This may have been addressed on the Board before. I know I read it somewhere and it was a good idea, but cannot remember what it was. I have been good at keeping the little container the needle came in on my table until I need to change it. However I have a few strays and even with a magnifing glass I cannot recognize the numbers.

get someone young!!! i have some magnifers that my hubby had, very small ones in a small box. different strengths. that works for me.
perhaps this could help you keep them organized better.
http://www.nancysnotions.com/product...+pincushion.do

I can't offer advice on how to see them, cause i struggle too. However somewhere I saw a pincushion that was divided into sections with needle sizes written in. you placed your machine needle in the proper section as you switched it out for another.

Oops! should have clicked on the link before I posted-that's not the one I saw but it's the same idea.

my husband just told me i should share this discovery......
i don't know what it's called but you look into someone's ear with it, it's lighted and magnified, it's the only thing i have found to work for me.
i don't know why needles are soooo hard to read! i can thread one with no problem but i sure can't read them!
anyway i paid about $13.00 for this thing at the drugstore because we are having ear trouble in this house, now i have another use for it.

I used to use an old microscope but it died.

I use a jewelers eyeglass

[quote=kathy]
i don't know what it's called but you look into someone's ear with it, it's lighted and magnified, it's the only thing i have found to work for me.

I think it's called an otoscope.

I don't know about all, but if you use Schmetz...they are color coded with a band around the shoulder of the needle.

The color just tells you what type it is. So, like a sharps, jeans, microtex, stretch and so on. I can't read them either.

If you get a thread counter lens (also called a linen tester) you should be able to read the stampings on needles.