Day 10:
Today’s gift for knitters is and easy one. It’s knit related pottery. I’ve done all the hunting for you.
First up, all the knitters know who I’m going to say. Jennie the Potter. Her etsy shop is here, and stuff goes fast, but everything she makes is beautiful. I’m a huge fan. I love the mugs, the bowls – everything. Anything. If you sign up for updates (on the right hand side of her site) you can get updates about when her stuff is going up.
If you can’t get that, how about a great knit/button mug from Caractacus Pots?
This tall ceramic mug that looks like knitted fabric – from ReShape Studio (That would be a great decorative knitting needle holder) Here’s a great mug from Knit Purl, made by Leigh Radford. It’s a mug cast in a handknit mold. Very cool.
Don’t forget yarn bowls too – although their purpose maybe arcane to you non-knitters, to us they look like a really great way to keep a yarn ball from roaming around while you knit. There’s these, from Knit-Witch, There’s beautiful yarn bowls (and bells– I love the bells) from The Blue Brick – carried at The Purple Purl here in Toronto. Darrielles Clay Art looks to have some beautiful ones…and so does The Mud Place but here’s a link to follow for a million of them.
Day 11
This is a simple one, and requires only a little detective work or investigation on your part. One of the best things to give a knitter is stuff that gets used up, and after yarn, the number one thing on that list is some sort of nice wash to clean our (and yours, now that I think of it) woollies in. There’s several good varieties out there, and all you need do is hunt around the house, see which brand your knitter already has, and go get more of it. They have it at the local yarn shop. If you can’t tell which sort your knitter has, then just go ahead and buy one of these that appeals to you. They’re all good. (PS. If you put this in their stocking, they would think you were super dialed in this year.)
These are some that I’ve used and think are quite good. (These are also the ones that are in my house right now.) There are others- if they sell it at the yarn shop, it’s probably just fine.
Soak: Soak is a no rinse wash that comes in several different smells. If you don’t know what scent your non-knitter would like, go check the laundry detergent that they have now – it might give you a hint. If it’s unscented, then get the scentless soak. (This is totally unrelated, but Soak also makes temporary tattoos for knitters, which could be a big hit, depending on your knitter.)
Eucalan: Ahh, Eucalan, you charming old standby. Eucalan is another no-rinse wool wash, and I love the lavender one. They’re all scented with essential oils (except the unscented one. Duh.) and the eucalyptus (a nice manly smell) and lavender both claim to be moth repellent, which isn’t something any knitter can be opposed to.
Finally, if you do decide to get your knitter some wool wash, remember this:
Nothing is a better gift than learning how to wash your own (and your knitters) woolies with care and respect. There’s a tutorial here at Exercise Before Knitting, and of course, you can always count on Clara. Go learn – then dare to impress.
Thank you for sharing all these wonderful gift ideas. I LOVE the yarn bowls! Merry Christmas!
Great to remind/instruct knitters, especially newbies, the rites around knit washing. Puns to be aired as per the reader.
You’re right, you have done all the work on the links.
And just in case any non-knitters are wondering – Woolite is NOT a good wash for your woolies! You’d think so, with “wool” in the name and all, but no. Go w/the Eucalen or Soak.
Hi, Stephanie,
I’m in love with the pottery on the English potter’s etsy site. Wonderful coffeepot! Suggestion for gifts for knitters: really good coffee.
How’s the Christmas sweater coming?
Julie in San Diego
The frogs on the yarn bells! How perfect is that!
Lovely ideas! I remember someone used to make rings that looked like knitting; silver or gold bands of stockinette cables or garter stitch, I think. Would you or any of your readers know who that might be?
I love those cabled cups! Saw some years ago and didn’t buy one, and haven’t come across any “in the flesh” since then. Maybe I’ll just leave this page up on the screen.
Check out braided wool baskets for your yarn ball at detobias etsy shop!
The wool wash is a great idea. My bf was just introduced to eucalan (I only use it on precious knits as my bottle is teeny tiny and I’m trying to hold off on getting a new one till after the holidays) and he actually likes the lavender scent. His Yule sweater will be taking a swish in it in a few days, once I’ve knitted the last 5% of it.
