A typical morning – a little cuddle with the kitty, a little reading, a whole lot of coffee (not pictured)! 🙂
I haven’t done a gift guide in quite a long time, as I don’t like to make suggestions unless I personally use the items and love them. This is not a super long list, but I love all these things and I think they would be helpful and enjoyable gifts for any maker in your life. If you are having trouble finding ideas, I hope this will help. Enjoy!
My favorite read this year was this book! It is not a dry, boring history book. It is colorful with all kinds of fun trivia such as the samurai being credited as the first knitters in Japan. Aside from being fun to read cover to cover, it is also a great reference tool. If you find yourself feeling bored with knitting sometimes (as we all do), I dare you to page through the book and not find something new you feel inspired to try!
These stitch markers are the best. When I worked at the yarn shop, my boss gave us all a set as a holiday gift one year, and they are still my favorites!
Not going to lie, I did not technically NEED new crochet hooks. I have all the old traditional thin metal ones in multiples, and how many times does one need to replace indestructible crochet hooks?! But…these come in such a pretty rainbow of colors (my initial reason for buying them) and I realized when I started using them they are much more comfortable to work with (the reason that I don’t use my old ones anymore). So I guess I did need them – for ergonomics’ sake??
In another life, I was a Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes all rolled into one. As a kid, I used to read every mystery book I could get my hands on, and I may or may not have destroyed some wallpaper in my parents’ bedroom trying to unscrew a panel that I just KNEW led to a secret passageway. (I did get that panel off, without proper tools no less, but sadly, it was just plumbing to their master bath and no secret stairs in sight!) Over Thanksgiving weekend, I was feeling nostalgic and decided to read Hound of the Baskervilles. I hadn’t read it in so long it was like reading it for the first time again, and this time it appealed to the maker in me that loves to curl up with a handmade blanket, a warm drink, and a good book – especially one with descriptions about English manors and cold, gloomy moors. Alot of makers love Jane Austen, and I do too, but I included this volume on MY list because I think Sherlock Holmes deserves our attention too. 😉
As I recently posted on my Instagram, I am learning to spin. It has been hard to find a book that would walk me through getting started – alot of spinning books on the market assume that you already know the basics. The other issue is that they assume you have a wheel, which as you probably already know, is a huge investment. At some point I may decide to get a wheel, but I am very happy right now with just this book, the fiber from my own sheep, and my little basic spindle. If you have ever admired those beautiful fiber braids at the yarn festivals and wanted to give spinning a try without spending alot of money, this book will show you how to get started and make the most of your spindle.
I am hesitant to include a yarn in any gift guide, because how can one choose from the endless variety of beautiful yarns available?! Yarn needs to be chosen based on the needs of a project. That said, I couldn’t resist including Chroma Twist on this list because it comes in such fun colorways, and is so soft and enjoyable to work with, AND it is so reasonably priced! You could gift a few skeins of this yarn to any maker in your life and they would not have trouble finding a fun project for it. You may also want to browse on Knitpicks, as they have alot of reasonably priced pattern kits, as well as many good gift ideas.
I hope this helped you if you were coming up short on ideas for some people in your life. Or if you are wondering what to put on your own wish list. 😉 I’d LOVE it if you dropped a comment if you have more good gift ideas. I miss being part of a knitting and crocheting group, because other makers always give me the best tips! Happy shopping friends!
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