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If you don’t knit yourself, you might think the best gift for the knitters and crocheters in your life is yarn or needles. And though those are perfectly fine to give — and there are some good ones in this guide — it’s not really as simple as picking up the first ball of wool and pair of sticks that you find. To help you find something that the knitter in your life will appreciate and use, I spoke to a bunch of experienced knitters about what would actually be useful to receive as a gift (and what wouldn’t be), from niche tools to beginner-friendly patterns to foolproof, crafter-approved online-store recommendations for when you’d rather play it safe and purchase a voucher. I’ve grouped all these ideas by price point for easier shopping.
Update on December 11, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
Best gifts under $25
This little green row counter on a string will make life much easier (and cuter) for your knitter. Rather than using pen and paper, they can simply press the top down every time they finish a row — it only goes up to 99, but that’s more than enough for projects like sweaters.
Many knitters I know take their projects on the train or even plane. A pair of teeny-tiny (and TSA-friendly) key-chain scissors can come in handy for snipping threads in transit.
Another adorable stocking stuffer is this elephant-shaped multitool that I’ve noticed in the background of a few knitting instructional videos, being new to the hobby myself. It features both a ruler and yarn gauge, and the elephant’s trunk doubles as a yarn cutter.
These rather attractive metallic needles that will help your knitter handle any chunky, annoying-to-thread yarn. “The flexible wire eyes can expand and widen when you gently squeeze them,” says former Strategist manager of audience engagement Mia Leimkuhler.
Exactly as the name implies, these little rings mark the number of stitches you have within the row so you don’t have to count them. They’re particularly useful when knitting cables.
Or for a more contemporary look, this set of markers from Cocoknits features five styles for varying needle sizes and projects. And because stitch markers are easy to lose, these ones come with cases.
This skein from Simply Socks Yarn is dyed to make a pattern — mostly just stripes — when knit up, so it’s a fun surprise when you see the final design. And it makes the socks look like they took more work than they actually did.
Bonnets and balaclavas are very trendy right now, and surprisingly quick and easy to knit. This five-star-rated downloadable pattern includes a YouTube video that beginners can follow along with.
Experienced knitters looking to upgrade their skillset would love to learn more about the intarsia technique via this highly rated online course, suggests knitting designer Mette Krogsgaard Højlund. “Being able to knit shapes and patterns into your sweaters is some sort of magic and super fun,” she explains. “The possibilities once you learn this technique are endless.”
The U.S.-based brand Bare Naked is known for its all-natural artisanal yarns that are dyed without harmful chemicals — these skeins are so luxurious that they were once gifted to a stranger by Bill Gates during the annual Reddit Secret Santa. Because picking out a pattern or yarn for an experienced knitter can be a little iffy, play it safe with a gift card.
For an even broader range of options that’ll give both experienced and beginner knitters plenty of choices, a Purl Soho gift card is foolproof. Leimkuhler has ordered from this Soho-based store in the past and says the yarn is high quality — your knitter is guaranteed to find something they like.
Best gifts under $50
Bendy needles like these are ideal for knitters with arthritis or mobility issues — as well as anybody who wants to knit something circular, like socks. Knitting designer and teacher Xandy Peters, co-founder of the (also very giftable) enamel-pin brand Shiny Crafty People, uses them all the time.
Chances are that your knitter is making sweaters, which is where a blocking mat can come in handy. It can stretch designs out and make sure that all pieces are the right size, which is helpful when knitting clothes.
With so much beautiful yarn available to purchase these days, your knitter might like to display it instead of leaving it loose around the house or shoved into a bag. A yarn bowl will keep your knitter organized and look nice sitting on a coffee table, so if you live with said knitter, it might even be a gift for you, too.
If they already own a blocking mat, get them knit-blocker needles. That way, instead of dealing with individual pins, which can be a “pain,” as Handler explains, you can just stick the needles in all at once, and they’re more sturdy than traditional pins.
Knitting often happens on the go — whether on the subway or in the park or while watching TV. Leimkuhler likes having this Baggu pouch set to toss into her tote bag because the different sizes are perfect for knitting tools: The smallest holds little items like a tape measure or scissors, the medium size holds a hat, and the largest size can fit an in-progress sweater.
Although yarn seems like an obvious gift to give a knitter, it’s tough to buy quantities and colors without a specific project in mind. If you must, stick to sock yarn (like this from Black-owned business Neighborhood Fiber Co.) because most sock patterns don’t require more than one skein.
Best gifts under $100
This whimsical yet practical yarn storage solution is just expensive enough that they probably wouldn’t buy it for themselves. Handmade from vegetable tanned leather, Jacobs says she’d gift it to any knitter who “appreciates the beauty of their craft as much as its functionality.”
Chances are the knitter in your life already has a ruler for their projects, but advanced knitter Kris Ray says this wrist ruler is one of their favorite tools, and it’s a bit more special than buying someone a tape ruler. “Not only is it supercute, but it is truly a useful tool to measure the length of a project when knitting on the go,” Ray says.
Much easier than using a darning needle to tuck in your ends, this set of two Scandi-cool tools is designed to help finger both lightweight and bulky yarns. Complete with a cute fish-shaped pouch, they would make “a thoughtful gift for knitters who value precision and efficiency in their knitting projects,” says Jacobs.
An enjoyable yet useful gift is a ball winder and swift, which turns the time-consuming task of winding yarn into a simple pleasure. These tools are good to have on hand because having your yarn pre-wound sometimes costs extra, yet you can’t really knit without it being in a ball.
If you have a beginner on your hands, here’s the kit that Kerri Kenney-Silver taught the singer P!nk how to knit with. It’s a great way to kickstart your knitter’s new hobby and keep their head warm into the winter months.
Best gifts under $200
Lots of knitters recommended gifting interchangeable needles, and Leimkuhler says they’re actually the tool she uses most. “They’re so absolutely necessary,” she says. “It saves you from buying different needles for every project.”
For slightly more advanced or ambitious beginners, here’s a sweater pattern in a very Acne Studios oversize silhouette. The end product looks anything but homemade says Leimkuhler, who successfully used this pattern to get back into knitting after years of absence.
With additional reporting by Chloe Anello.
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