Gifts for the Beginner Knitter
There are a number of gift-giving holidays and events throughout the year, and choosing the perfect gift for your loved one can’t be overwhelming. So today, we have rounded up eight gifts perfect for the beginner knitter in your life!
YARN
Yarn is always an excellent choice for a friend who has just started knitting. It can take time to build up a library of different kinds of yarns to suit the needs of a range of projects. If you are just getting started with knitting, worsted weight yarn is a perfect medium size for many different projects. Cozy and Wooly are both worsted weight yarns that would be perfect options for someone who has recently picked up knitting. Cozy is a beautifully soft, 100% baby alpaca that is a great option if you know your loved one wants to knit garments that will lay against the skin or, as the name suggests, for a garment that is for a baby. Wooly is a 100% superwash merino wool. Superwash yarn is excellent for garments that will be used regularly and washed.
Chunky yarn works up quickly and allows a beginner knitter to see the stitches clearly. This is a great weight of yarn for a beginner knitter. Our chunky yarn, Fluffy, is a 30% wool and 70% acrylic blend giving it both softness and durability. Fluffy is a great yarn for a hat or a cowl.
STRAIGHT NEEDLES
Straight needles are the iconic style of knitting needles. A good pair of durable, lightweight straight needles are essential for a beginning knitters toolkit. Bamboo needles are light, affordable, and easy to find. The needle’s wood surface creates a little friction as you knit, ensuring that the stitches don’t slip off as easily. This friction can help a beginning knitter keep tension more easily and create smooth, even stitches. If you are buying yarn and needles together, check the yarn packaging for information on what size needles to buy. Worsted weight yarns require size 7-9 knitting needles. Chunky yarn uses size 13 knitting needles.
CIRCULAR NEEDLES
Knitting a hat is a classic beginner knitting project, often done using circular knitting needles. Circular knitting needles are two needles connected with a nylon cord to create one long double-pointed needle. This needle style allows you to knit in a continuous circle instead of back and forth. Circular knitting needles can be used like straight needles making them a versatile tool in your bag. For the beginner, bamboo is an excellent option, as we mentioned above. 16, 24, and 32 inches are the most common sizes that suit many different projects.
YARN BOWL
A yarn bowl is part home decor and part knitting tool. This bowl has a specially designed cut-out for yarn. You place your yarn inside the bowl and thread the yarn through the cut-out. This keeps the ball from rolling around on the floor while you knit. You can find ceramic, wood, and plastic yarn bowls in just about every color. In addition to keeping your yarn from rolling away while you knit, yarn bowls also keep your yarn from tangling. If your friend already has a good stash of yarn and needles, a yarn bowl is a wonderful option to add to their collection.
STITCH MARKERS
Stitch markers help count stitches while following a pattern. They come in a wide variety of sizes, colors, and styles. Locking stitch markers are common and look like large, plastic safety pins. These are so useful for marking your starting place to ensure you follow your pattern correctly. You can also find many beautiful stitch markers with charms on them or in delightful colors. Gourd-shaped safety pins are also frequently used as stitch markers and work well for medium-weight yarn or smaller. A set of colorful stitch markers would be a great stocking stuffer or small gift to round out a knitting-themed set.
DARNING NEEDLE
This large needle is often made of plastic and has a blunt end. It is used to weave loose ends in once you are done knitting. Darning needles are easy to use to create a smooth, professional finish with seamless ends. These needles fall into the category of tools that are easy to overlook when you get started knitting, so getting your friend a set when they pick up a new knitting hobby is a great option!
SHARP SCISSORS
Small, sharp scissors are an essential tool in knitting. Sharp scissors will cut the yarn cleanly in one go. A small pair of scissors will fit nicely into a bag. Look for a pair made primarily of metal with a short, sharp blade. Many will come with a small leather sheath to protect the point from stabbing through a bag. These kinds of scissors are often called embroidery scissors or snips and are great for cutting through yarn.
GAUGE RULER
This handy little tool is a bit bigger than a credit card and oh so useful! A gauge ruler is designed to help you check the gauge of your knitted swatch. Knowing your gauge ensures you use the correct tension to create the right number of stitches per inch. This helpful tool is essential for a beginning knitter still perfecting their tension. Most swatches also have holes to allow you to check your knitting needle size as well! Any of these ideas would be an excellent gift for the beginner knitter in your life this year (even if that beginner knitter is you)! Here at Yarnalia, we have a wide range of yarns to get you started on your knitting journey, as well as a pattern library. Our experts are on hand to help you learn to knit, and we can’t wait to see what you create! Tag us on social media using @yarnalia and #yarnalia.