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Craftsy Offering 45 Days of Free Classes

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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?

Knit a Classic Aran Cardigan with this Free Knitting Pattern

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time. 

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring. 

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn. 

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row. 

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves. 

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body. 

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy. 

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn. 

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]