Five Gifts for Knitters

I know that the lovely Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (AKA the Yarn Harlot) has already done a gift guide, but this idea has been percolating in my brain for about a month, and well, I'm going to do my version.  Though, if you want to see hers, click here. 

While I agree with many of her ideas (especially the yarn swift... I find that a child or the back of a chair works in a pinch), I wanted to do something that was easy and things that wouldn't frighten a non-knitter.  Let's face it, going into a LYS can be intimidating! Especially a large one!  So this focuses on those little items that can be found at non-scary stores that anyone can go into.

Shea Set from L'Occitane

Number One:  Lotion
Sure, there are a bazillion types of lotions out there.  When working with cotton or wool, and especially around the holiday season, our hands get dry.  Really, uncomfortably, skin cracking dry.  I have found that the Shea Butter hand cream from L'Occitane, well, it rocks.  Very lightly scented, and it comes in several sizes and gift sets.  I prefer the "original scent" but there are several others as well.


Number Two: Books
A common complaint among knit designers is that everyone wants patterns for free.  While buying a book of knitting patterns can be tricky, as in "But, I don't know which ones they already have!"  Don't worry.  Really.  Hold on to the gift receipt.  They'll be more impressed that you actually bought a pattern book. 

Some really good ones that I like:
-Vintage Modern Knits
- Knit. Sock. Love.
- Modern Top Down Knitting
- Teeny Tiny Mochi Mochi

Number Three: Yarn

Knitted Wit's Bulkan in "Cedar"

If your gift recipient is a knitting newbie, then they would probably be happy with a chunk of yarn from a craft store.  If not, then, well, you're going to have to go a little bit bigger.  Now, you can venture into the world of the local yarn store... most of the help at any LYS is more than happy to help.  Especially if you have no idea what you are doing.  Names to keep in mind: A Verb for Keeping Warm, Malabrigo, and Madelinetosh.  These are great names and some really great yarns.  You will pay for them.  They are not cheap.  If you are okay with buying things online, well, then things get a bit more tricky.  Etsy is a great resource for indie dyers, and there are many... a few names to look for:  Dyeabolical Yarn, Knitted Wit, Yarn Pirate, some shops are bigger than others, and in the interest of full disclosure - I'm twitter pals with these shop owners, and I like to help promo indie dyers and makers whenever possible. 

If you are okay with shopping online and are looking for a lot of bang for your buck, head over to Knitpicks.com and pick out some of their favorite colors.  Don't necessarily worry about weight... knitters can find a pattern to go with just about anything.  :) 

Number Four: Soap

Eucalan's Grapefruit No-Rinse wash

Huh?  Soap?  How on earth does this relate?  Welp, most knitters tend to hand wash hand knits.  Makes sense, right?  When you spend hours upon hours working on a project, somehow, tossing it in the washing machine doesn't exactly work!  While you can in fact, use the machine for a variation on hand washing, you really shouldn't use regular detergent.  It can be damaging.  So, what to do?  I really like Eucalan.  (Although others I know prefer Soak)  Eucalan comes in several different scents, as well as unscented, and I am partial to the grapefruit.  It also have several different sized bottles, and one is the perfect stocking stuffer size.  You can get this at a LYS or also some little indie children's boutiques carry it as well. 

Number Five: Lantern Moon

Lantern Moon's Interchangeable Rosewood set

What the heck is a Lantern Moon?  They are a company that imports some pretty rad crafting items.  Everything from needle rolls in really cool fabrics, to baskets, to needles.  I know several knitters who have their interchangeable circular needle set on their Christmas lists.  You can find their products a good LYS, or head over to their site for more info.

I hope I've given some options that aren't too overwhelming and can fit into various budgets.  Gift cards to a craft store aren't a bad idea either... everyone always needs cotton for washcloths! :)  Another really easy idea is to get a gift certificate for a class at a local yarn shop, or find out when their "Knit night" is and make arrangements for your giftee to be able to go - line up a sitter, leave work early, etc... and snag a cool new bag for them to show off while they are there!