Audette and other knitters - Gift help please

[agnes]

I have a friend who knits scarves all the time and tends to sell them around the holidays.  I was just wondering if you had an suggestions on a gift for a knitter besides a gift card to Jo-Ann's or other yarn stores.

audette

[Deleted]

Is there a local knitting store near her that sells gift cards? I never buy yarn at Joanns or Michaels anymore.

I usually buy online from Eat, Sleep, Knit or The Loopy Ewe.

[agnes]

By not a Jo-Ann's gift card, I meant a gift card in general.

[heyrebekah]

I'm always on the lookout for neat buttons. Or maybe she could use a cool basket to hold her yarn.

[Deleted]

Oct 16, 2013 9:42:18 GMT -5 agnes said:

By not a Jo-Ann's gift card, I meant a gift card in general.

This is hard without knowing what designers patterns she likes or fibers she enjoys working with. Maybe a subscription to Interweave Knits magazine?

[agnes]

Oct 16, 2013 9:48:08 GMT -5 @ameliapond said:

Oct 16, 2013 9:42:18 GMT -5 agnes said:

By not a Jo-Ann's gift card, I meant a gift card in general.

This is hard without knowing what designers patterns she likes or fibers she enjoys working with. Maybe a subscription to Interweave Knits magazine?

I hate a scarf at home that I'll have to take a picture of.  She tends to stick with the same design.  I've seen different ones, but this is her most used. 

I like the magazine subscription idea. 

[agnes]

Oct 16, 2013 9:54:28 GMT -5 RockNVoll said:

Honestly, the gift card is the best route. This topic has come up before and that is the general consensus, FWIW. It's hard to know what kind of needles she might want or need (size? material--wood, aluminum, plastic? circular or straight?), the type/weight/color of yarn she'd prefer, etc. Personally, I'd rather have the gift card so I can pick out exactly what I want for a specific project I have in mind.

The whole reason I didn't want to do gift card was that it tends to just turn into a gift card exchange on birthday days and holidays.  I thought a tangible item would be a good idea. 

I do know that when it comes to yarn, she likes to choose "pretty" ones and they are not always the same weight or type. 

[agnes]

Oct 16, 2013 9:45:50 GMT -5 heyrebekah said:

I'm always on the lookout for neat buttons. Or maybe she could use a cool basket to hold her yarn.

A basket/container/carrier might be a good idea.  She'll bring the current project she's working on in like a grocery bag. 

[Deleted]

Oct 16, 2013 9:58:21 GMT -5 agnes said:

Oct 16, 2013 9:54:28 GMT -5 RockNVoll said:

Honestly, the gift card is the best route. This topic has come up before and that is the general consensus, FWIW. It's hard to know what kind of needles she might want or need (size? material--wood, aluminum, plastic? circular or straight?), the type/weight/color of yarn she'd prefer, etc. Personally, I'd rather have the gift card so I can pick out exactly what I want for a specific project I have in mind.

The whole reason I didn't want to do gift card was that it tends to just turn into a gift card exchange on birthday days and holidays.  I thought a tangible item would be a good idea. 

I do know that when it comes to yarn, she likes to choose "pretty" ones and they are not always the same weight or type. 

I like Madelintosh and Cephlapod yarns. They're pretty.

[agnes]

Oct 16, 2013 10:14:27 GMT -5 RockNVoll said:

Oct 16, 2013 9:58:21 GMT -5 agnes said:

The whole reason I didn't want to do gift card was that it tends to just turn into a gift card exchange on birthday days and holidays.  I thought a tangible item would be a good idea. 

I do know that when it comes to yarn, she likes to choose "pretty" ones and they are not always the same weight or type. 

LOL, so basically you don't really know what she'd want then?   I mean, no one wants ugly yarns!  Pretty is in the eye of the beholder, but if you'd rather give her something tangible then I'd go with a couple of skeins of yarn you think she'd like.  If you have the pattern to the one she usually likes to make, it will tell you the yarn weight you should get.

My last two cents to support the gift card idea is that buying one to a yarn store is pretty specific and indicates you know what she likes, as opposed to a gift card to a clothing store or Target or Starbucks or something.

LOL no I don't know exactly what she wants. But I do know she's used the same pattern with a super thick yarn and then with a super thin yarn both in different materials. 

I'm the person that LOVES Target and Starbucks gift cards   That's what she got me for my birthday.

