Now that it is officially fall, we are entering prime knitting season here in the northern hemisphere. It is also prime gift-giving season. As we approach the holidays, you might be wondering what sorts of gifts would be good gifts for the knitter in your life.
Never fear! I have lots of great ideas for you along with a couple of warnings for things to avoid. Here’s an easy peasy gift list to help you find the perfect gift for your favorite knitter.
This post contains affiliate links, which means if you choose to buy something through those links, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I will always identify affiliate links for you. Thanks for supporting my work!
Solid gift ideas
Let’s start first with gift ideas that I think are helpful for all sorts of knitters and yarn lovers. Whether you are buying gifts for somebody who loves knitting socks or somebody who really enjoys knitting big, chunky sweaters, these items will be helpful for them regardless of their level of knitting experience.
A good tape measure
Knitters always need measurement tools. Whether we are taking gauge swatches for starting a project or checking the length of a sweater before binding off, being able to take accurate measurements is crucial. Some knitters like to use rulers, but I like a tape measure because it gives me more flexibility, and that’s what I recommend to others when I’m teaching them, too.
There are a few options for tape measures. The most important thing is to get something relatively small and lightweight. This is why most knitters don’t just carry around a construction tape measure. While those guys are certainly sturdy, they are also heavy as a brick.
Tape measures for craft purposes generally come in metal or fabric/vinyl versions. The benefit of the metal version, of course, is that the tape measure will not get stretched out over time. The disadvantage is that it is comparatively heavier than the fabric or vinyl versions. Fabric or vinyl tape measures, on the other hand, are lightweight but can stretch out over time and with use, which will mean that the measurements may not be accurate forever.
If the knitter in your life has a tape measure, but that tape measure is old, you might want to get them a new one. Even if they have one tape measure, though, this can still be a practical gift because they may want another for another project bag. I know I am often moving between several different project bags, and it is easier to do that when I have a couple different sets of tools that I can keep in each bag.
Here are some links to tape measures that I love. Any of these would be a good option, but some might be more aesthetically appealing to the knitter in your life than others. Use your judgment.
Tape Measure with Polished Metal Case (affiliate link)
Strawberry Thief Measuring Tape
ChiaoGoo Retractable Measuring Tape
Singer ProSeries Retractable Tape Measure (affiliate link)
A sturdy project bag
I mentioned project bags above, and so this is a good time to talk about project bags. Knitters often like to have various bags that they can use to store and organize their works in progress, or WIPs. These bags are called project bags, and a good project bag can make a world of difference to your knitter’s life.
You can find project bags in every style and size under the sun. This is where it helps to know a little bit about your knitter. If your knitter likes to work on comparatively small projects, like hats or socks, a smaller project bag is fine. If your knitter likes to knit garments, however, you may want to get them a larger knitting project bag.
It’s also good to know your knitter’s style. Are they fun and funky? Do they like muted colors and natural materials? Do they dream of living in a cute little cottage with slipcovered sofas and lace curtains? What are their favorite colors? The answers will affect which project bag you ultimately choose.
Here are some links to projects bags in different styles and different sizes that I think would make a lot of knitters happy.
Lexi Mini Project Bag by Muud (I’ve ogled these bags in person and they are so lush)
Della Q Maker’s Canvas Tote (affiliate link)
Mountain Meadow Trinity Bag (affiliate link)
Berrylicious Project Bag (affiliate link) (I have two bags from Elena and adore them both)
Pine Mountain Knitting Bag (affiliate link)
Toile de Jouy Project Bag (affiliate link)
Patchwork Project Bag (I do a fair bit of design work with Biscotte and love their yarns)
Nice scissors
While a lot of yarn can be broken simply by holding it tightly in your hands and tugging on it, it isn’t always comfortable, and it isn’t even always possible. When I am working with plant-based fibers like linen or cotton, for example, a nice pair of scissors is an essential tool.
Scissors are also great for the end of a project, when knitters are finishing things off by weaving in loose ends and cutting them nice and short. At that point, you really do need scissors because you can’t grip the yarn with your hands in a way that allows you to break it closely enough to the knitted fabric.
Many knitters like to stitch on the go, though, which means that we can’t just carry a normal pair of scissors with us or it will get confiscated by security in various places. That means a pair of small, sharp scissors can be a really useful gift. If you have a Nader in your life who has a few different projects going at once and might need a good pair of scissors, this can be a good option.
Here are links to several pairs of scissors that are popular with knitters and crocheters alike.
Merchant and Mills Fine Work Gold Scissors
Copper Swan Embroidery Scissors (affiliate link) (I have this pair and love them)
Classic Singer Stork Scissors (affiliate link) (I have this pair, too, and am a big fan)
Eiffel Tower Embroidery Scissors
Small Pastel Scissors (affiliate link)
Tickets to a local fiber event
If you’re not a dedicated serial knitter with a mile-long list of future projects and a giant collection of yarn, you may not know that there are often cool fiber events happening not too far away. There are fiber festivals, knitting retreats, workshops, and more. This will take a little bit of research on your part because you’ll probably want to find something local to your knitter, but I am going to include links here to several very popular events. Tickets to these events can range in price from relatively affordable, about the same price as a night at the movies, to much pricier. There is something here for gift givers at every budget.
