Knit Life
The best of 2015 buyers guide: What do you get a knitter for Christmas when they already have yarn?
The Holidays are officially upon us. I love Christmas shopping. I love it more than I can tell you. I’m massively pregnant right now, and that’s going to slow down (but not stop) my Black Friday hunting. The thing is, hitting up the Kohl’s clearance rack at 1 am the day after Thanksgiving is easy. But what am I gonna get for Jac?* I like to make things easy for everyone with an Amazon wish list. I put all my fiber fantasies on it. But not every knitter is so easy to shop for. Not to mention how hard it can be to choose some treats for ourselves.
We get asked for product recommendations a lot so we decided to put together a Holiday Buyers Guide. It’s a list of all our favorite products from the previous year, and we are the very satisfied owners of all but one of the items on the list. The only reason I don’t have the Knitter’s Pride set yet is that I put it on my own Christmas list. ;) These are great items for yourself, or for the fiber enthusiast on your list.
1. Hooks and Needles
You can’t go wrong with a great set of hooks (for crocheters) or needles (for knitters). Our favorites this year are the Swing Set by Skacel and the Knitter’s Pride annual limited edition needle set.
Jac is the crocheter here, and she LOVES her Swing hooks. The ergonomic design cuts way down on hand strain, and they come in a sleek leather case that lets you pretend you are Parker from Leverage and they are actually thief tools.
Each fall Knitter’s Pride puts out a drool worthy special edition needle set. This year they really outdid themselves with the Royale set, inspired by Paris. I’d buy it just for the box ;)
2. Yarn and Kits
This year I was introduced to Baah Yarns, and I have been obsessed with La Jolla.
I’m making my daughter’s baby blanket out of it, and I’m thrilled with it’s performance. If you are looking for a special yarn for yourself or a friend, this high twist Merino is a real treat. I told you last week about my affair with the Skeino Miss Grace kit. Just choose the colors you think your lucky recipient will like best and they’ll be set up with everything they need to make a large gorgeous shawl. 
In fact, I’m all about kits this year. I found the LexiCorp Etsy store through Ravelry, and can we just deal with how cute this ornament kit is? You can get the kit or the finished ornament from her, and I can’t think of a more perfect gift for a nerdy knitter. 
Finally, the Blue Sky Alpaca Royal Petite kits make me squee. I’m working on the Hippo, but plan to make all 6. These are a really nice gift for knitting parents or animal enthusiasts.
I have SO much I really ought to be doing today, but I am physically incapable of not making this @blueskyalpacas rhino now that I have it. First world knitter problems ;) #knittingforbaby #knitstagram #knitting A photo posted by Dr. Megan-Anne Llama (@doctor_llama) on
3. You can’t buy love, but these come close.
Ok, so this category should probably be called “miscellaneous” but what’s the fun in that? First off, we have one of my all time favorite products out there: The Jimmy Bean’s Yarn Bouquet.
It’s just so elegant! The bouquets come in a range of sizes and fibers so you can get an extravagant one, or a budget friendly one. They are all gorgeous, and come delivered in a vase on knitting needle “stems”.
Also by Jimmy Beans, I’ve been subscribing to the Beanie Bags, and they are an awesome value. You get a bag (and for the record, I would pay the $10 monthly fee just for the bag) a variety of yarn samples, and some special treats. The one pictured here came with a Soak sample and a tapestry needle in addition to the 4 yarn samples. You can buy it by the individual month, or for 3, 6, and 12 month subscriptions.
Last, but certainly not least is my favorite wool wash: Allure. I picked some up at Maryland Sheep and Wool earlier this year, and I’ve been hooked on it since then. The unscented is perfect for the dyers and spinners on your list.
Sound off in the comments and share what your favorite products of 2015 were!
~Megan-Anne
*That’s a lie. I already got your present Jac. Ha! You didn’t even see me bring it in.
That ornament is awesome! Now I must get one.