Do you know someone who loves all things yarny and you struggle for gift ideas for them?
Here's some great ideas for gifts for beginners and more experienced yarnists!
Crochet hook set | Beginner crochet set | Knitting needle set | Small yarn bundle | Project storage bag | Yarn bowl | Beginner kits | Crochet hook holder | Stitch markers | Row counter | Clips | Lighting | Blocking boards and blocking pins | Spray bottle | Loom knitting
Crochet hook set
Crochet hooks are definitely an item where there's personal preference!
Some of the choices are:
- traditional style metal hooks - lightweight, good for beginners and for crocheters who can't hold much weight
- round handled hooks - lightweight and comfortable to use
- silicone handled hooks - tend to be heavier but can be easier for arthritic hands or those with poor hand grip
These Clover Amour hooks are comfortable to hold and the yarn slips off them really easily - they are our 'go to' hook.
This is great for anyone with grip issues and because you don't need to use as much 'force' when crocheting, you should be able to crochet for longer using these hooks - highly recommended!
We love this beginner crochet set - it has everything you could need to start this new hobby, except yarn .. but we'll come to that!
There's:
- metal hooks
- silcone handled hooks
- stitch markers
- yarn needles
- tape measure
- ruler
- row counters
- and much more, all in a roll to keep them safe and tidy.
Excellent value for a beginner!
Knitting needle set
This set from KnitPro is available in different lengths and is really easy to use - they are beautifully balanced, come in a storage case and it's easy to find a matching pair as they are colour coded.
For beginners, this is a useful starting kit - the needles are available in two lengths, and there's stitch markers, sewing needles and a tape measure, all in a storage pouch.
Small yarn bundle and project storage bag
When you're a beginner crocheter or knitter, it's useful to have some small balls of yarn.
These are helpful for practicing stitches or for small projects or when you aren't really certain if you'll stick with a hobby.
They can also be useful for adding detail to larger project when you don't want to break into a large ball of yarn for just a few stiches.
Just make sure that you know the size of the ball that you're purchasing - for example, 10g is a small ball but it might be just what you need for a small project or practicing stitches or adding embellishments.
How about this really cute storage bag for the yarn and needles? The larger bag has grommets/holes that you can feed your yarn thorugh, so doubles as a yarn bowl! Great for taking to classes and travel.
Yarn bowl
A yarn bowl is a game changer - it stops your ball of yarn rolling off the chair or rolling across the floor and it keeps it away from pets who might like to play with it!
We love the wooden yarn bowl set as there's different sizes.
A set of yarn bowls is really useful if you're using more than one ball of yarn at a time, so that you can keep all of the balls out and not have to tidy them away as you start using your new ball.
The blue ceramic bowl is available in a range of sizes (and other colours) so there's plenty to choose from. These are sturdy and a great piece of art in their own right.
The ceramic sheep bowl is cute and useful - what more could you ask for in a yarn bowl?
A word of warning - check the size of bowl that you're purchasing as some are quite small and aren't suitable for larger balls of yarn - we've selected larger bowls here.
As an alternative to a yarn bowl, many people like to use a Wool Jeanie. This wonderful tool can sometimes work better when it's at the same height as your project, such as on the chair beside you rather than on the floor. It's a really good gadget for helping beginners to keep a constant tension in their work as you don't have to keep stopping and unraveling more yarn.
Beginner kits
A beginner kit is great idea for anyone who might want to start crochet or knitting but aren't sure where to start - this is how we started to learn!
In a kit we'd look for:
- quality yarn
- needles/hooks
- needle for sewing up, if needed
- stuffing, if needed
- detailed instructions - printed or online - with plenty of photos
- accompanying YouTube videos if possible
- for crochet - check the terminology in the instructions, so instructions are in UK terminology if in the UK
It's a good idea to make something that you'll use or love rather than just 'a square', so toys, blankets or scarves are great places to start.
Here's our favourite kits!
Hook holder, stitch markers, row counter, clips
Here's some wonderful bits and pieces that aren't essential but are really helpful!
A hook holder helps to keep things close at hand - and not down the side of the sofa!
This isn't just for crocheters - you can store pens, needles and scissors in there - you could even use it to store makeup such as pencils and liners. a super useful item!
Stitch markers are also so useful and you never seem to have enough!
You can use them for counting stiches in a row, marking the end and beginning of rows and for 'pinning' parts of an item together before you commit to sewing up.
Another great gadget is a row counter - really useful when working 'in the round' or when it's tricky to count your rows by eye.
Our last favourite gadget is hair clips - yes hair clips! How annoying is it when the label falls off when the ball of yarn is small? We love these clips for fastening the label to a used ball of yarn. No more unidentifiable part used balls of yarn if you use these - amazing!
Lighting
Working in a project on a dull day or a dark evening or just using dark yarn can be tricky and good lighting can make all the difference.
Here's our favourite floor standing light - it has 3 temperatures and 5 birghtnesses and is very adjustable so that you can illuminate your work area.
This is a desktop version with the same 3 temperatures and 5 brightnesses.
A neck light was game changing - you can point them anywhere, there's a choice of 4 colours for the casing, they are USB-C rechargeable and have 3 temperatures and 3 brightnesses.
As well as for crafting, you can use them to read in bed or find your way around in the dark without switching on 'big lights'. Totally recommended!
Blocking boards, blocking pins and spray bottle
We know that not everyone blocks their work but we think this can make a big difference to some projects, as it relaxes the yarn fibres.
Our favourite method is to use foam panels and blocking pins but some yarners love wooden blocking boards.
Here's our favourite sprayer - this gives such a fine and even mist over your work and is so useful around the house as well.
Loom knitting
For something completely different, how about Loom knitting?
It's great fun and easy to learn - you can make hats, scarves, gloves, socks, almost anything really quickly and it's a craft that is suitable for children.
Our favourite loom machine is the Sentro - it's available in a choice of colours and we do recommend this one (for sturdiness) rather than a cheaper version.
For manual looming or to try the craft before committing to a Sentro, this set of loom rings are great value and you get a set of pompom makers as well, so that you can have a pompom on top of your hat!
This is a great craft to learn and a super gift for someone who loves all things yarn!
We hope these short reviews have helped you - we'll add more items as we try them - please let us know what else you'd like to see.
I’m an affiliate.
I hope you love the products and services I recommend on Just Pure Calm.
So you know, there is the possibility I will collect a commission should you make a purchase via any of my links. This will in no way affect the price you pay.
This also means that you could be taken to another website (such as Amazon or a product website) when you click a link - please don't be surprised by this.
I really appreciate your support and it helps me to continue with reviews and blogs.