2016 SBTB Gift Guide, Part 3: Crafty Business

It’s time for another edition of our Smart Bitches Gift Guide. In Part 1, I highlighted bookish things, and in Part 2, I focused on comfort and self-care. This week, crafty business. Creating things, and repetitive actions like knitting or crocheting, are soothing, and I know there are many knitters, crocheters, crafters, artists, and otherwise creative folks among the Bitchery. So this edition of the Gift Guide is all for you. Ready? Let’s go!

If you’ve been enjoying Elyse’s knitting patterns, but aren’t a knitter yourself and you’d like to learn, she has some kit suggestions to help you get started.

First, I have a book suggestion for you beginners out there: Kids Knitting is the book I use (and return to) when I learned to knit. The illustrations are very obvious and easy to read, and the projects are extremely cute. The one thing I haven’t mastered yet is knitting using round needles – but we have some learning kits to share that should help.

KnitPicks has three levels of learning kits that come with everything you need. There’s Learn to Knit Club Level 1: Dishcloths ($16.99 +s/h), Level 2: Scarf ($21.99 +s/h), and Level 3: Hat ($1999 +s/h).

Each kit comes with everything you need – instructions, needles, yarn, and a pin to wear once you’ve completed the project (that is really cute).

And! If kits are you most favorite thing, I have a special coupon code from Kitterly! With SBTB15 you get 15% off a purchase! Woo – thanks Kitterly!

You can find beginner kits there with a wide range of prices, such as this beautiful shawl for $45.

Or – and this is cool – they have a Kit Club Subscription option wherein you receive a knitting kit every month complete with everything you need for

For advanced knitters, Elyse also loves this Stitch Marker necklace ($32-$42), which comes with one, but has room for up to seven.

And if you’re thinking to yourself, “Self, I’d like more knitting projects that suit my interest in Regency fashion and possibly also Jane Austen,” well, we’ve got you covered.

The Best of Jane Austen Knits (~$16).  Here’s the description -it sounds like this book would appeal to anyone who knits, loves Austen, and loves history both literary and knitterary:

Designers including Susanna IC, Vicki Square, Annie Modesitt, Heather Zoppetti, Karen Joan Raz, and Kathleen Dames have translated their love for Jane Austen’s novels into a stunning tribute to the beloved author. The gorgeously evocative pieces include cardigans, knitted shawls, bags and other accessories, and knitted projects for men and children. While the knitting projects are inspired by the fashions of the regency era, they are every bit as relevant today.

Knitters obsessed with Jane Austen as well as stitchers just looking for wonderfully appealing projects will fall in love with the beautiful knitting designs. Essays on fascinating aspects of Austen’s life and the regency era round out this inspiring collection. Topics include the places where Austen lived, knitting in Regency England, the yarns available to Austen and her contemporaries, and dressmaking during the time period.

Someone just run for the One-click button, I can tell.

And if Austen knits don’t float your yarny boat, there’s also Vampire Knits: Projects to Keep you Knitting from Twilight to Dawn (Ahem, I see what you did there),  Knitting Wizardry, Woodland Knits, and Literary Knits: 30 Patterns Inspired by Favorite Books.

Am I alone in thinking there needs to be more romance-novel-inspired knitting patterns? “Ripped-your-bodice” shrugs and “My back is exposed on the back of his historical romance” shawls, or “My hands are always freezing” bookish wrist warmers? This needs to be a book.

And, never fear, crochet fans, we have some ideas for you, too!

First, if you do both knitting and crochet, this kit came recommended to me.

The 49-piece knitting and crochet supply kit with a very long name is $13.

Gosh, I think you might be able to repair your car with everything in there.

 

Plus, if you’re looking to learn, there are two resources I have to share.

The 63 Easy-to-Crochet Pattern Stitches pamphlet ($6) gives all the basic stitches you need.

Paired with A to Z of Crochet:The Ultimate Guide for the Beginner to Advanced Crocheter ($17), these guides would make an excellent gift, along with some yarn, obviously.

And if you’re more advanced in your hooking, there’s Austen-inspired projects for you, too!

