Top 10 Holiday Gifts for the Knitter in Your Life

Are you worried over what to get your special someone who drools over string made from various fibers? Does a yarn shop or craft store seem like the Bermuda Triangle? Take a deep breath. This will be quick and painless for you, while making the yarn-a-holic in your life squeal with delight. At the end of this article you'll find a list of web sites you can shop so you won't even have to leave the comfort of your home.

1) Ball winder. This is a yarn addict's dream come true. If your knitter or crocheter winds balls by hand, or sometimes enlists you to help, here's your ticket out of this labor of love. A ball winder clamps to the edge of the table. Thread one end of the yarn through, turn the crank, and watch the yarn transform from a skein to an even-sized cake that sits nice and neat wherever the knitter may decide to set up camp. Average price: $45

2) Yarn Swift. There's nothing so lovely to a yarn addict than those beautiful hanks of yarn. Hanks look like a yarn braid, showing off the color and texture of the yarn. As lovely as they are to look at, working with them is a pain in the neck. Enter the yarn swift. It takes the place of your sturdy wrists, or the back of the chair. Undo the hank, drape the yarn around the swift, run the thread to the ball winder, and get, an equally beautiful cake of yarn that is so much easier to work with. Swifts come in two flavors: metal and wood. I recommend the wood for the versatility to handle the different yarn textures. If you're a woodworker or like to put things together, you can buy the plans on how to make one from Schoolhouse Press. Average price: $65

3) Yarn Meter. This handy gadget is perfect between the yarn swift and ball winder. As you wind the ball of yarn off the swift, the yarn meter measures the yardage. Since yardage amount is vital to the knitter or crocheter, this is a great tool to keep track of when they need to buy more yarn. Or when then they have the right amount of yarn in their stash to make something. Average price: $40