Join the Swatch Club

There are so many fun programs for knitters, crafters, kids and just about anyone else who loves getting samples or curated collections of fun stuff these days. You can get a box of just about anything delivered to your home on a regular basis to inspire your creativity.

I recently got word that British crafty company Minerva Crafts has started a swatch club for knitters, which will get participants access to about 30 small samples of yarn every three months for a year. (Each sample is only about a foot long, so it’s not enough to knit with, just a sneak peek at all the goodies on offer.)

In all that’s about 120 different yarns to check out. This could be a lot of fun because you might be sent something you wouldn’t ordinarily choose at the store but playing with it you’ll find that it’s actually something you really like or that you want to use for a particular pattern. It’s all about broadening your knitting horizons.

You can choose a natural palette if you’re a fan of neutrals or a mixed option for bolder choices. Each set costs £18, and deliveries are made in September, December, March and June. For a limited time you can use the coupon code SWATCH50 at checkout to get 50 percent off your order.

Would you sign up for a program like this? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

[Photo via Minerva Crafts.]

Next Pattern:

Not too long ago I was seeing a crochet pattern for a glasses holder shaped like a bear all over the Internet. It was super cute, and also useful as a place to put your glasses on your bedside table instead of just throwing them somewhere random.

This project stewed in my brain for a little while and I decided I needed to make a knit version, but I didn’t want to make a bear. If you know anything about me you might know that I’m a cat person, so of course my version had to be a cat.

The base is just a basic little basic worked from the center out to the desired size, then up the sides as long as you want them. Knit some ears and add embellishments to make it whatever kind of animal you want.

The way I figured out to work the base from the center out was to use a crochet cast on, which gives you an easier way to pick up stitches from the back of the cast on than if you worked a more traditional cast on for a knitting project. It’s kind of fun to do things in a different way from time to time.

This little project is adorable if I do say so myself, and even as a plain little basket not made into an animal it’s a cute way to keep your glasses or other little things in one place. I’m tempted to make one for my desk to hold pens or even little little scissors and sewing needles that are always on my desk but somehow always seem to get lost on my desk.

If you need a little holder for your glasses on your table, check out the pattern at Our Daily Craft.

[Photo: Our Daily Craft]

Next Pattern:

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