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 3 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 January 2019 Review
KnitCrate sock is a great yarn subscription if you love working with sock weight (also called fingering weight) yarn! I love the flexibility of working with this type of yarn because you get so much yardage in just one skein. It’s great for shawls, scarves, baby garments, other accessories (and of course socks!).
KnitCrate Inspirations Booklet, January 2019 - 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.
The theme this month was “Sleepy New Year,” which I think is absolutely perfect for January! After the hustle of the holiday season, it’s the best thing to settle down for some relaxation and knitting with soft, beautiful yarn!
There was only one possible color that you could have received in this month’s Sock Crate - this gorgeous Robin’s Egg blue! In these booklet photos the yarn appears to be a muted teal color, but as you’ll see below it is more of a true Tiffany aqua blue.
The opposite page shows the featured pattern for this month’s sock crate. The pattern is called Winter Light, and it features a series of expanding and decreasing circles and uses some simple cable stitches. The design was inspired by the look of winter light coming through the tops of trees and also by paper lanterns (as seen in the theme board above). However, when I look at this design I get strong flashbacks to my Organic Chemistry courses! Even so, I think this is a very cute design - see more of my thoughts below!
I always love the background information about the designers behind the patterns!
The booklet also has a short article on Peruvian Highland wool, which is the fiber featured in both the Membership and the Sock Membership KnitCrates this month. I didn’t know much about this type of fiber, and I think it’s so interesting to read about the different breeds of sheep! I always appreciate when the pattern booklets include fresh and unique information for us to learn from!
The booklet also includes a knit and a crochet pattern that goes along with the KnitCrate Membership yarn. See our review of KnitCrate Membership for more information on those!
Vidalana Ambient Sock in color Robin’s Promise - Retail Value $24.00
Here you can see the true color of the yarn for this month. It’s very slightly variegated, which I really love. Sometimes I think the in-house KnitCrate yarn can look a little bit two-toned, creating a bit of a zebra effect when you knit it up. I like that the variation in the lighter and darker tones in this yarn is on the subtle side!
The yarn is a blend of 80% Peruvian Highland Wool and 20% nylon. It has a very squishy texture and has a little bit of extra “crunch” that makes it feel very crisp. I love that KnitCrate is sending out lesser-known types of fiber like Peruvian Highland Wool, and I can’t wait to see how this yarn knits up! The skein contains 400 yards in 100 grams.
Here is my progress so far on the Winter Light socks! This pattern is so addicting - I keep wanting to get to the next row! If you are new to cables, don’t be afraid of a pattern like this one. It looks much more complicated than it actually is, and the great thing about socks is that there aren’t very many stitches in each row. You only have to do one or two cables every few rows, which makes the cabling less intimidating.
The yarn is so nice to work with - it’s getting softer the more I hold the strands, and I can tell that the finished socks will hold up really well. Because the cable pattern is so fun to do, I know I will get these finished in no time!
Verdict: I really liked this month’s Sock Crate! I appreciate the thought to send us a unique fiber like Peruvian Highland Wool, and I think the color is just gorgeous. The pattern shows off the yarn really well, and it comes together as a great curated box. Overall, if you are a knitter or crocheter who likes to try new yarns, 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. The spoilers for the February 2019 boxes can be found here. 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 January, you’ll see the January yarns and patterns before you join, so you WILL know what your first box will be).
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes - if you sign up anytime during the month of January, your first box will be the January box (while supplies last).
Value Breakdown: For $19.99, we received one skein of yarn and three 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.
At $19.99, here’s approximately what you are paying for each item (not including the pin):
- Vidalana Ambient Sock Yarn - $7.50
- Pattern Booklet - $12.49
Check out 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 January 2019 KnitCrate Membership? Let us know in the comments!
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