Seven can’t miss stocking stuffers

In my house growing up, it was always my mom who got stocking stuffers for everyone. Poor Mom ended up with the results of a December 24th drugstore run by my dad and me, consisting invariably of emery boards, a tooth brush, travel-sized toiletries of various ilks, and small candy. In her case, the problem was confounded by a very skinny stocking, but that’s another story.

To help out the beleaguered husbands and kids of knitters who celebrate Christmas, here are seven can’t miss stocking stuffers.

1. Tape measurer. $9. The most popular is the chicken, though my personal favorite is the pig. Why? Because you can always use another tape measurer.
2. KA bamboo mini crochet hook. $2. Yes, it looks silly. But, it is the single most perfect tool for picking up dropped stitches.
3. Fish, stork, rooster and rabbit scissors. $7. You can never have too many sharp little thread snippers around.
4. Zephyr Style stitch markers. $15 – $22. Lots of styles, including “Sexy Knitters Club,” holiday themes, and new lettered markers to use with the Cat Bordhi book New Pathways for Sock Knitters.
5. Needle gauge. $2. It’s a ruler. It’s a needle gauge. It’s in metric and America. The only thing it can’t do is your taxes.
6. Frabjous Fibers felted notions bag. $10. Handmade in Nepal. Because knitters have lots of notions and they have to go somewhere.
7. The Knitter’s Handy Guide to Yarn Requirements. $5.95. This handy, laminated pamphlet by Interweave Press gives yarn yardage requirements for all the most common projects in multiple sizes and gauges.