Austentatious Crochet: 36 Contemporary Designs from the World of Jane Austen ($13) offers you all the Austen-inspired projects you could want:

The book features thirty-six original crochet projects inspired by Austen novels but fabulously brought up to date and wearable today. The designs focus on women’s wear, such as dresses, sweaters, cardigans, and capelets, but also encompass accessories such as handbags, scarfs, and pillowcases and clothing for children.

And if that doesn’t interest you, how about a Star Wars Crochet Kit ($19)?

It comes with “yarn, a crochet hook, a needle, stuffing, and safety eyes. With instructions for twelve different characters and enough materials for two complete projects — Yoda and a stormtrooper — your crochet collection can also soon include Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Jabba the Hutt, and many other favorites.”

And allow me to escort you down the rabbit hole of Ridiculously cute things you can crochet:

 

 

Seriously, I need to lie down a minute.

How about some paper crafting? The kind that is so intricate the pictures make you press your nose to the computer screen? Have a look at these paper building kits from Japan.

The Sankei Miniturart Papercraft kits are just incredible – and this online guide shows some of the steps and equipment you’ll need if you’re ready to tackle this project set. Bifocals aren’t on the list but I think they might be needed, too.

The Music Room kit above is $11, and 3.5″ by 3.5″ when finished. We are talking MINIATURE here. The Himeji Castle kit, above right, is also about $12, and there are many others, too – including some advanced-level kits featuring Totoro.

If you know a person who loves building and fine-detail projects, one of these should keep them occupied for hours, possibly days.

And speaking of building, LEGO has some outstanding kits for gifting, or, you know, self-indulgence.

If you liked the Ghostbusters reboot, well, your Ecto awaits.

The LEGO Ghostbusters Ecto 1 and 2 kit is $50, and comes with all the characters, plus the car and the motorbike.

There is a KEVIN minifigure included, too!

And if you’re a fan of all things Ghostbusters, you can also get the original Ecto, plus the Firehouse, which is mammoth and expensive and completely adorable.

I have some personal experience with that one: I bought the Firehouse as a holiday gift for my husband last year, and it took him and the boys about a week to put it all together. And it’s freaking terrific, with references to both movies (it pre-dates the 2016 film, alas). And also really, really big. It was the centerpiece on our dining room table for awhile.

There’s also a LEGO Dr. Who kit ($53), and assorted smaller build sets themed around Dr. Who, for all the crafty Whovians you know.

I also want to mention the various LEGO Advent calendars, which I buy each year. For Hanukkah, since there isn’t a Hanukkah-themed LEGO kit (and for really real, I’d buy the hell out of it if there were), I take one of the advent calendars, which has 24 mini-builds in little boxes, and divide them up and put them in little fabric bags.

Then, each of my two children receives one little LEGO kit for each night of Hanukkah. If you’re doing you’re math, you’ll realize there are 8 left over. If they aren’t super Christmas themed, I add them to the first or last night, and we figure out who to give the Christmas-themed mini builds to among their friends.

There are three – LEGO Friends ($30), LEGO Star Wars ($40), and LEGO City. We’re all about the Star Wars kit, but they’re all adorable.

And for the LEGO-obsessed you know, I received a review copy of this book, and it hits the sweet spot of nostalgia, adorableness, usefulness, and LEGO-geekery: Geeky Lego Crafts: 21 Fun and Quirky Projects, by David Scarfe ($15).

There are directions for all sorts of projects, like a cassette-tape mail holder for your desk, and build-your-own Tetris. There are instructions, plus counts for all the bricks you’ll need.

And if the geekery isn’t your thing, there’s also a build-your-own LEGO Christmas ornament book ($17), and Awesome Lego Creations with Bricks You Already Have ($13), which includes instructions for a DRAGON.

I’ll be back next week with more gift ideas – or ideas for your own wish lists. This year I was connected with a variety of independent small businesses who wanted to submit for the gift guide, so I have samples of different products to share and review (and give away where applicable), plus ideas for all the book-obsessed people we know. And are.

Happy shopping!