Is that the distant sound of sleigh bells I hear, is Christmas just around the corner? This time of year means jumper wearing, mulled wine drinking, Christmas pie eating and so much more. Knitters needles may be busy knitting up a whole host of Christmas gifts for family and friends. But what do you get those knitters themselves? This series of blog posts will help you out, focusing on something different than yarn (which might only be adding to the groaning stash they already have). This third post 'Tools' looks at our selection of handy notions and accessories to make a knitters life a little easier.

Box of Joy - For the knitter who can never find the right size needle.

The Box of Joy Karbonz Interchangeable Deluxe Set is the perfect gift set for knitters of all skill levels!

It is delivered with an exquisite finish in an elegant packaging a laser cut Faux Leather Box containing 8 pairs of Karbonz Interchangeable Needles in 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 7 and 8mm. Included are also Knit Pro's easy to connect cables with smooth joins that enables easy stitch glide and no snagging, cable lengths provided are 60cm,2 x 80cm and 100cm.

The Knit Pro Karbonz needles are a revolutionary product!! New-age needles made from High-Tech carbon fibre in combination with brass tips, guaranteed to provide an unparalleled knitting experience!! No other knitting needle comes close to this!! Lightweight, yet exceptionally strong, durable, and gentle in the hand, these are the knitter’s favorite needles: Providing hours of pleasurable knitting with no hand fatigue.

Mitten Blockers - For the lover of mitten knitting.

These beautiful wooden blockers have been specially created by Aleks Byrd to ensure your handknit mitts fit perfectly.

Laser-cut in Estonia, the blockers come in pairs and are available in three sizes – Small, Medium and Large. This must-have tool includes plenty of pretty-yet-practical features including a cut-out airflow design (inspired by a glove pattern from Mustjala on the Estonian island of Saaremaa), an etched line to show thumb placement, and a handy twine to keep the blockers together.

Available in three sizes: Palm circumference sizes: Small – 18cm / 7in. Medium – 19cm / 7.5in. Large – 21cm / 8.25in.

Socko Darning Egg - For those with a lot of holes in their socks.

Socko's hand-turned solid wood darning eggs are made by Liz in her garden shed workshop in Berkshire from reclaimed beech wood. Each egg has its own unique character and is a wonderful tactile object, a thing of great beauty, as well as useful darning support.

Beautifully packaged in recycled and recyclable packaging, each egg comes with a swatch of yarn, a darning needle and a needle threader, as well 3-step darning instructions to get started.

Speedweve Darning Looms - For holes of all types.

Lancashire's Smalles Loom, more commonly known as the Speedweaver or Speedweve, was produced by E & A Chesstok Ltd of Rusholme, Manchester in the 1940s and 1950s. Similar looms were produced in other countries under names as Darn Easy, Daga Darner, Jasco Mender, Fredos, Star Darning Machine and Stoppapparat.

Our Speedweves are replicas of those original designs, and are beautifully crafted tools, handy and practical to accomodate for all your darning, mending and small artistic weaving adventures. 

Cocoknits Tape Measure - For the precise knitter.

After years of requests, Cocoknits has finally made their own version of a tape measure - in bright colours to ensure you can always find it in your project bag. The metal tape inside measures both inches and cm/mm (78 in / 2 m long), and has a metal tab on the end to keep it from retracting into the body of the tape measure. Because Cocoknits is committed to avoiding plastic wherever possible, they manufactured the tape measure from PLA, a 100% biodegradable plant fiber. This PLA is not water soluble, so the tape measure can be submerged in water without causing change in the material. The absence of a locking mechanism keeps them 100% plastic-free and reduces the likelihood of breakage. Each tape measure is packaged in a reusable linen drawstring bag to minimize packaging waste.

Available in thee colours: Wild Rose, Mustards Seed and Sea Glass.

Stitch Markers - You can never have enough of these markers. Available in different types.

These ring stitch markers from Cocoknits are brightly coloured and easily seen when marking rounds, increases, decreases, and stitch patterns. Made of nylon coated steel, these markers attach to your Knitter's Keep, Magnetic Concrete Tray or any magnet so that you can easily store and retrieve them. Stitch markers accommodate up to 9mm/US13 needle. Included are 10 each of 6 colors.

Also available: Split Ring Stitch Markers and Opening Stitch Markers.

Cocoknits Row Counter - Always keep track of your knitting.

The Knitting Row Counter helps keep track of rows easily as they are knitted. The counter features windows that magnify the numbers, as well as a steel back that can be attached to magnetic trays. To count rows, simply press the top button to advance the numbers. Reset the numbers by turning the side wheels. The row counter can also be locked with a switch at the bottom.

Cocoknits Needle Gauge - A useful gadget for a knitter to help identify their needles.

Have you ever searched for a tiny needle gauge tool for travel-knitting - then look no further. The big squares or rectangles are okay for at-home knitting but clumsy for travel - so Cocoknits have fashioned one based on those a jeweler would use to size diamonds. The result is a joyous rainbow stack of connected discs for identifying knitting needle sizes 2-10mm / US0-15. And because Cocoknits is committed to avoiding plastic wherever possible, they made it from PLA, a 100% biodegradable, plant-based plastic substitute!

The discs swivel out and click back together with tiny magnets (which makes it as much fun to play with as use) and the whole rainbow tool is small enough to pop into the Accessory Roll so you'll never leave home without it.

Yarn Snip - Every project bag needs one.

This rustic, one-piece snip is made of forged black steel. When not in use, the snip sticks to the Knitter's Keep wrist band. 10cm / 4" in length. Please note these are snips, not scissors, and they are imperfectly hand-forged. They have a nice heft in the hand, and the good news is that no one is going to borrow them from your knitting kit – they are really only good for snipping yarn! Each snip comes with a natural vegetable-tanned leather protective cover.

Walcot Blocking Wires - A great tool to make blocking projects that little bit easier.

What helps you finish your project like a professional? Blocking. And that is a task made much easier with these fantastic flexible blocking wires.

Walcot Wires by Walcot Yarns are a flexible, no kink wire that you can bend around any shape you need. Perfect for crescent shaped shawls, picot edges and getting your sweater pieces to have nice neat edges to sew up, blocking wires are a game changer.

Walcot Wires Blocking Tool is made from rust-free, flexible memory wire. Each set contains 3 x 100cm wires and 4 x 175cm wires along with 30 stainless steel t-pins for blocking countless combinations of knits. These modern blocking wires coil up neatly in a super-pretty zippered pouch when not in use making storage easy.

Natural Wood Yarn Swift - To stop those skeins tangling up.

Never get that big yummy hank into a tangle again! With the Knit Pro Yarn Swift you'll get your neat balls rolling in no time, and so much easier than using the back of a chair. This swift is solid, made in strong Birch Wood, with a smooth non-snagging finish. It is easy to put up and take down. This is a tool that will stand the test of time for you to enjoy for years to come, not to mention what a thing of beauty it is!

Natural Wood Mega Ball Winder - To make perfect balls of yarn.

Never get that big yummy hank into a tangle again! With the Knit Pro Ball Winder you'll get your neat balls rolling in no time. This ball winder is solid, made in heavy duty Birch Wood, this is a tool that will stand the test of time for you to enjoy for years to come.

The winder will allow you to wind up to 450g of fingering weight yarn at a time, the satisfying anti-friction bearing on the spool side enables free rotation, while the use of fine quality bearing provides smooth winding of the yarn. Anti-skid rubber pads prevent the winder from sliding and scratching your table, but you can also use the included clamp to secure the winder on tables with depths of up to 45mm.