Gift guides
Best Gifts for Knitters: Ideas by Budget, $10 to $250
Knitters are easy to shop for once you know the rule: give them something better than they'd buy for themselves, in a form they can use without a second trip to the store. Here are gifts at every budget, a reason behind each one, and the few things to steer clear of.
Some links in this guide are affiliate links. We earn a commission on purchases made through them, at no extra cost to you.
For a gift that does not depend on a yarn weight or tool size, consider a sweater-design mug. These are ready-made drinkware gifts, not knitting or crochet kits.
Under $30: small gifts that get used
At this price, the best gifts are either one beautiful skein or one tool a knitter reaches for every day.
$22.25Malabrigo · Worsted · 210 yds / 100 gRios210 yd of superwash merino worsted: enough for a hat, soft at the neck, machine washable.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool 
$24.95LYKKE Crafts24K Gold Stork ScissorsGold-plated stork scissors that turn snipping yarn into a small ritual.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool
Gifts under $30
Malabrigo
Rios
Worsted · 210 yds / 100 g
+4LYKKE Crafts
24K Gold Stork Scissors
at Jimmy Beans Wool
addi
addiCalibro Needle Gauge
at Jimmy Beans Wool
Cocoknits
Pop-up Sweater Dryer
at Jimmy Beans Wool
Knit Picks
Gloss DK
DK · 123 yds / 50 g
+4
Blue Sky Fibers
Woolstok
Worsted · 123 yds / 50 g
+4Prices and merchants as listed in our shop. Need more ideas at this price? See knitting gifts under $30.
The Cocoknits Pop-up Sweater Dryer ($28.50) is a quieter gift with a real payoff: a mesh rack that lets a hand-washed sweater dry flat, so the thing they spent a month knitting keeps its shape.
$30 to $100: the upgrades
This is where gifts get personal: match the gift to how they knit, whether that's evenings with dark yarn, mending socks or saving every leftover. Our Leftover Yarn Calculator turns a scale's grams into yards.
$49.95LumosLumosLumos Knitting LightHangs around the neck and lights the work from under the chin, so navy and black stay readable.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool 
$32.50SoakEcowash Bag & Soak Gift SetA no-rinse wool wash and a mesh bag, arriving ready to give.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool 
$45KatrinklesBigger Darning LoomFor the knitter who mends: weaves a neat patch over a hole in a sock or sweater.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool 
$34.50Knit PicksPrimo Digital ScaleWeighs half-used balls, so the knitter with leftovers knows exactly how much is left.Shop at Knit Picks
Gifts from $30 to $100
+4
$100 and up: gifts that last decades
An interchangeable needle set is the classic big gift, and it solves the hardest problem in knitting gifts: you don't need to know what size they use. One case holds every common size, with cables in several lengths. Not sure which material they'd like? Our guide to knitting needle types compares them. Beyond needles, the big gifts are the ones that organize the craft: winding, carrying and storing.
$240addiTurbo Click SetSlick nickel tips from 3.5 to 10 mm with a click-lock join.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool 
$119.50KnitProKarbonz Interchangeable Needle SetCarbon-fiber shafts with brass tips: warm like wood, strong like metal.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool 
$109.99LYKKE CraftsBirchwood Interchangeable Needle SetBirch tips in a fabric case, for anyone who prefers the gentle grip of wood.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool 
$115.99Knit PicksBirch Winding Station (4 pc)A four-piece set in matching birch, swift and ball winder included: no more winding hanks over a chair back.Shop at Knit Picks 
$158della QMaker's Canvas BackpackWaxed canvas with a needle pocket, a yarn port and room for a sweater-in-progress.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool 
$140della QHook & Needle NotebookA bound book of pockets that holds an entire needle and hook collection.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool
Giving yarn: how much to buy
Yarn is the gift knitters love most and the one givers most often get wrong. A single skein is perfect for a hat or cowl; for anything bigger, buy for a specific project, all from the same dye lot.
| Gift project | Typical yardage | Skeins of Malabrigo Rios (210 yd) |
|---|---|---|
| Hat | 180–220 yd | 1 (2 for a big brim or pompom) |
| Cowl | 200–300 yd | 1–2 |
| Scarf | 400–500 yd | 2–3 |
| Adult sweater | 1,100–1,500 yd | 6–8 |
What not to give a knitter
- Single needles in a guessed size. Knitters work in specific sizes for specific yarns. Unless you know the project, choose a set or a gift card.
- Novelty yarn. Eyelash, ribbon and heavily textured yarns are hard to knit and harder to unpick. Choose a classic wool or blend instead.
- One skein of sweater yarn. A single ball can't become a sweater, and matching the dye lot later is a gamble.
- Beginner kits for an experienced knitter. Put the money into one excellent skein instead.
- Scratchy wool for something worn at the neck. For hats and cowls, look for merino, alpaca or cashmere blends.
Questions
What is a good gift for a beginner knitter?
A smooth, light-colored worsted yarn that shows the stitches, such as Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok, plus a pair of medium needles around US 8 (5 mm). Light colors make mistakes easier to spot and fix.
Is yarn a good gift for a knitter?
Yes, if it's a quality fiber and there's enough for a real project. One skein of soft merino for a hat is a better gift than several mismatched balls.
What do you get a knitter who has everything?
Luxury fiber they wouldn't treat themselves to, like cashmere or mohair-silk, or a finishing tool such as a blocking kit. Our guide to luxury yarn gifts has picks.