If you’re buying an experience for a beginner knitter, they might also enjoy lessons at a local yarn store or craft store. Most of these stores offer classes to teach knitters new skills, such as how to knit a sock or beanie. These classes can be a great way to learn new skills in a supportive environment and make some new knitting friends while they’re at it.
Here are some links to fun knitting events happening around the United States and throughout the year.
Midwest Fiber Festival (Missouri)
Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival (Maryland)
New England Farm and Fiber Festival (Massachusetts)
Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival (Indiana)
Flock Fiber Festival (Washington)
Vogue Knitting Live (various locations throughout the year)
Knitting books
Knitting is an art, but as with many other arts, it helps a lot to understand the materials and techniques you are using. In that way, there’s also a little bit of science to it. No gift guide for knitters is complete without a few books to help with that process.
While knitters who have been knitting for a long time might have many of these books, newer knitters may find these to be useful additions to their library. If you have access to your knitter’s bookshelves, it’s a great idea to take a sneaky glance next time you’re near them to see what books they already have.
Here are some of my favorite books for both the newer knitter and the more experienced knitter looking to explore specific topics more deeply.
You Will Be Able to Knit by the End of This Book, by Rosie Fletcher (affiliate link)
Slow Knitting, by Hannah Thiessen Howard
The Knitter’s Book of Yarn, by Clara Parkes
The Knitter’s Handy Book of Top-Down Sweaters, by Ann Budd (affiliate link)
Patty Lyons’ Knitting Bag of Tricks, by Patty Lyons (affiliate link)
A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, by Barbara Walker
Custom Socks: Knit to Fit Your Feet, by Kate Atherley (affiliate link)
Traditional Fair Isle Knitting, by Sheila McGregor (affiliate link)
The Big Book of Latvian Mittens, by Ieva Ozolina (affiliate link)
A Legacy of Shetland Lace, by Shetland Guild of Spinners, Knitters, Weavers, and Dyers (affiliate link)
Ball winder and/or yarn swift
Many knitters end up buying yarn in a form called hanks or skeins, which then need to be untwisted and rewound into balls before they can be used for knitting. While you can do this using tools around the house, it’s so much faster and easier to do it with a yarn winder and a swift. This can be a thoughtful gift for the knitter who has shoulder or elbow mobility issues, too, because it can reduce the amount of arm movement they need to do before they can use their yarn.
Ball winders:
KnitPicks Ball Winder (hand cranked) (affiliate link) (this is the one I started with, and it’s a great tool for beginners)
Large Metal Ball Winder (hand cranked) (lots of my friends recommend this one)
KnitPro Mega Ball Winder (hand cranked) (this is the one I currently use)
Ashford eBall Winder (electronic) (this is a luxury gift that I have drooled over for ages now)
Yarn swifts:
Birch Yarn Swift (affiliate link)
Rosewood Yarn Swift (affiliate link)
Things to avoid: Yarn
It can be tempting to buy yarn for the knitter in your life. After all, what a knitter needs most is yarn, right? However, I generally recommend against doing so unless you have gotten a lot of guidance. Here’s why.
Choosing yarn for a project is a rather exacting process. You need to get the right amount of yarn, the right thickness of yarn, and the right fiber composition of yarn. Then there are matters of taste. Some knitters have very strong feelings about what colors to use, how the yarn is dyed, where the yarn has been sourced, etc. There are so many different types of yarn out there that it can be very easy to pick the wrong kind.
If you really want to help keep your knitter supplied with yarn, the more effective way to do that is to give them a gift card to their local yarn shop or to an online retailer where you know your knitter likes to shop. This way, they don’t end up with skeins of yarn that they have trouble using (or even can’t use).
Things to avoid: needles
Like yarn, it can be tempting to buy your knitter some knitting needles. However, unless your knitter has specifically identified a set of needles for you that they would like to have, knitting needles don’t always make the best gifts. That’s because knitting needles are surprisingly varied, and different knitters have very strong preferences regarding which needles to use.
For example, some knitters strongly prefer wood or bamboo needles, while others will only use metal needles. Some like more rounded needle tips, while some like their needles to be very pointy. While some prefer more traditional cylindrical needle shapes, others might need ergonomic needles.
Even within materials, there is a range of preferences. For example, I love the Addi Turbos, which are metal needles that are very very slick. I don’t particularly like the Susan Bates needles, which are also metal but have a rougher surface. Some knitters who like to use circular needles also have strong opinions about whether they like their needle tips to be long or short, straight or curved, and fixed or interchangeable. With circular needles, you also have to account for the cord material and whether it’s plastic or coated wire or something else.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. As you can see, with so many variations in needles making such a difference for different knitters, it can be more effective to just give them a gift card unless they have sent you links to the needle sets that they want or otherwise identified what needles they would like you to give them.
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Gift-giving can be tricky when your loved one is deep into a hobby that you know very little about. I hope that this collection of knitting gift ideas helps lead you to something that the knitting enthusiast in your life will enjoy.
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