Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Craftsy Offering 45 Days of Free Classes

by

I’ve been writing about the news surrounding Bluprint/Craftsy and its new owners for a while now, so it seems like it’s time for an update on the next chapter.

Quick recap: back in May, NBCUniversal, which had purchased the online crafts education platform Craftsy back in 2017 and renamed it Bluprint was planning to shut it down. Then in July, TN Marketing, which runs several craft themed educational websites, said it would be buying certain assets of Bluprint and revamping the site again, changing the name back to Craftsy.

That change has now happened, and to celebrate the company is allowing free access to all classes for 45 days. (I assume this is the same as when Bluprint did it that you can watch the classes but not access downloads such as patterns).

A monthly membership, which allows you to access unlimited classes, will run $7.99 a month or $79.99 when you purchase a year’s access. You can also purchase individual classes. I looked at the knitting classes and it looks like they range from $4.99 to $39.99 depending on the length and complexity of the class.

People who had membership to Bluprint or had purchased Craftsy classes in the past can access the free membership by using the email associated with their account to change their password. The company notes that people who have purchased classes cannot access them through their accounts right now but they can stream them as part of the free access.

I signed into my account and it looks like I have a premium membership through Oct. 16. As mentioned above I cannot see classes I bought previously, but it does look like this premium access allows you to stream classes as well as download patterns, unlike when Bluprint had free streaming earlier this year. I did not give them credit card information so I assume at the end of the free period I will go back to not having a membership but at some point will be able to access those classes I purchased. I will continue to update as things change.

What do you think of this new change? Are you going to give the new Craftsy a(nother) chance? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Comments

  1. I always enjoyed Craftsy. Glad they switched the name back, most crafts people can relate to that name rather than Blueprint. I like the idea best to just buy what classes I am interested in.

  2. I had several classes in my library. I hope I will be able to access them. If I can’t, I will be reluctant to purchase any others.

  3. I purchased several classes through craftsy which were supposed to be mine to own forever and then I became an annual member and used the membership frequently and was given several free own forever classes which I took advantage of. Now it appears that I cannot access any of that which makes me very reluctant to join again. What is the deal with this. I was charged $150.00 to renew my membership in a company that no longer existed but did complain and get my money back. I am really frustrated and confused.

Have you read?

Book Review: Circular Knitting for Beginners and Beyond

When I discovered Kate Atherley’s book Circular Knitting for Beginners and Beyond, I wasn’t sure there was enough to say about circular knitting to fill a book. It’s a pretty short book (144 pages) and includes 10 patterns to practice working in the round on small projects, and it provides a decent introduction to the various ways of working in the round. 

The book covers using double pointed knitting needles, flexible double points and circular knitting needles with cables. It talks about working using the full circumference of a circular needle and various ways to work smaller circumference projects, such as using DPNs, magic loop and knitting with two circular knitting needles. 

In addition there’s a discussion of preventing problems like twists and ladders, swatching in the round without actually swatching in the round, grafting, blocking and weaving in ends. 

More specialized techniques likes knitting from the center out, stranded colorwork, helical knitting and jogless stripes are also explored, as well as working pieces like socks or mitts two at a time. 

There’s also some information about seamless sweaters, including the different sweater designs that can be worked seamlessly (and why you might want seams in your sweaters) and how they are worked from the top down or the bottom up. 

There are 10 patterns in the book, including a basic stockinette stitch cowl and one with a deliberate twist, wrist warmers, mitts and a pair of colorwork mittens, a hat worked in a solid color or in helical stripes, toe up and top down socks and a beret. It would have been nice to have a basic sweater pattern, too, since the book does talk about working larger garments with circular needles, but it’s still a nice collection of basic patterns worked in the round. 

If you’re already comfortable working in the round in different ways, I’m not sure there’s much for you to learn in this book, but it is a good reference for people learning circular knitting or who maybe haven’t tried all the techniques yet or need skill building projects to try. 

About the book: 144 pages, paperback, 10 patterns. Published 2026 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.