KnitCrate is a monthly yarn subscription box for knitters and crocheters! Each box includes a new exclusive yarn and corresponding patterns for knit and crochet projects.
They offer four different subscription options:
- Membership Crate: $24.99 per month, for two skeins of their in-house premium yarn plus exclusive knit & crochet patterns
- Artisan Crate: $39.99 per month, for two skeins of indie dyed yarn in limited edition colorways, two exclusive knitting patterns (1 beginner, 1 intermediate/advanced), and a bonus item
- Sock Crate: $19.99 per month, for one skein of their in-house premium fingering weight yarn and an exclusive pattern
- Sock Artisan Crate: $27.99 per month, for one skein of indie dyed fingering weight yarn, an exclusive pattern, and a bonus item
This review is of the KnitCrate Membership Crate, $24.99 a month.
This subscription is being reviewed thanks to an MSA reader request!
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Yarn Subscription Box
The Subscription Box: KnitCrate
The Cost: $24.99 per month. (Other plans available from $19.99 per month to $39.99 per month.)
The Products: Two skeins of premium yarn plus 1 knitting pattern and 1 crochet pattern
Ships to: US and worldwide for free!
Good to Know: All members receive 25% off shop purchases, and earn points for every dollar you spend on your subscription and any orders from their shop. Points can be redeemed for cash off of shop purchases or your regular subscription.
My Review (& Finished Knitting Project!)
I was really looking forward to my second month of KnitCrate after having a great experience with my July box. This is my first month that was truly a surprise, so I was excited to see what would be in store.
The August theme was "Indigo Glow" and, as you might guess, featured a lot of beautiful blue shades across many of their subscription levels.
This booklet is new; last month, I received a simple card with download instructions. This month, there's a booklet with printed patterns and charts inside! There was also a download link, which had digital versions of both patterns available. (This is super helpful since if you add the patterns to your Ravelry library, you'll get notified if there's any errata!)
Gullywasher Pattern by Carissa Browning - Retail Value $5
Caribbean Escape by Jennifer Dickerson - Retail Value $5
The Membership Crate always includes both a knitting and a crochet pattern each month– I don't crochet at all, but I'm happy this subscription offers something for everyone!
After last month's super quick cowl project, I was happy to see them change it up with a knit shawl knit on size US 5 needles. This project is super interesting too - it's knit from side to side, and doesn't have a typical triangle shape.
Uruyarn 100% Superwash Merino in Shibori, 2 skeins (417 yards each) – Retail Value $48 ($24 per skein)
Since all of KnitCrate's yarns are in-house products, I really wasn't sure about what the quality would be like before I signed up. I've been super happy so far and this is no exception! This is a beautiful fingering weight superwash merino wool that is spun as a single. I've actually never knit with such a fine weight single before, so it's nice to get to try something new!
I received the colorway Shibori, which is a denim-ish blue with some darker speckles of indigo/navy:
Since this is not plied, I was definitely curious if it would pill or split easily while I was knitting. I've knit with 100% wool singles before and some brands/weights can definitely be a challenge. Once again, I was pleasantly surprised! This yarn held up well and wasn't fragile at all.
This project did take significant time to actually finish - I was worried I wouldn't get through it before my next KnitCrate arrived! But I managed to power through. Fast forward to three weeks later and I've got a lovely finished Gullywasher:
Ta-da! This pattern was such a joy to knit. First of all, I loved the side-to-side construction and the unusual elongated triangle shape.
Second, I loved the balance of complexity and simplicity when knitting. The lace portion of the pattern took some concentration because there are decreases and increases on both right side and wrong side rows. But that's nicely balanced by a garter stitch portion, so each row had something a little mindless that you could zip right through, too.
Plus, having the row of eyelets on the garter stitch half of the shawl every X number of rows made it really easy for me to figure out where I was in the chart every time I had to put my knitting down for a bit and pick it up later.
Because of the unusual shape, I think this would look best worn with the lace point in front and one long tail dangling, but you could also tuck that tail behind your other shoulder.
I love this color, btw. It seems like it would go well with almost everything in my wardrobe.
Here's a closer look at the two stitch patterns used! I did a quick steam block on my finished object for these photos, but plan to wet block and shape it a bit more before I stash it away for holiday gifting.
Verdict: I'm quite happy that my second month of KnitCrate was just as good as the first! I really enjoyed both the pattern and the yarn selected this month and am thrilled with my finished shawl. The pattern was definitely more complex than last month; I'm on board with that, but beginner knitters should note that they may need to source simpler alternative patterns for the yarns they'll receive. So far, I stand by my original assessment that KnitCrate is a great blend of quality and value. Getting a full project with quality yarns and an included pattern for $24.99 is a great deal.
If you follow KnitCrate on Instagram or join their Ravelry group, it seems you may be able to get some spoilers each month before the subscription renews on the first– but otherwise, they don't reveal the themes, yarns, or patterns on their website before they start shipping to subscribers. Knitters who love to plan and customize their projects beware! On the flip side, though, you can earn points to spend in their shop (or to put toward your subscription) and members get 25% off yarn purchases, too– making it easy to buy more of a yarn you love. You can easily skip and cancel your subscription online, too.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No. If you sign up anytime during the month of September, your first box will be the September box (while supplies last).
Value Breakdown: For $24.99, we received two skeins of yarn, one knitting pattern, and one crochet pattern, with a total retail value of $58.
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What did you think of the August 2018 KnitCrate? How are your projects coming along?
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