The most wonderful time of the year is upon us! Where did the time go?? I was just enjoying my fall feels and literally on Halloween night, it snowed! I've been browsing Pinterest after work (or during work, but don't tell) and trying to categorize gift ideas for the family this year. As usual, I get distracted though, and end up starting a whole list of things that I would rather have for myself..... So, let's share some of my favourites here!
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I make a small commission. Knitting Essentials Tool Kit & Basic Tool Pack
The first thing I would like to showcase here is the "Exclusive Essentials Tool Kit" by Knit Picks. If you are new to knitting OR buying for someone new to knitting, this is THE gift. Keep in mind, you have to budget about $120 for it, but this kit has it all. Interchangeable needle set, cables, connections, scissors, row counter, stitch markers and MORE! This is literally everything you need to knit, apart from the yarn, in one nice convenient package.
If you're looking at starting smaller, Knit Picks also has a Basic Tool Pack. Smaller scale, nice to have kit for the necessities in a cute little bag.
The Essentials kit is great, but you might feel overwhelmed by all the tools. Knitting should just be needles and yarn, right?? Yup! That's really all you need to get started. It's a great hobby with a small initial purchase.
First things first, you can't knit without the tools! Knitting needles seem really straight forward, but there are a TON of options out there. From metal to bamboo to carbon fibre, straight needles and circulars, it takes some time for a knitter to decide what works best for them. Personally, I settled on metal and carbon fibre needles because I'm a bit of a stress knitter and bamboo just didn't hold up for me. Lesson learned!
If you are new to knitting (or are buying for a new knitter) I always recommend this great "Try It" set from Knit Picks. It gives you the opportunity to try out 2 different types of needles to see which you prefer to use. If you're buying for the experienced knitter, it just means they get 2 more sets in their stash, so they can have multiple projects on the go at the same time.
There are 4 different types of sets to try. They come with a wood set, and a nickel set in the most common needle sizes.
$16.99 (at the time of this post, they're also 30% off!) TRY IT Needle Set - Foursquare Majestic and Nickel TRY IT Needle Set - Caspian Wood and Nickel TRY IT Needle Set - Sunstruck and Nickel TRY IT Needle Set - Majestic Wood and Nickel
YARN! - Value Packs & Kits under $25
Alright, so what good are your new needles going to be without the YARN for your first project? I'm going to make this easy on those who are buying for knitters, OR for those who are shopping for themselves for the first time. Knit Picks has some AMAZING yarn options. One happens to be called Dishie, which works out perfectly for my example project here.
One of the first things I recommend people make to practice their knitting would be dishcloths/facecloths. Easy-peasy to make, and fun to use in the house even if you do make a few mistakes along the way. You're cleaning dirty dishes (or bodies) with them, so who cares? Practice makes perfect!
For dishcloths, you need 100% cotton. I also happen to like coffee so I found this Dishie Yarn Value Pack called "Cold Brew". It makes so much sense based on the colours. 7 balls of yarn for under $25. With this yarn, you can use 4.5mm knitting needs, which happen to be the ones you get with the Try It packages I recommended above. Look how well that worked out! My other favourite colourway is "The Blues" but there are other packages here, you can see all the options here or click the images below to go right to the Cold Brew and The Blues pages.
OR...... If you're not comfortable picking out yarn value packs or even needles but you want to get someone a cute gift (under $20) to learn to knit..... I've got you! Learn to Knit Kits! They include the yarn, a set of needles that are right for the project, a darning needle and a pattern book. Absolutely amazing! As I mentioned, dishcloths are a great way to start so there is a kit for dishcloths here:
This version just had different colours:
What do you call a really LONG dishcloth? A scarf, obviously. There is a kit for that too if you're adventurous:
Premium Winding Station Tool Kit
Have you ever watched a movie or a show where someone corners someone in the house to help them wind yarn? You will see someone (usually an exasperated man) with the yarn held between his hands while his loving wife is winding it up? Well...... they actually have tools for that!
A yarn swift and a winder might be a great gift for someone who has been knitting for some time already. We like to make our yarn hanks into space saving balls or cakes that make them easier to knit with.
This kit helps with that. PLUS, they've included the other great things you need while you wind and then knit your project:
Scale - to weigh your beautiful yarn balls and make sure you have enough grams for your project
Yarn Bowl - to put your new pretty yarn ball/cake in so it doesn't escape your reach while you're knitting.
By offering them as a kit together, you get a great savings from buying individually.
If you don't really care about your yarn weights on your newly wound balls, you can skip the scale and get the basic kit in BIRCH or ONYX
Blocking Starter Tool Kit I'm not going to lie, blocking my projects wasn't my favourite thing in the world. I've since learned that it's necessary for SOME things. Like if you plan on making a sweater, it's like to block the pieces before seaming them together. It's MUCH easier that way. There's a kit for that too! Something to get you started with the blocking process. This one even comes with a lint shaver!
As a knitter, I would be THRILLED with any of these items under the Christmas Tree this year. I learned to knit back in the 80's, before there was YouTube tutorials. It was just me and my Grandma at the kitchen table.
Knitting is a peaceful hobby and there is nothing more satisfying than a finished item to use or wear. Start small with a dishcloth and work your way up to clothing.
Let me know if you bought any of these for someone on your list this year, even if that person is YOU!