Can’t agree more about yarn bowls – I managed to get one from Jennie the Potter at Rhinebeck this year, and I adore it. (Wishing I had more than one, actually..)
I didn’t know Eucalan came with a lavender scent! Thanks for all the great ideas.
Stephanie: I love that you have been blogging for days and days this December! Thank you for all of your thoughts; happy, sad, angry…so human, and so real. Gives us freedom to just be ourselves. The gift ideas are wonderful. Blessings of the season to you and your family!
terrific treasures
for both knitters and gifters
everyone wins!
i’m especially fond of kookaburra woolwash because it comes in a bottle that helps you measure the right amount without risk of spilling.
thanks for all the other great ideas, stephanie. i plan to print the pages out and hand them to my (grown) kids next fall (i’m too late for this year).
Wonder what to do at pottery class w/o having to dust yet another decorative piece. The yarn bowl and yarn bell are great ideas!! That will keep the yarn from rolling on the floor (it actually unravels better on a lower plane) & eliminates the rare wet yarn that had the misfortune of attracting the cat’s attention. May i add that i soak/wash/block knitted pieces before i gift them ; )
When my sister and I went to the sock summit last summer, we had a pretty good place in the line to get into the Marketplace just as soon as it opened. I wasn’t sure what I would buy, but it seemed like a good idea to get in there. When the doors opened, my sister and I gaped at two stampedes. One, I knew, was for the Sanguine Gryphon, but most were running for their lives somewhere else, so I yelled: “Where are you guys going?”. Three women turned their heads, and with out slowing down, yelled in crazed voices “JENNIE THE POTTER!!!!!”. I had no idea who Jennie was, but I followed them. In five minutes, I bought the mug and a big beautiful yarn bowl. I drink from that mug every day. Jennie recently had a baby, so her pottery output has understandably slowed, but I will not give up until I have three more mugs. I may have to wait, but I am patient.
In addition to the two already mentioned, I really like Kookaburra wool wash. It’s a great product, plus I never get tired of saying it. Kookaburra.
I echo the gift idea of a braided wool basket by Dianne on etsy under shop detobias. They are cool for yarn balls as are the pottery ones but keeps wool in the family! She has
co -authored a great new fiber book on braiding and hooking wool which is on the etsy site too.
Where on Jennie the Potter’s site is the Update button? I looked and looked and looked with complete lack of finding said button….
For anyone in Canada you can get Soak at Sears in the lingerie department. I wash not only my woolens but my bras as well in Soak.
My favorite way to wash wool: a wool wash bar. I love the ones from SudzNDudz.com.
I am so appreciative of your recent blogs to help non-knitters but I’m also loving the gift ideas for my fellow knitting friends. Thank you for taking your valuable knitting time and sharing all these great goodies!
I also have my eyes on the tattoos you linked to. I can’t wait to get them and wear them around my heavily-tattooed high school students! Maybe for April Fool’s, if I can wait that long?
Again, thank you for the gift ideas and the gift of your blog all year long!
There is a product that SOAK makes and it is for knitters and non-knitters, it is their foot cream called HEEL. Is it divine. There is also a special kit at SOAK website: Lorna’s lace solemate, sample of SOAK and a jar of HEEL. Bought all 4 for my girls( 2DD, 1DIL & 1DS) none of them knit, so I get to knit their socks and they get to wear them and pamper their feet. Double Whammo Happy Holidays
I was looking at the yarn bowls and talking to my husband about them. He said “What teams are playing in that bowl?” Right now he has college (American) football on the brain. lol
HA! Seems like 90% of the knitters at Sock Summit 2011 (and Many many other folks in Portland too)had REAL tattoos, not the fake Soak ones. I’d never seen so much ink in my life!
Excellent goods from you, man. Yarn Harlot: Gifts for Knitters Days 10 and 11 I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just extremely great. I actually like what you have acquired here, certainly like what you’re saying and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still care for to keep it wise. I can not wait to read far more from you. This is really a wonderful Yarn Harlot: Gifts for Knitters Days 10 and 11 informations.