Gift Guide 2022

With this gorgeous weather we’ve been having lately it’s hard to believe that It’s November already! As is tradition, all of us here at Needles in the Hay have put our heads together to share some of our favourite things as part of our annual gift guide. Treat yourself or a friend to some of our most loved products.

Here we go!

Deanna’s Picks

Cashmina

You can always count on Katia for a “project in a ball”. Cashmina is a fluffy and kitten soft ball of Merino/cashmere goodness that knits up in a slow and gradual colour changing gradient. It comes with a free 1 ball scarf pattern that knits up quickly using 5.5mm. The yarn does all of the work so you just have to sit back and enjoy a meditative knit. 

&Make Super Bulky

This is not usually my preferred weight of yarn to knit with, but when I swatched with &Make Super Bulky for the first time, I fell in love. This yarn makes pillowy, rounded, stitches that are a joy, and you can’t beat the price for this quality of yarn. A fun rainbow of colours means there’s something for everyone. The perfect choice for quick knit gifts.

West Yorkshire Spinners Bluefaced Leicester DK

This yarn is a perfect DK. Soft and silky British Bluefaced leicester in natural colours, over-dyed in rich nature inspired shades. It does it all! Cables, lace, colourwork, plain stockinette. Have you been eyeing some of the new Kate Davies patterns like Serkinet and Smookie? This is the exact yarn I would use. It also has a pattern book with 8 lovely designs by Sarah Hatton

Hook, Line & Tinker Embroidery Kits

I love these adorable embroidery kits by artist Laurie Dolhan in Herring Cove, Nova Scotia. All of Laurie’s embroidery illustrations are original and designed for beginner stitchers. The limited colour palette and use of recurring motifs is purposeful - finished hoops hang well as mix-and-match groupings and tell a cohesive story within a theme. Some patterns are easy peasy, others are more ambitious. But all allow for creativity, experimentation, and calm. Each kit comes with everything you need to get started.

Sarah’s Picks:

West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4-ply

Everyone should try West Yorkshire Spinners sock yarn at least once. These colourful balls of self-striping yarn are gorgeous, soft on the needles and cozy on your feet. An added bonus-all their yarn is organized into different collections reflecting the four seasons, the holidays and, for the bird lovers, a whole series designed after our winged friends! Signature 4-ply has also won ‘Best Sock Yarn’ at the British Knitting and Crochet Awards for several years running.

mYak Tibetan Fibres

mYak yarn has one of the greatest colour palettes in our shop. No matter what weight you’re working with, almost all the colours work together. I usually agonize for days over choosing the right shades for a colourwork project, second guessing my choices and hounding my colleagues at Needles in the Hay for their opinions-and then second guessing those options. mYak takes a lot of the stress out of the equation. The whole palette just works together wonderfully, and you know that regardless of what you choose, your project is going to be spectacular. 

Brooklyn Tweed Tones

Both the worsted and fingering weight version. Think of Tones as an addition to the Shelter and Loft colour palettes. It’s not a wholly separate line that needs to be used all on its own. With so many options to choose from, Tones is a great way to add a little depth and dynamic into your stranded, mosaic or Fair Isle projects!

Leo and Roxy Basics Fingering

A super-soft super wash!. Each skein will make a great sock on its own, but this durable yarn is also great for things like baby knits. It’s also really nice just to have a solid-coloured fingering weight yarn in your stash!

Natalie’s Picks:

ChiaoGoo Red Lace Circular Needles

The flexible cord doesn’t twist, tangle or snag, the smooth stainless steel tips glide through yarn easily and the pointy tips work so well with anything wooly. I particularly love the 5” tips as they provide great leverage; I can literally knit for hours with these even with an arthritic thumb joint. I prefer the 32” cords because they are the most versatile. The same needles can be used for larger products like sweaters and shawls or for smaller items like socks and mittens using the magic loop method.

Socks Rule! Sock Ruler

I love this tool. I knit a lot of socks for gifts and this handy tool helps me to knit socks in just the right size without spoiling the surprise. (Of course, you do need to know the shoe size of the person that you are knitting for.)

Curved Tip Darning Needles

These make the task of weaving in those ends so much easier than a straight needle. The curved tip pokes out of the fabric so its position is much easier to locate, speeding up the process. I also really like them for piecing together sweaters.

The Fibre Co. Yarns

I love Absolutely any product by The Fibre Company. Texture, colour, drape, warmth, these yarns have them all.

Grace’s Picks:

Trailhead Yarns Acorn Collection Rings 

Fantastic rings of colour that are an absolute delight to work with. 100% tencel and hand dyed.

Un-Kit Embroidery Canvas

Match your ring of colour with the Un-kit embroidery canvas with fun prints that can be worked as a beginner or advanced embroiderer.

Katia Recycled Macramé Cord

Great for all macrame projects but I love it for plant hangers. I was able to make three hangers from one roll and paired them with some plants from Plant Goals for Christmas presents.

CocoKnits Maker’s Board

I adore my Maker’s board bundle. Especially good when working with charts and written lace patterns. The magnetic rulers help to keep my place and are handy when I need to check my needle size. 

Shaelyn’s Picks:

The Fibre Co. Cirro

Such a lovely, fluffy fibre that is a great alternative to mohair! It is a sport to light DK weight, though it is still light as air! I knit an all over lace wrap cardigan with this yarn and the fluffy texture is perfect for mid season staple garments. It also has such a lovely, interesting range of colours! 

Rosy Green Wool’s Cheeky Merino Joy

It doesn’t get much softer than this! This machine washable Merino from Patagonia is a round worsted spun yarn that will really allow cables to pop! I usually go for more rustic yarns but I will always break that rule for Cheeky Merino Joy! 

Brooklyn Tweed Shelter & Loft

We can’t not include these yarns, being a Brooklyn Tweed destination store and all! Shelter is a worsted weight and Loft is fingering, and with an incredibly vast range of colours, there’s something for everyone, and can be used for any kind of knit you can think of! It’s woolen spun, so it is super warm but surprisingly light! I have made quite a few Brume hats by Melody Hoffman in Shelter and no matter how many winter hats I make, I will always go back to those ones because the yarn is just the best!!