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.
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!
This month’s project is a waffle stitch cowl – warm and cozy for winter & fall!
Instructions: Knit-Wise instructions generally come in a little booklet. The booklet is great because it has a color photo of the completed project on the front. See how fun this cowl looks!
The actual step-by-step instructions are 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 yarn. I haven’t worked with yarn like this before – it is textured. Some of it is as thin as string, while other parts are thick and fuzzy, yielding a really interesting final project. I also like that the yarn is multi-colored. Many of the previous Knit-Wise projects have been neutral colored yarn (tan or grey)… but for a funky cowl like this, the multi-colored yarn is so much more fun.
Needles & Notions: As I mentioned above, Knit-Wise sends whatever notions are necessary to complete the project. This month, all I needed in addition to yarn were knitting needles and a tapestry needle. The knitting needles are a nice set of bamboo straights. And well, I can never have too many tapestry needles, since I lose them always. Other than scissors, everything I needed was in the box – I was ready to knit!
Here’s a close-up of the cowl. You can see the fun waffle stitch pattern (little raised squares) as well as the effects of the multi-colored, multi-textured yarn. Although this scarf only uses a few simple stitches (knit, purl, slip stitch), it creates an interesting pattern. I had never made anything with this particular waffle stitch before and I really like it.
And here is my daughter modeling the final product. We both would have liked the cowl to be a bit larger – I used up every bit of yarn in the box, so I couldn’t have made it larger using the included supplies. However, it did end up large enough to wear… so that’s cool. We’re just fans of big, bulky cowl scarves in my house – if I made this project again with my own yarn, I’d probably make it about 1.5 times longer.
Other than my preference for cowl length, this project was great. I followed the directions and my project turned out exactly as promised. I completed the project in just a few evenings – pretty much a weekend of knitting, making it a great project for new knitters. Additionally, since it used only basic stitches, it would also be excellent for beginners. Other than making the cowl a bit longer in length, I loved this project and will likely make it again using more yarn.
What do you think about this month’s Knit-Wise project?
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