It’s that time again! Another round of holiday gift inspiration to guide you in finding that perfect gift for all types of fiber lovers in your life. I know a lot of knitters advise against yarn as a holiday gift, but as a very picky yarn stasher myself, I don’t really agree with that. That’s not to say just go out and buy whatever yarn you find at your big box craft store and call it good. There’s a lot of quality options out there and I’ve curated a few for you here, as well as some tips and tricks to help make your gift hunting a bit simpler.
Gift-spiration
If you know a bit about your yarn-thusiast and you’d like to gift them something with your personal touch, putting together a Yarn Tasting Bag is quite possibly the absolute perfect gift you could give. It’s simple to assemble, just find a large tote bag and several skeins of yarn (I’d choose 3-6 options) and voilà! A personalized gift that took just minutes to assemble.
Not sure if you know your yarn-thusiast well enough? Do you know what colors they like? Yeah? GREAT! That’s all you really need to know (maybe know if they have any allergies, that’s important too). Don’t worry about the rest, trust me. A true fiber fanatic will appreciate ANY type of yarn you gift them, as long as it’s a color they like. 🙂
My hypothetical, yarn loving giftee is known for knitting everything under the sun and his favorite colors (yeah, dudes knit too!) are neutrals mixed with bold, deep colors. For his holiday gift, this is the Yarn Tasting Bag that I would create.
DIY Yarn Tasting Bag
1. Madelinetosh See Wool Tote
This a REALLY high quality tote bag, perfect for carrying around all of those WIPs.
2. Quince & Co Puffin in Kittywake
A bulky weight, American wool yarn, for ultimate squishability (it’s a word now).
3. Madelinetosh Tosh Sock in Plaid Blanket
A fingering / sock weight, merino wool yarn. Great for any sort of accessory project.
4. Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in Old World
A worsted weight, Targhee-Columbia wool yarn. Because it’s simply awesome.
5. Malabrigo Silky Merino in Purple Mystery
A fingering weight, silk + merino wool blended yarn, for a little bit of luxury.
Recommendations
If you’re short on time and/or DIY skills and in need of some easy, but equally awesome, gift ideas for your fiber fanatic, have no fear. I’ve gathered a few fantastic options for you.
Fiberista Club
Fiberista Club has both a yarn and a spinning fiber option and they are painstakingly curated each month to feature a new fiber or fiber blend, as well as promote a yarn company they feel is doing something amazing for collective good of our art as a whole.
NOTE: they’re currently accepting subscriptions for January 2016 clubs and the deadline to reserve a spot is December 21st 2015. You can also save 10% off your first subscription by using the code FCLOVE.
Yarnbox
Yarnbox is a monthly yarn subscription club. They have a few different options for size and cost, including Classic, Luxe, and Socks. Also, important note, they have a special holiday box which includes some lovely, always coveted SweetGeorgia yarn (SQUEE!).
Affiliate links below. That means if you click on one of the product links, it may give me a little cash for the yarn stash!
KnitPicks Tuff Puff Minerals Sampler
I’m a huge fan of KnitPicks yarns. The quality always far surpasses the cost and they never disappoint with a vast selection of color options. This minerals color sampler speaks to me, so I couldn’t help but share. However, if you’re looking for a different set of colors, no worries, they have a few different color combos. And remember, you can ALWAYS make your own sampler just by choosing the yarn base and the colors that YOU want!
Tips + Tricks
• Be aware of allergies. Some people have sensitivities or allergies to animal furs/hairs, for instance, wool! So just make sure you know yarn-thusiast’s fiber tolerances.
• No shame in internet stalking. Need more info about your giftee? Just follow these steps:
1. Find out their Twitter/Instagram/Social Media username.
2. Do a little Googling, stumble upon their Ravelry account.
3. PROFIT! Gather all the info and use it to your advantage. 🙂
• Yarns that everyone loves. If you are really at a loss, but really need to buy your giftee some kind of yarn, I’m 99.9% certain that no one will ever complain about receiving ANY Madelinetosh or Malabrigo yarn (as long as you keep the above tip in mind).
'Aww man, what am I supposed to do with this Madelinetosh yarn?' - said no one ever Click To TweetSo what are you planning to get your fiber-fiend friends this holiday?
Share your gift ideas with us in the comments!
