Rewards
Here's the secret to shopping for a knitter: they already own the needles. What they don't have is the yarn they keep picking up and putting back, the little tool that fixes a daily annoyance, or the thing that makes knitting time feel like a treat.
One of us here has knit for twenty years and received a lot of knitting gifts. These are the ones that got used, sorted by budget, with a few to skip at the end.
Under $15
1. A tape measure that retracts. The cheap flat ones live in the bottom of the bag. A retractable one lives in the pocket.
2. Locking stitch markers. Knitters go through these like paper clips. A tin of 40 is a useful gift.
3. A skein of something extravagant. One skein of hand-dyed silk or a silk blend — enough for a cowl — is the gift they wouldn't buy for themselves. (A single skein pattern to go with it: our Winter's Edge Scarf.)
4. Wooden darning needles. For weaving in ends. Nicer in the hand than steel, and they don't get lost in the couch.
5. A small project bag. The kind that holds one sock-in-progress. Knitters never have enough.
$15 to $40
6. A yarn bowl. Keeps the skein from rolling under the sofa. Ceramic or wood; the wooden ones travel better.
7. Interchangeable cable set (starter). If they knit on circulars, a small set with three or four tip sizes and two cables replaces a drawer of tangled needles.
8. A pattern booklet with the yarn to make it. Gift the yarn and the pattern together so there's no "what do I make with this." Our holiday pattern booklet is written for exactly this.
9. A blocking mat and pins. Unglamorous, transformative. The thing that turns a lumpy shawl into a beautiful one.
10. Good hand cream (unscented). Wool dries hands out. Scent gets into the yarn. Unscented, in a tin.
11. A mug they can keep by the chair. With a lid. Tea and yarn are old friends, and spilled tea and yarn are not.
$40 to $100
12. A month of surprise yarn. A knitting subscription is the gift that arrives again in February, when the holidays are over and the knitting chair is calling. Yarn of the Month sends three hand-dyed skeins of recycled silk, a surprise tool or notion, a knit and crochet pattern written for that yarn, and a booklet about the artisans who dyed it. $29 a month plus shipping, and you can stop whenever you like.
13. A big yarn storage bag. The stash is real and it needs a home. We compared the good ones here.
14. A swift and ball winder. If they buy hand-dyed yarn (which comes in hanks), this turns a 20-minute chore into two minutes. Ask whether they own one first; it's the gift most likely to be duplicated.
15. A knitting lamp. A daylight-balanced lamp that clips to the chair. The gift for anyone who knits in the evening and squints at dark yarn.
16. A full interchangeable needle set. The forever gift. Ask what they use (metal, wood, carbon) and match it.
Over $100
17. A mystery box of yarn. For the knitter who loves the surprise more than the plan. Our Editor's Box is nine or more skeins of recycled silk in mixed weights and colors, packed by hand, $119 to $129 for $162 or more of yarn.
18. A year of Yarn of the Month. Twelve boxes, twelve patterns, a year of new yarn to open. The gift that keeps showing up.
19. A class or a retreat. Local yarn shops run them; a weekend one is a real gift of time.
20. A sweater's worth of the good stuff. 1,200 yards of a yarn they've been admiring. Ask the shop; they'll know.
21. A chair. Yes, really. A knitter spends more hours in one chair than anywhere else. If it's time, it's the gift.
Gifts to skip
Novelty yarn. Eyelash, sparkle, "fun fur." It's a kind thought and it will not get knit.
A "learn to knit" kit for someone who knits. They know. They've known for years.
Random needles. Unless you know the size and material they use, this is a duplicate waiting to happen.
Novelty knitting mugs. They have four, and the jokes are the same four.
If you only buy one thing
Buy yarn they wouldn't buy themselves and make sure a pattern comes with it. That's the whole trick. It's why a Yarn of the Month gift works for the knitter who has everything: new yarn, chosen by someone else, with the pattern already in the box.
Gifts for knitters FAQ
What do you get a knitter who has everything?
Consumables and surprise: special yarn they wouldn't splurge on, a subscription box, or stitch markers and project bags, which every knitter runs out of.
Is a yarn subscription a good gift for a knitter?
Yes, for a knitter who enjoys trying new yarn. Pick a box with a pattern included so the yarn gets used, and check that it can be purchased as a gift for a set number of months.
How much yarn should I buy as a gift?
One skein for a hat or cowl, two to three for a scarf or shawl. Any more than that and the knitter will want to choose it themselves.
