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:

The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.”

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them.

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits.

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves.

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit.

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy.

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]

Next Pattern:

Have you read?