[heyrebekah]

Oct 16, 2013 10:00:16 GMT -5 agnes said:

Oct 16, 2013 9:45:50 GMT -5 heyrebekah said:

I'm always on the lookout for neat buttons. Or maybe she could use a cool basket to hold her yarn.

A basket/container/carrier might be a good idea.  She'll bring the current project she's working on in like a grocery bag. 

Oh, she could definitely use a project bag! I've got my eye on this one. But there are tons of options if that's not her style. 

www.knitpicks.com/accessories/Knit_Happy_Bright_Bag__DKnitHappyBrightBag.html

[RandZB]

A project bag is a nice idea. Or a set of pretty stitch markers or a nice set of needles if she only has plain ones, or maybe some specialty needles.

[audette]

Hrm. I'll admit, it's tough to buy yarn for a knitter without having a really good handle on what they like to knit. As in, DH doesn't buy yarn for me, not even the yarn I use for his socks, which he is quite familiar with, because he doesn't know what I have in stash vs. what I might want...

However, if you really want to buy her yarn, my best suggestion would be to take the scarf she gave you in to a LYS, and tell them what you just told us (and, if at all possible, photos of other scarves she has knit would be helpful, too). They should be able to point out yarns that are similar to what she used in the scarf for you.


Project bags, stitch markers, wool wash, are all good gift ideas. Me, I'd love a set of Signature DPN's in my preferred needle sizes (2.5mm and 4.5mm), but that's me, and a tough bet when you don't know what she uses most often.


The Yarn Harlot has written up a few lists of "gifts for knitters" on her blog. In 2011, she did a 25 days of knitter gifts set of blog posts. They start at: www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2011/12/01/for_the_others.html

Actually, it looks like she did this more than one year, if you want to dig thru the past posts on her blog...
2012: www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2012/12/05/no_but_yes.html
and other years... Look in December entries.

(actually, with that in mind, she might enjoy some of the Yarn Harlot's books - her name is Stephanie Pearl-McPhee if you want to check amazon or your local bookstore, or you can use the links she provides on her blog site; her books are mostly knitting humour, which may sound weird to a non-knitter, but it's really hilarious stuff)


ETA: to find a LYS near you, if you don't already know of one, check out www.knitmap.com; no affiliation, but it's a site I use to find yarn shops in an area I am unfamiliar with...

[drloretta]

All excellent ideas.

I don't know what your price point, but I know of at least 2 sheep farms that do wool CSAs. You pay upfront for a share in the next year's wool "crop", and they will send you X skeins of yarn. Juniper Moon Farm is the one I know best, and I love their other yarns.

[audette]

Oct 16, 2013 16:28:25 GMT -5 drloretta said:

All excellent ideas.

I don't know what your price point, but I know of at least 2 sheep farms that do wool CSAs. You pay upfront for a share in the next year's wool "crop", and they will send you X skeins of yarn. Juniper Moon Farm is the one I know best, and I love their other yarns.

A wool CSA?!  That would be awesome!

Off to google to learn more...  DH might be getting a suggestion for my Christmas gift.

[niq]

Msniq knits and I usually give her a pattern book and a GC.

The book is hit or miss. Easier if you know the giftee's style.

[agnes]

Oct 16, 2013 11:29:25 GMT -5 heyrebekah said:

Oct 16, 2013 10:00:16 GMT -5 agnes said:

A basket/container/carrier might be a good idea.  She'll bring the current project she's working on in like a grocery bag. 

Oh, she could definitely use a project bag! I've got my eye on this one. But there are tons of options if that's not her style. 

www.knitpicks.com/accessories/Knit_Happy_Bright_Bag__DKnitHappyBrightBag.html

Just wanted to say thank you for the rec.  I'm giving this to her!

And thanks to everyone else for their input!

[heyrebekah]

Oct 29, 2013 20:56:58 GMT -5 agnes said:

Oct 16, 2013 11:29:25 GMT -5 heyrebekah said:

Oh, she could definitely use a project bag! I've got my eye on this one. But there are tons of options if that's not her style. 

www.knitpicks.com/accessories/Knit_Happy_Bright_Bag__DKnitHappyBrightBag.html

Just wanted to say thank you for the rec.  I'm giving this to her!

And thanks to everyone else for their input!

Awesome, I hope she likes it. I feel pressure now, lol.

[lys]

I LOVE my needle/accessories case.  Holds all my needles as well as pockets for stitch holders, needles etc in an organized manner.  Folds up compactly and fits nicely in my knitting bag.  They are inexpensive and come in cute patterns.