Phat Fiber Boxes on Sale This Sunday!

Do you know about Phat Fiber? This is one of the coolest ideas for knitting-related business ever. What it is is a sampler box that includes all sorts of cool yarn, fiber and other yarncraft-related goodies.

You get things like little skeins of yarn, samples of fiber to spin, stitch markers, patterns and all sorts of goodies related to whatever the theme is that month (for July, it’s Seaside Cottage). The idea is that you get to sample all these independently produced yarns and fibers and then you can decide to buy more from those people whose products you really like.

I got the lovely Jenn to send me a sample of the sampler box a few months ago and wrote about it for About. (She was also kind enough to do an interview with me about Phat Fiber.) I’m enchanted by the goodies I got and wish I had time to play with them all. Maybe someday, when my book is at the publisher’s and I can knit for fun again!

Anyway, the boxes go on sale once a month and supplies are very limited, so you really have to be on it if you want to get your mitts on one. This month they’re going on sale on Sunday, July 15, with some available at 11 a.m. and some at 6 p.m. Central US time. Even if you can’t get your hands on a box, check out the videos on the blog (that’s the first link above) to see all the eye candy for yourself.

Have you ever scored a Phat Fiber box? Spill it!

[Photo is a peek at the sample I received. Yum!]

Next Pattern:

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

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