Are you a person who wants your gifts to be surprise or someone who likes to give specific hints as to what you would like to receive?

Let me be transparent here – I love a surprise!  BUT…I have received gifts in the past that I did not appreciate and unfortunately this was obvious with my initial reaction. It was far from gracious.  I’m embarrassed to say I don’t cover my disappointment well.  How about you?

For Christmas our family draws names. We used to buy gifts for everyone but that just got out of hand financially, in practicality and lacked meaning. We now use Pinterest to our advantage and set up a shared “secret” board for Christmas gifting.  Each person has the opportunity to post gift ideas they would like to receive. In our family the wives post the husband’s request but I know there are men out there that are familiar with and use Pinterest.

[Tweet “Use Pinterest to your advantage and set up a shared private board for Christmas gifting. #GEinc #EtsyGifts”]

Now I can’t guarantee everyone will follow the suggested guest list.  There is always someone who thinks they know what to give better than the suggested list and veer off the said list. This happened to me last year.  My husband thought a gift card for a Playstation game was going to be the ticket to giving me a thoughtful gift.  Yep, you got it.  My disappointment was, well, obvious in my non-verbal and verbal reaction. Needless to say, this treasured gift is still sitting in the drawer.  Don’t tell him, but I am going to re-gift it and give it to him this year. Maybe that’s what he had in mind – who knows. LOL

Since we have knitters in our family, I wanted to share some great ideas for the knitter in your family. And if you are the knitter, create that private/secret Pinterest board and share it with those who will be giving you a gift this holiday season or for any occasion throughout the year. For unique and affordable knitting supplies, you can browse through Shoppok, where you’ll find a variety of items perfect for every knitting enthusiast.

Disclosure: Some of the links found below are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission. There is no cost to you. We only recommend products or services we use personally and believe will add value to our readers.

1. Yarn Bowl

Knitters get frustrated  when their yarn falls off the chair or table and skates around the floor and gets dirty and tangled. A yarn bowl is a great solution.  The bowl shown is made with a beautiful piece of cherry wood. You can also find beautiful pottery yarn bowls.

2. Knitting Needles

Ask any knitter and they will tell you they have a variety of knitting needles.  If they are a beginner knitter they probably started purchasing needles on an as needed basis. An inexpensive gift would be to give them a pair in a size they have not yet purchased.  If you want to splurge, any knitter would love a full set of circular needles. Knit Picks (knitpicks.com) has a variety of beautiful needles.  The set pictured is a great start for any knitter, beginner or experienced. They have assembled knitting needles and cable lengths in the most popular sizes and packaged them into a handy carrying case.

3. How-to Books

You might think that you can find anything you need on the internet.  Yes there is a lot of information floating out there but there is nothing better to a knitter than a good “How-to” book such as Up, Down, All-Around Stitch Dictionary.  Yes you read that right.  This particular book is a stitch dictionary.  It not only includes 150 stitches but also includes instructions for eight garments and formulas for knitting garments without a pattern. It is an invaluable go-to resource for knowledge, instruction and inspiration.

4. Project Bag

Project bags are always in demand. Your special knitter may have 1-5 or more projects going at one time. To keep organized, it is nice to keep supplies for each knitting project stored in one bag. If a new skein is needed, it is easy to find.   The size of the project dictates the size of the bag needed.  I like to take my projects on trips and therefore need my project to become mobile.  This bag found on Etsy features a retro Paris fashion cotton print.  It would be the perfect size for her sock projects.

5. Magazine Subscription

7. Pom-Pom Maker