Knit-Wise Subscription Box Review – October 2016

Knit-Wise is a monthly box that arrives with everything you need to create a hand knit project, so you can spend more on the fun part. According to the site, you will build new skills, save time and money, and learn at your leisure.  You can choose your skill level – either beginner or intermediate/advanced. I’m a fairly proficient knitter, so I picked the “intermediate/advanced” level.  Subscriptions start at $29/month.

This month’s project is a ribbed hat – perfect for upcoming fall and winter weather!!!

Above is a look at everything in the box. Knit-Wise provides nearly all the supplies you need for the project, making it super easy to pick-up and finish a project without having to go to the craft store for this and that. Basically, the only supply I needed to complete this project, other than what was in the box, was scissors.  I appreciate that!

Let’s take a closer look at what was in the box and what I made!

Instructions: Knit-Wise instructions generally come in a little booklet. I like the booklet because it has a color photo of the completed project on the front, as well as color photos throughout the instructions.

The actual step-by-step instructions were very clear. Some terms are highlighted in pink ink, indicating that video instructions were available from the website. For this particular project, I was familiar with all of the stitches, so I didn’t need to watch the videos; however, there have been previous months where I have used the videos and found them to be straightforward and easy to follow. I also like that the instructions have photos at various steps to show you what your project should look like at those points.

Yarn: This project included two balls of good quality, gray yarn. Although I’ve complained before that Knit-Wise projects are always neutral tones, I was actually pleased to make this hat in grey. My daughter loves the color and can’t wait to wear the hat.

Needles: This month’s needles is a set of circulars. I haven’t used bamboo circulars before, so these were kind of different for me – also, they were a little bit shorter than the circulars I am used to, which made working with them a little more challenging, but given the project instructions, they were exactly the right needles to use.

Notions: As I mentioned above, I truly appreciate that Knit-Wise sends whatever notions are necessary to complete the project, including tapestry needles. For some reason, I lose tapestry needles like some people lose unmatched socks. I can never find one when I need one, even if I’ve bought a multi-pack of needles recently. It’s crazy. But anyway, I was glad to see that Knit-Wise sent me a needle to save me the impossible feat of finding one in my knitting bag.

I am also in love with the knit counter that they sent – this little blue barrel is awesome!  It works as a stitch marker, to keep your place when working in circular, but the white knobs on the end twist, allowing you to keep track of how many rows you’ve knitted. This was super helpful for this project in particular, as the body of the hat is some 40-45 rows of the exact same ribbed pattern. (I have used a pen and paper to keep tic marks, as well as a phone app to keep digital tic marks, but having the count attached right to your project is so nice! I’ll be using this little goody for many of my future projects.

And…tada!  Here is one of my daughters modeling the hat. It is super warm and very cute and fits perfectly.

This project was great. I followed the directions and my project turned out exactly as I expected (and hoped!). It took me a couple of evenings of knitting – you could probably whip the hat out in a weekend, easy. This would also be a great project for new knitters, as there were no complicated stitches and the repetition of the rib pattern would be good practice for someone learning. I like this pattern so much, and it was so easy, that I plan to use it to make some additional hats – there is a place in my town that takes hats to give to homeless shelters and the like. This hat is cute enough that my daughter likes it, but warm and easy to make, so it would also be a great hat to make for others.

This is probably my favorite project from Knit-Wise so far. They have had home accessory projects, as well as jewelry, but there is something very satisfying about making a hat. The directions were clear and correct, and the project turned out perfect.

What do you think about this month’s Knit-Wise project?

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