Gift ideas for crafters

Each year, I like to compile a list of gifts to give crafters. You can see last year’s post here, and the year before’s post here. This year, I am focusing on gifts you don’t necessarily need a  yarn store to find—specifically, you can find many of these in hardware stores. As knitters, we love craft stores, but they can be intimidating to the uninitiated. These gift suggestions are all under $20 and the sort of handy everyday items that I find indispensable as a crafter.

A measuring tool is indispensable. I have several yet never seem to have one close at hand when I need it. You can never have too many. I have  found great tape measures inexpensively in toy stores and hardware stores. If I had this 3′ metal tape measure/keychain, I would never be without a measure again.

A magnetic bowl—credit for this idea goes to Mr. Christoffers who surprised me with one last year. Perfect for keeping pins, stitch markers, and darning needles from wondering off. They’re inexpensive and available at any hardware store.

A Gleener—these are the most effective de-pilling tool I have personally experienced yet. Pills are a fact of knitting, but with a Gleener, removing them is a simple process and I don’t have to worry about damaging my garment either. The opposite end features a lint brush too, which is helpful when working with shed-y yarns. These are widely available; use their store locator to find a shop near you.

Of course, a gift of yarn is never wrong—but choosing a yarn for someone else can be overwhelming. A gift certificate to an LYS is a thoughtful way to say you want them to have the yarn they want. You can find an LYS near the gift recipient by using the Berroco Store Locator.