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, exclusive knit and crochet patterns in a booklet, and an extra
- Sock Crate: $19.95 per month, for one skein of their in-house premium fingering weight yarn, exclusive knit and crochet patterns in a booklet, and an extra
- Malabrigo Partner Crate: $45.00 per quarter, for a box curated by Malabrigo and KnitCrate that includes delectable yarns, notions, and exclusive knitting patterns
- Mrs. Crosby Travels Partner Crate: $69.99 per quarter, for a box curated by Mrs. Crosby Travels that features three skeins of yarn, notions, and exclusive knitting patterns inspired by different parts of the world
This review is of the KnitCrate Membership Crate for $24.99 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 Membership Crate
The Subscription Box: KnitCrate
The Cost: $24.99 per month (other plans available from $19.95 per month)
The Products: Two skeins of premium yarn, a pattern booklet (contains 3+ patterns!), and an extra
Ships to: The 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 Membership July 2020 Review
KnitCrate Membership is the flagship box from the KnitCrate brand. In my opinion, it’s the best box to start with if you’re looking to expand your knitting knowledge or expand your yarn stash! The yarn they send is from one of their in-house brands, and it’s always very high quality.
A note on shipping: KnitCrate is experiencing some minor shipping delays. The July crate did not start shipping until the very end of the month. The August crate is expected to ship shortly, and they expect to be up and running back to shipping by the 10th of each month by September.
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KnitCrate Inspirations Booklet, July 2020 - Retail Value $40.00
YAY! The booklets are back in our crates! Due to COVID-19 printing delays, we received cards with download codes in the last few crates, rather than our usual booklets. This month the booklets make a triumphant return, and I for one was quite happy about that!
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.
KnitCrate has "Color Vibe" options, where you get to choose which color family you would like to receive. Coordinating with those three color options are three colorway combinations available this month: Hustle (Energize Me), which is a fuchsia pink color; Stardust (Chill Out), which is a medium navy blue; or Pavement (All Natural), which is tonal light and medium gray.
KnitCrate always sends a knitting pattern and a crochet pattern to go along with the yarn, which is always something I really appreciate about the box. The knitting pattern and the crochet pattern this month are variations on the same theme - they are both open lacy shawls - which I always love, because it means you can create the featured project no matter which craft you prefer to do! There is also a bonus Tunisian crochet shawl pattern included in this month's crate. All of the patterns were designed by Michelle Costa of Stitch & Hustle, who was a designer featured in a previous KnitCrate as well!
The back of the booklet shows a sneak peek of the theme for August - it will be “Vividarium” and I can’t wait to see what gorgeous colors will come from this palette!
The booklet also contains information for the Sock Membership Crate box. You can find out more information about this box by reading our previous reviews and visiting the KnitCrate website.
Now, onto the good stuff - the yarn!
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Uru.Yarn Cotton Basic by KnitCrate in "Stardust" - Retail Value $40.00 ($20.00 per skein)
First of all, I'm always thrilled to try a new type of yarn blend in my KnitCrate boxes, and this month is no exception. Although I'm spoiled with cotton yarns with my Knit Picks Cotton Club boxes that I review, I'm always happy to receive more cotton yarn to work with! This yarn is 100% organic pima cotton, which is so soft - it feels like it's made out of the softest cotton T-shirts! I received the Stardust colorway, which is a variegated tonal royal blue.
The yarn is DK weight and contains 266 yards in 100 grams. Each subscriber receives two skeins of the same color in their crate.
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KnitCrate Tunisian Crochet Hook, Size J (6.00mm)
The extra this month is a Tunisian crochet hook, and I couldn't have been more excited when I saw this upon opening my box! Tunisian crochet is a type of crochet where you keep all of your stitches live on the needle, instead of working with one loop at a time like you do in normal crochet - that's why you need a flexible cord attached to the end of your hook, so you can work with many stitches at one time (similar to how you do in knitting).
I am not a very experienced Tunisian crocheter, but it's a craft I'm fascinated by and I've recently seen a lot of very cute patterns for Tunisian crocheters, including these summer tops (here and here). These are sweaters that I would love to make for myself, but I know I need more practice with Tunisian crochet before I tackle one of them! This shawl project in this month's KnitCrate looks like the perfect next Tunisian crochet project for me.
Here's my first attempt at starting the shawl. I wanted to show you this to share how I don't always get the best results with my crafting on my first go around with a pattern, too! I always see a lot of comments on my reviews with people sharing how they aren't good enough knitters to make a sweater, or that they're nervous about trying a new type of pattern. When I see those comments I want to reach through my screen and encourage everyone - just go for it! The worst thing that can happen is that your project turns out squished and weird on one side like my shawl does above (see on the right, how the eyelet row isn't growing properly), and you end up ripping it back and starting over. The great thing about yarn is that you can always frog your project and try it again!
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Here's my second attempt at creating the Tunisian shawl. I watched some videos online for how to do the beginning stitches accurately, and I feel much better about this attempt, even though it's far from perfect. I wouldn't recommend this shawl for a complete beginner, since it's much more complex of a pattern than the first Tunisian shawl that I made - there is more counting and different combinations of stitches in this one. However, it seems like it's going okay for a second Tunisian project! I'm glad I'm getting the experience of these different stitches before trying to make a Tunisian crochet garment.
The yarn is working up quite nicely, too! The variegation in the colors is really pretty with these stitches, and the cotton is so smooth and soft to work with. You can't beat the drape from a soft cotton yarn, and this shawl is going to be the perfect end-of-summer wrap for when the evenings start to get a little bit chilly!
Verdict: I thought this was such a great KnitCrate box! I loved getting to try out this new yarn base, and cotton is always great for summertime. I am also super excited to have received a Tunisian crochet hook and try out a fairly new-to-me craft! If you are a knitter or crocheter who is open to trying new types of yarn, this would be a great subscription box to check out! For $24.99, we received two skeins of yarn, a pattern booklet with 5 patterns, and a Tunisian crochet hook for a total estimated retail value of $80.00. I think this is an amazing value for what you receive, since 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.
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 15th) before the subscription renews on the first. They then release all the details on the yarns and patterns on the 1st of the month. August's reveal post is here and September's sneak peak is 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.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you'll likely receive the August box (while supplies last).
Value Breakdown: At $24.99, here’s approximately what you are paying for each item:
- Pattern Booklet - $12.50
- Cotton Basic yarn - $12.50 ($6.25 per skein)
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What did you think of the July 2020 KnitCrate Membership Crate? Let us know in the comments!
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