THE GIFT GUIDE FOR KNITTERS
Unlike skills like spinning or weaving where there are a lot of tools to choose from, knitting is pretty simple. To knit, you need two things: needles and yarn. Stitch markers, ball winders, project bags, cable needles, and patterns might help, but I've managed to do just fine without all of these for my entire knitting career.
So, without further adieu, here is my gift guide for knitters!
Gifts less than $10
Stitch Markers
Surprisingly, you can get a lot of knitting gifts for under $10. While I don't use stitch markers, most
stitch markers on Etsy are less than $10, and can be pretty cute! These also come with the satisfaction of supporting crafters on Etsy.
Gifts for less than $25
Yarn
Yes, it is possible to get yarn for less than $25. In fact, you can probably get several balls of yarn for $25 from some retailers--certainly enough for a small project. (
KnitPicks and
Patons Classic Wool come to mind). But for luxury yarns from smaller brands, $25 is a pretty good limit for a skein or two.
 |
| Patons Classic Wool--Michael's and JoAnn's sells this, and you can usually get a pretty good deal with coupons. |
Besides KnitPicks and your local chain craft store,
Jimmy Beans Wool and
Webs have a pretty good selection. There are also smaller companies online. And if you're into
Etsy, there are lots of people selling both hand-dyed and hand-spun yarn.
And don't forget to check out your local yarn store if you have one! It's full of knowledgeable people that are more than happy to help you with a gift. Again, Ravelry is pretty good if you need help locating a local yarn store.
Gifts for $50-$100+
Needle Sets
This is where the knitting needle sets come in.
I actually have two from eKnittingNeedles,
one single-point (seen above, retails for $24.99) and one
circular. I've found out that I don't really use anything but tiny, tiny
double-pointed needles and a janky homemade knitting sheath, but it's nice having both sets available for knitting blankets and bigger projects.
The bamboo ones work great for me, but a lot of people really like interchangeable circular needles. There are several different brands, but Addi Click, Denise, and Knit Picks seem to be the most popular.
Yarn
As for yarn, there is one word, and one word only: cashmere.
The Jade Sapphire yarn above is hand-dyed, but Colourmart in the UK has a huge variety of industrial qualities used by UK knitting companies.
If you get these yarns, they are oiled for industrial knitting, so remember to tell your gift-ee that they can knit with the oil still on the yarn and block after, or wind the yarn off the cone into a hank and block it before you knit; the yarn will then bloom, but it will not be as easy to block.
Other Tools
Speaking of cones, hanks, and balls, most knitting stores online and brick-and-mortar have swifts and ball-winders available. This will also help your knitter if s/he decides to be a spinner (the gift guide for
that will be coming up in a few days)!
For more specialized tools (like extra-tiny knitting needles or nostepinnes), sites like
Lacis and
Mielke's Fiber Arts have a pretty good selection. There are also lots of specialty Etsy sellers retailing specific gifts. And if you're a skilled woodworker (or metalworker), you can make knitting needles, yarn swifts, nostepinnes, or anything else!
And finally...
Books and Patterns
I'll be honest, I'm not really the right person to ask for this question. I tend to Frankenstein patterns from various elements I've seen. But there are TONS and TONS and TONS of knitting patterns available from Etsy sellers, Amazon, local bookstores, chain bookstores, local yarn stores, Ravelry...EVERYWHERE. When I was first starting to knit, my mom loaned me her copy of
Stitch 'n Bitch, which is a GREAT beginner's book (and my mom was a great teacher!).
Hopefully this will get you started!
Quick note: I am not affiliated with any of these retailers!
