What to Gift a Knitter for Christmas

The Perfect Gift Suggestions for the Fiber Lover in your Life

If you don’t share a hobby with someone, it can be hard to know what they might like as a gift. Rather than have them tell you, or give you hints and ruin the surprise, try shopping your local yarn store, or this list. I’ve put it together in a graphic here, but I go into detail below. So be sure to keep reading to find out what to gift a knitter for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, birthday, or just to brighten their day!

Let’s Dive into the Gift Ideas Shawl We?

Bear with me here, because many of these words or phrases might sound foreign or strange. But these are items we use every day, wish we had, or would make our lives that much sweeter. Who knows, you might even become knit-worthy with some of these!

Gift Cards:

When it comes to buying yarn, there are loads of variables. Yes, we love our yarn and are always looking for more. But, not just any yarn will do. Fiber content, weight, color, feel, dye lots, and quantity are all important variables. Shopping for yarn and knitting with it are also two different hobbies. Shopping is just as much fun as actually working with your yarn. Getting your fiber friend a gift card shows you care, and gives two gifts in one: the chance to shop for more yarn, and of course the yarn itself.

Also, if a store carries yarn it also invariably sells patterns, tools, and notions so you might just help your intended recipient get whatever they need. You can also work within your own budget. Trust me a gift card to a yarn store always goes over well.

Yarn Bags:

We always have a knitting project on us. Knitters can’t help it. If there’s a few moments of down time, that’s a few moments we have to knit. You might find our knitting, stashed in our purse, chucked in our car, clutched in our hands, or stuffed inside of any bag that we could find. Having a nice, safe and clean place to store our projects is always a plus.

Generally knitting bags and totes have additional storage to keep all of the other things that we need for a project safe, secure, and organized. Patterns, snips, tapestry needles, stitch markers, pens and notebooks, all safely stored. It makes my heart sing just thinking about it.

Yarn Bowls:

These babies are where functionality and style meet in a gloriously useful tool. Yarn bowls are beautiful pieces of pottery, or carved from wood. They hold a ball of yarn in place while allowing you to work. Without such a tool, your yarn ball is likely to go scampering across the floor on you.

Or, if you’re like me and have young children, one of them may see it and abscond with it…running all over the house.

Yarn Swifts:

It takes many knitters years to invest in helpful tools. Sometimes it’s because we don’t yet know they exist, other times we have worked without them for so long we don’t need them. But a Yarn Swiftis one of those tools that can help save so much time. That and they look really cool. These tools are for when you buy hanks of yarn. More natural yarns, more expensive yarns sometimes come in a hank. A hank is a coil of yarn that is twisted so it folds up on itself. One end is then tucked into the other. It’s up to the fiber artist to then wind it up as they chose.

A yarn swift can safe your back, knees, core, and sanity. So it makes a great gift.

Winders:

Yarn Ball Winder and yarn swifts are often a duo. Sometimes you can even save when you buy them together. But where a yarn swift keeps your yarn nice and neat while you wind it…the ball winder…well it winds it for you. These often anchor to a desk or table, feature a bobbin where the yarn winds, and a crank arm. They come in various types and shapes. I use the ball winder linked above, it’s plastic and but simple and durable. You can find them from your local yarn store, to Etsy, and Amazon.

Stitch Stoppers:

Dropped stitches are arguably one of a knitter’s wort nightmares. Garter and stockinette yes, it’s easy to fix a dropped stitch. But start working in a pattern and it gets tricky. Lace or brioche and you can almost forget about it. Often a dropped stitch may result from storing or transporting your projects. My little gremlins will often try to “help” me knit which can really derail a project. Stitch Stoppers are little (often) silicone plugs that go on the tips of your needles. They prevent your stitches from sliding off of your needles. And there are so many cute ones out there. My Favorites, linked above, are from Long Dog Yarn.

Stitch Markers:

Stitch markers are a fiber artists best friend. These are small metal, plastic, or elastic shapes that slide onto a knitting needle or clip to work in progress. They serve as markers to indicate that a knitter needs to do something when they reach that marker. This either marks the start of a new round, marks an increase or decrease, etc.

Stitch Markers range in price. I’ve bought loads of cheap plastic ones but end up losing them. After years of knitting, I’ve learned that if I invest in a cuter looking stitch marker I’m less likely to lose it. I’ve purchase ones similar to the link above and love them. I did use another safety pin/clip to make them work for larger needles.

Stylish Scissors:

My favorite scissors are these simple yarn snips from CocoKnits. They’re easy to use, dependable, and come with a leather cap for safe travel. I received them for Christmas one year and have not used any other scissors since really. Having a fun and functional set of snips that fit in your bag and allow you to have them at your fingertips whenever you need them is really nice. Also, because they’re not something you absolutely need to spend money on, they make a really thoughtful gift.

Interchangeable Needle Sets:

Interchangeable needle sets are amazing. When you first start knitting, you often buy the needles you need for a specific project. Over time you amass knitting needles in all sizes, lengths, and from different manufacturers. Interchangeable needle sets allow you to have almost any size or length of needle you need at hand, in an organized case. Because the needles come off, you can often use these sets for sweaters where you need various lengths of cable connectors, need to have some stitches on hold for awhile…they’re so versatile. I have and use a few sets from Nickel Options Interchangeable Circular Knitting Needle Set but I also have a set from Addi and love it. Addi needles are a bit more expensive and being made in Germany you can find them often at your local yarn shop. I’ll link an amazon listing too in case that’s easier even though I really wanted to stay away from amazon with this gift guide.

Stitch Dictionaries:

There are so many unique stitches and stitch combinations that it is almost impossible to keep them all in your head. A Stitch Dictionary is an amazing resource to have on hand. These comprehensive books help you both discover new stitches, and remember how to do work old favorites. Many knitters haven’t yet purchased these for themselves because, well there are a number of reasons: we spend our money on yarn, use pattern references or guides, and scour the internet for this same information. Receiving a stitch dictionary as a gift would save us both time and money and we would be very grateful.

Yarn and Needle Gauge Tool:

I can’t tell you how many times this one tool has saved me and my knitting. Whether you are cleaning up and need to organize your tools or yarn, or you need to find the right yarn for a pattern, a Gauge tool and ruler can really make a bit difference. These come in many shapes, sizes, and forms. I have a few and I use them constantly. Even if the knitter in your life has one, they’ll always find joy in adding another to their knitting tool library. Generally these tools have a series of holes to help identity the size of knitting needle you have on hand. Also, they will have some sort of ruler to help with identifying your gauge (how many rows/rounds, and stitches make up a 2-4 inch swatch). Other tools might have a wraps per inch measurement to help you identify yarn weight. Whether you are knitting or designing a pattern, this is all very important information.

Chart Keeper or Reader:

Your girl and charts have major compatibility issues. I strive to keep my patterns chart free to make them easy and fun to knit. However, that doesn’t mean that you won’t come across other amazing patterns that do feature charts. In this case, you might find a tool like a Chart Keeper extra helpful. This is a hard surface that is often magnetic. It comes with magnets that you can use as sort of a bookmark to help you read the current line of the chart. It can also help you remember what row or round of a chart you left off on, saving major headaches for future you. The one I have is from Knit Picks and it’s saved a project or two for sure!

Yarn Minder:

I’m newer to these tools, but they look like a dream. A Yarn minder is a tool that helps keep your knitting untangled, keeps it from unwraveling, and helps with knitting. You slide your ball, skein, or cake onto the tool and lock it into place. Often these tools have a wrist band or something to help you hold it as you work. I might just be adding one of these babies to my Christmas wish list this year.