This time of year it seems like there are lots of lists of gift ideas (for some of the people I buy for, this is a major hallelujah!). So, I decided I should contribute to the gift giving ideas by composing a list of knit-centric gifts. Now, I should start with a disclaimer that if I never purchase or receive another skein of yarn or knitting related item again, I still have enough that I won't run out for the rest of my life. However, those are still my very favorite things to receive, so don't let the previous comment dissuade any of you who may be purchasing for me in the future!
Anyway, on to the list:
1. YARN- First off, you need to know that knitters will be happy with most any yarn you get for them. We just love yarn. That said though, my favorite yarns today are Malabrigo worsted weight, Shibui sock (fingering) weight, and Lion Brand super bulky weight. The Malabrigo yarn is what I used for the Tuesday Night Cowl I raved about previously. Also, I'll be posting a pattern shortly for a REALLY EASY and FREE hat pattern using the Lion Brand yarn stranded with mohair. It's really cute and took about an hour to make.
2. NEEDLES- You may notice the Lantern Moon products come up frequently in this post. That's because they are beautiful and well made. So, my favorite straight needles are by Lantern Moon; they also make circulars, but my circulars of choice are the Addi Turbo needles, which slide in and out of the yarn "like butter." The other needles I really like and use a lot are my Harmony interchangeable needles. They're nice to take with me on trips (in case I happen on some yarn that needs knitting). 
3. SCISSORS- It's kind of funny that my favorite scissors are not actually scissors at all. That's part of what's so cool about them. The cutter I use most frequently is the Clover Yarn Cutter Pendant. It's an antique-looking pendant with grooves in it that are designed for cutting your yarn. Because there are no sharp parts protruding, you can take it on an airplane! Awesome. 
4. FIXER- This will be hard to believe, but sometimes knitters make mistakes. There are occasions when one has to go back and fix the stitch they dropped or inadvertently knitted instead of purled. In those (rare) cases, a crochet hook of some kind is invaluable. Lantern Moon makes my most-loved repair hook. It's less than three inches long, is made of ebony and comes in a little woven case. It's pretty and it's small enough to fit easily into my notions bag (isn't that what the little bag with stitch markers, embroidery needle, & tape measure, etc is called?... by the way, also all good gift ideas!).
5. TAPE MEASURE- Lantern Moon's fuzzy sheep tape measure is as cute and functional as they come. Lantern Moon makes a variety of these fun tape measures; mine is the white fuzzy sheep and to access the tape measure on him, you pull gently on the sheep's tail- how fun is that? Other fun tape measure shapes include a ladybug, peace sign, birthday cake, leaf, black sheep, etc.
6. BOOKS- Like with the yarn, any knitting book is welcomed as a gift. My favorite knitting book tends to be the one I have acquired most recently. However, there are certain books that keep resurfacing to the top of my favorites. These are shown below.
7. PROJECT BAG- Once again Lantern Moon makes it to the top of my list. The Lantern Moon jewel-toned silk bag is lightweight and crushable. I can fit a small project into it easily and my knitting is protected in my purse or knitting tote without taking up a lot of room.
8. CARRY-ALL- The bag pictured at the top of the post is the Namaste Monroe bag and, as I said repeatedly, I love this bag. It's so functional and attractive. It's sturdy and fun. It's well-made and just plain nice to take along. If I could only have one thing on this list, this might be it. Wow, it'd be tough to decide though! Yikes.
9. STITCH COUNTER- I am a techy gal, so I have a techy stitch counter. Actually the reason I have a techy stitch counter is that I don't always plan ahead well, but I always have my phone with me. So, what that means is that I probably will have left my little plastic stitch counter behind, so will end up searching the app store for a stitch counter. I don't remember if that's the scenario that took place or not, but somehow I ended up with the Vogue Knitting app, which includes a wonderful stitch counter. What I especially like about it is that the stitch counter has options for adding additional counters for decreases, repeats, rows, etc. (I easily lose my place in my knitting, so this is an invaluable tool!). The other fantastic thing about the Vogue Knitting stitch counter is that there is a section for organizing your projects and the stitch counter is tied to each project. So, you can leave a pattern for days, weeks, or years and come back to it later and figure out where you were by looking at the handy dandy counter with your project. Nice.
10. WEBSITE- Now it may seem odd to list a website on a gift idea list, especially when it's free, but signing your person (or you) up for Ravelry.com truly is a gift. It gives the gift of thousands of patterns (many are free), tons of advice, and resources for organizing your stash, needles, books (the library feature is AWESOME!), etc. Any knitter, crocheter, or general lover of yarn, should rush to their computers now and get on ravelry. I love it! Check out my full review of why I think it's so great here.
I also should tell you a few sites I frequent when browsing for yarn online. Amazon is a great resource for finding everything, but I always prefer supporting local yarn stores if possible. So, if you want to do a little online yarn crawling, I suggest those below (with no kickbacks or other financial incentives for me... although I'm open to the option!).
Jimmy Beans Wool
KnitPurl (Portland)
Twisted (Portland)
YarnMarket
If you have other suggestions based on where you like to shop for yarn and "knittery," please share in the comment section! I'd also welcome comments on knitting or yarn-related items that you feel should have made the list. Thanks!
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