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 and crochet patterns in a booklet
- Artisan Crate:$39.99 per month, for two skeins of indie dyed yarn in a limited edition colorway, exclusive knitting patterns in a booklet, and a bonus extra item
- Sock Crate: $19.99 per month, for one skein of their in-house premium fingering weight yarn and exclusive knit and crochet patterns in a booklet
- Sock Artisan Crate:$27.99 per month, for one skein of indie dyed fingering weight yarn, exclusive knitting patterns in a booklet, and a bonus extra item
This review is of the KnitCrate Sock Crate, $19.99 a month.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About KnitCrate Sock Crate
The Subscription Box: KnitCrate
The Cost: $19.99 per month (other plans available from $19.99 to $39.99 per month)
The Products: One skein of premium sock yarn plus a pattern booklet (contains 5 patterns!)
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. You also can earn points for reviewing the yarn on their website! Points can be redeemed for cash off of shop purchases or can be used towards your regular subscription.
KnitCrate Sock Crate November 2018 Review
This month KnitCrate experienced some delays with their shipping, and boxes weren’t sent out until halfway through the month (usually they ship around the 1st). The company moved warehouses and changed shipping partners, and they are hopeful that shipping will be easier going forward. I mention this because I was blown away with the level of customer service the company had during this month of delays, and I was really impressed with their transparency to their subscribers. I personally see in the comments of a lot of subscription boxes that people are unhappy with customer service when boxes are late or missing items, and KnitCrate went above and beyond to make the situation right this month. They were very active in sending out emails, posting on the Revelry forums, and answering questions on Instagram. Part of the experience of receiving a subscription box is how things are handled in a not-perfect situation, and I wanted to start my review off by saying that KnitCrate handled this month incredibly well!
Now, onto this month’s box!
KnitCrate Inspirations Booklet, November 2018 - Retail Value $40
The pattern booklet included a download code so that you could add the PDF version to your Ravelry library. When I used the code it listed the booklet as having a value of $40, but at the time of our review, the booklet is not currently for sale as a separate item.
Last month KnitCrate sent out one pattern booklet (containing all the patterns for all four different subscription boxes) but found that the resulting weight of the booklet was too heavy for shipping. This month, they split the patterns into two and have patterns for two of the crates in one booklet and the patterns for the other two crates in the other. The Membership and Sock Membership patterns were included with this Membership box.
The theme this month was “Enchanted,” and featured an array of jewel-toned yarns. I love the theme of glittery, magical yarn for November - it’s right when the holiday season is starting and the world starts to feel a little bit more magical!
There were two colorway options for the Sock Crate this month - Amber (a warm topaz) and Apple (a bright cheery pink).
The sock pattern to go along with the yarn this month wasn’t actually included in the booklet. There was an editor’s note saying that printing of the pattern was held back due to technical errors, and said that the corrected pattern would be included in the digital version of the pattern booklet. I’m torn on how I feel about this - on one hand, I’m glad that they didn’t go ahead and print a pattern that contained errors. If you read my review of KnitCrate Membership last month, you would remember that I encountered numerous errors in the pattern that made the project somewhat frustrating to complete. So in that sense, I’m grateful that I wasn’t presented with a pattern containing known errors. On the other hand, I think the printed pattern booklets add quite a bit of value to the box and I was disappointed that this pattern was missing.
The pattern was fully written out in the digital version of the pattern booklet, and I did not see any errors while following it - so it all ended well! See below for more of my thoughts on the pattern.
Uru.Yarn Sugared Sock by KnitCrate, in color Amber - Retail Value $24.00
I received the Amber color, which I was very excited about. It’s a variegated tonal color including warm browns and gold colors.
The skein included 399 yards in 100 grams and is made up of 70% superwash merino, 20% nylon, and 10% stellina.
The sparkle shows up really well in this color! The makeup of the yarn base is the same percentages as the KnitCrate Membership yarn, but the sparkle is definitely more apparent in the sock skein than in the worsted skein from the other box. Knitted socks are meant to be fun and give you chance to experiment, so I loved that the glitter gave a great impact here!
The pattern for this month’s socks was a great one! The zigzag pattern created with slip stitches and single-stitch cables gives a great texture, and it was very easy to learn. I was addicted to this pattern and kept wanting to do one more row - it was hard to put down! This was also my first time knitting toe-up socks, and I thought that the pattern was written really well and was very easy for me to follow.
Here’s my finished pair of socks! I made the leg portion a little bit longer than the photo in the pattern by doing extra repeats of the zig-zag texture. I think these would be so cute peeking up above ankle booties, or they are comfortable to just wear by themselves around the house!
The one thing I noticed is that even though the yarn contains 20% nylon (and therefore should have some stretch), the finished socks aren’t as stretchy as typical hand knit socks. I think the combination of having the stellina sparkle (which doesn’t have any give) and having a cable pattern resulted in a stiffer fabric than typical socks have. I’m still able to get the sock on my foot and they are comfortable to wear, so I still love my socks!
Verdict: I really enjoyed this month’s KnitCrate Sock Crate! I thought the sparkly yarn was so fun and unique, and I really enjoyed getting to try a new yarn base from the company. The pattern was well-written, and I love my finished pair of socks. Overall, if you are a knitter or crocheter who likes to use fingering weight (also called sock weight) yarn, I think this is a fantastic subscription box! I love getting the chance to try a yarn that I might not necessarily pick out for myself, and I think the quality of materials they include is top notch.
A few other things that are good to know: if you follow KnitCrate on Instagram or join their Ravelry group, they reveal spoilers at the end of each month (usually around the 20th) before the subscription renews on the first. If you are pickier about what fibers you like to use or want to avoid certain colors, these would be great to check out. Otherwise, you won’t know what the theme, yarn, or patterns will be before they renew your subscription for the month. (But if you sign up during the month of November, you’ll see the November yarns and patterns before you join, so you WILL know what your first box will be)
For $19.99, we received two skeins of yarn and five knitting and crochet patterns, with a total retail value estimated around $64.00. I think this is a very reasonable price for what you receive, since the high-end premium yarn is usually around $25-35 per skein in a local yarn store, and most patterns on Ravelry are $5-10 each.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, if you sign up anytime during the month of December, your first box will be the December box (while supplies last).
Value Breakdown: At $19.99, here’s approximately what you are paying for each item:
- Uru.Yarn skein - $7.50
- Pattern Booklet - $12.49
Check out all of our KnitCrate reviews and the Craft Subscription Box Directory for more great knitting, craft supply, and DIY project boxes!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What did you think of the November 2018 KnitCrate Sock Artisan Crate? Which color did you receive (or want to receive!) and how are your projects coming along? Let us know in the comments!
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