble finding this critter.

2. Crochet hooks: I use these for joins, and the steel ones I swear can disappear into cracks, slide down between cushions, work their way into all kinds of trouble: hooks can be nasty if they poke through things. Putting on one of the rubber sleeves (mine is bright blue) to cushion fingers makes them easier to see and harder for them to slip down between things.

3. Tapestry needles: I use these for hiding ends and tend to put them down in places I can't seem to remember to pick them up from. So, when I hide an end, I leave the remaining thread scrap in the needle until I'm ready to rethread it: if I'm planning to leave my work, I tie the thread scrap off so it will stay in the needle.

Does anyone have any other thoughts here?

Thanks for listening!

[PattyD]

I have a tatting bag (real cute Laurel Burch mini tote). In it I keep all my current work. This is the only thing that keeps me together!

[shannon_in_love]

yeah i use a trick or treat orange bucket thingy...travels easy like that and it keeps everything together... about the needles getting lost also about the needles.. since i use a plastic bucket of sorts then the needles just slip to the bottom and i know where to find them at the bottom! yeah keep the thread in the needles or on a card or both...lol.

[poeticfairy]

I have very small boxes I keep my stuff in but I am still not organized. I have the same problem as you. I have lost 3 needles. I went for months scared I was going to accidentally and painfully find one of them, but I have yet to find any of them and one of them it has been a couple years already and it's still missing.
One needle I literally put it in something, turned back to get it and it was gone, never to be found again.

I even lose my scissors as I am tatting. I never get up but they always end up with me sitting on them. Sometimes that even happens with my extra shuttle.

I was wondering if maybe you could use something stretchy for your picot gauge and have it to wear on your wrist and stretch it to your tatting to use without taking it off your wrist and you will alway be able to find it.

What I have been doing with my needles that has so far been working (knock on wood) is keeping the little cardboard package thing they came in and always putting them back until I need them again. Even if it is just a second I still put them back in the little package until I need it again. I try to keep my crochet hooks in the sleeves too.

[Sewicked]

My mom uses this technique to keep track of her needles: she has a small pin cushion/magnet/bracelet. The pin cushion/magnet is mounted on an open plastic bracelet. She tries to remember to stick the needle into the pin cushion while she's working. If she forgets, then she uses the magnet to find it. The needle often sticks to the magnet when she misses the pin cushion, anyway.

I have some elastic string; I think it came from some packaging. I ran it through a simple tatted edging to make a 'bracelet' and strung my mini-crochet hook & my picot gauges on it. It kept both to hand as needed and out of the way until then. For my scissors, I was lucky enough to know a leather worker who sewed a pocket that fit my stork scissors. I put the pocket on a ribbon and wear it as a necklace. I have something similar to hold my 'traveling' shuttles. Those are the shuttles that I drop into my pocket 'in case I'm traveling and want to do some tatting.'

[rain]

I cant keep up with anything lol I lost 2 needles (one in a case still) and a shuttle and a real nice double sided needle threader and since I cross stitch I have lost countless needles... I think the couch eats it but when I look in it I never find anything. I try to now keep everything in a baggie it seems to be working.... but knowing me I will prob. end up losing the bag.......

[Judy]

I had my mini-hooks and picot gauge tied into a colorful piece of test pattern tatting, and a needle puller on the other end. Lost the whole thing! Well, maybe only misplaced, after all its only been 3 months. I have no good answers. Tatting in bed has meant watching out for crochet hooks sticking out of things. I go for big scissors, 8" or more, so that's not usually among the lost.

[Lynn]

I have a small silk bag that I keep extra shuttles, small bits of thread, small scissors and my very tiny tapestry needles in. My crochet hooks live in a crochet hook case, and are always put back as soon as I finish using them. I guess for me the key is to always put things back where they belong the instant I finish using them. I have had an occasional small needle go missing, but usually on a bus. I lost my tiny hook that came with my Milward shuttle that way. Crochet hooks seem to be a lot easier for me to keep up with. I now am the proud owner of one of those retractable pen hooks, and it lives in my pencil case in my purse. Since I only use it when traveling, this is the most logical place for it. In order to prevent things going missing, I try to remember to always put things away immediately after using them. I still have small things go missing at times, but very seldom.

[lalou]

when at home i have magnetic strips (everywhere) i try to keep my tatting in one place (LOL) but hubby (love him dearly) made the magnetic strips into bracelets, so if i drop a needle large or small my moving arms will normally locate the missing needles!

[squeeky]

During Easter weekend I lost my tatting bag. Aside from the bag having sentimental value (my motorcycle race instructor gave the bag to me, it was just the perfect size to put my id, celly and so forth in so I'd always have 'em with me at the track), I lost all the goodies inside - itty scissors, sizes 8, 10 & 12 steel crochet hooks, magnifying glasses, little tin with two new wooden shuttles in it (had JUST gotten them for Christmas and was still learning to use them ), some safety pins, and a pattern or two. Now I'm having to build up a new bag.

Difference between what men and women mean in conversation:

"Honey, did you put your little scissors back in that bag Ed gave you?"

What I thought he meant: don't forget your scissors, you might need them.

What he really meant: I need to borrow them and wondered if you had put them away. (Which resulted in him not putting the bag back where he got it and the bag coming up missing. )