Giveaway + Don't Take a Vacation from Crafting!

Make sure that your knitting or crocheting isn't the only thing going on vacation this summer! Whether or not you're planning to travel, there are plenty of great projects to keep your needles and hooks happy during the warmer months ahead.  

Shawls are a great project choice; they can be used on cooler summer nights and will also be handy when the temperatures cool down in the fall. Choose lightweight yarns with cooler fibres such as bamboo, cotton or silk for your next project; here are a few popular patterns from Ravelry.com which you might enjoy!

From L-R: Hitchhiker by Martina Behm, Venus by Aoibhe Ni, and Happy Street by Veera Välimäki.

Small projects such as socks, hats and handwear are also great to work on during warmer months - you'll be glad you did when winter's chill arrives! They also are easy to take with you on-the-go, and using circular needles for magic loop means you don't have to worry about losing one of your double-pointed needles while you're out and about! Below are a few popular hat patterns from Ravelry to get you inspired! 

From L-R: Catkin Hat by Kate Davies, Bonnie Beret by Rachael Oglesby, and Bräcken Convertible Cloche by Kalurah.

Finally, small toys are fun to make and are also great gift ideas! Here are a few knit and crochet toy pattern ideas to make your summer extra-fun!

From L-R: Amigurumi Dragon by Stacey Trock, Knit Hedgehogs by Purl Soho, and Huggy Monkey by Sayjai Thawornsupacharoen. 

Enter our May Giveaway

This month, we'll be giving away Karbonz needle to two of our lucky readers! Simply leave a comment on this post telling us your summer crafting plans and which type of Karbonz (single point, double point or fixed circular) you'd like to win! Don't forget to also leave a way for us to contact you if you are the winner (Ravelry ID or email address works just fine). 

We'll randomly select two winners (one for each prize) on Friday, May 24th! Good luck!

Winner + Felted Project Inspiration

Dreamz Chunky Interchangeable Set

Thanks to everyone who entered our blog giveaway this month! Our lucky winner is Shala K. who will have her wish to try US #17 fixed circular Basix! We've contacted Shala on Ravelry to arrange the shipment of her prize!

We received a tremendous response to our last post about quick, chunky knits using larger needles, so today we'll be sharing more pattern inspiration with you. Wool yarns and large needles are the perfect combination for your next felting project; we have several chunky interchangeable needle sets which contain needle pairs in US #13, #15 and #17 sizes - all you have to do is choose which type of needle tip you prefer! As we saw in our previous post, our Basix line is another great option for projects requiring larger-sized knitting needles. 

Clockwise from top left: Star Garland by Katie Startzman, Felted iPad Case by Marlene Sigel, Woodins by Anna Hrachovec, Celtica Cushion by Debbie Tomkies, Felted Oven Mitts by Purlbee, and French Press Felted Slippers by Melynda Bernardi.

If you have never intentionally felted a knitted or crocheted piece, here are a few helpful resources to get you started: 

Felting article - Knitty Archives

YouTube Video - How to Hand Felt Knitted Projects

Crochet Doctor Blog - How to Felt Crochet Pieces

If you're ready to give felting a try, click here for more inspiration on our Pinterest board! Feel free to share your favorite felting tips or resources on this blog post, too!

Think Big: Knitting Inspiration + Giveaway!

This month, we're thinking BIG! Our Basix needles come in large sizes and are just right for quick, chunky knits and fast felted projects! In today's blog post, we'll share some of our favorite patterns for big needles and give you a closer look at Basix. You'll also have a chance to win your choice of Basix needles this month!

Quick Knits with Chunky Yarns

Here are just a few project ideas for fast knits on big needles, many of which are available for free on Ravelry! Clockwise from top left: The Eleventh Hour Blanket from Purl Soho, Marian by Jane Richmond, The Road to Gimmerton, Pembroke Tank by Tara-Lynn Morrison, 40 Winks Basket by Hana Jason, and Pixie Necklace by Kate Oates.

Click here to view more project ideas for Basix needles on Pinterest!

Basix Giveaway

Our Basix needles are lightweight and available in double-point, single-point and fixed circular needle styles in a range of larger sizes.These perfectly-pointed, durable needles are ideal for chunky yarns. 

Get to know Basix below, then leave a comment on this post telling us which type you'd most like to try out. Don't forget to leave a way for us to contact you (email address or Ravelry ID will do just fine). We'll randomly select one winner to announce on Friday, April 26. Good luck!

Basix DPNS

Available in 8" length in US sizes 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 and 36.
Perfectly tapered points for easy stitch glide.

Basix Fixed Circulars

Available in 24", 32", 40" and 47" lengths in US sizes 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 36 and 50.
Smooth joins for snag-free knitting.
Resilient, flexible cords lay flat with no kink or twist.

Basix Single Point

Available in 10" and 14" lengths in US Sizes 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19.
Generous size end caps keep stitches firmly on needles.

Be sure to check back on Friday, April 26 to see who won this month's blog giveaway!

Winner + Knitter's Pride in Action

We received a tremendous response to this month's blog giveaway! Thank you to everyone who left their comments on our last blog post; we thoroughly enjoyed reading each one. Congratulations to Julie, who was selected via Random.org as this month's prize winner (we will contact you to arrange for the delivery of your Karbonz DPNs). Julie said, "I would love to try out the size 2s and 3s DPN. Pretty much all my sock needles are bent, would love to use something that wouldn't do that.."

We have another chance for you to win a prize from Knitter's Pride - as soon as we reach 10,000 Fans on Facebook, we'll be giving away a Deluxe Nova Interchangeable Set! Click here to view all the details on Facebook, and don't forget to like our page and recommend it to your friends so that we reach our goal faster!

Finally, we'd like to share the latest Knitter's Pride in Action photos that have been submitted by our wonderful and creative fans. Click here to view & submit photos in our dedicated Ravelry thread; you can also submit via Twitter and Facebook or view our Facebook album here!

L-R: Dreamz Interchangeables (submitted by MrsMommy), Dreamz DPNs (submitted by Kmfox), Karbonz Needles (submitted by @YarnYenta).

As seen on Knitter's Review: Karbonz Needles!

There's been a lot of buzz about our Karbonz needles; most recently, Clara Parkes shared her thoughts on these high-tech needles on the Knitter's Review website. We're quite flattered with her analysis! If you've been curious about carbon fiber needles, click here to get the scoop from one of our industry's finest experts!

Karbonz Single-Point Needles

For more Karbonz reviews, be sure to check out these blog posts: 

• Fresh Stitches Blog
• WEBS Yarn Store Blog 
• Fibre Space Blog

Or watch this quick video courtesy of Jimmy Beans Wool (you can also view our Karbonz product video here on the Knitter's Pride YouTube channel):

Now for the best part: we'd like to give you a chance to try Karbonz out for yourself! Leave a comment on this post sharing why you'd like to knit with these needles for your chance to win a pair of Karbonz DPNs. We'll randomly select one lucky reader to win the prize on Friday, March 22. Be sure to leave your Ravelry ID or e-mail address so that we can contact you if you win! 

Winners + 2013 Preview

Giveaway Winners

Thanks to everyone who entered this month's blog giveaway, we're so excited to see what inspires you on Pinterest! The following readers have won Knitter's Pride Shawl Pins: MaryGildersleeve, Wenchciara and Zandperl! We have contacted each winner via Ravelry PM to arrange for the delivery of their prize. Congratulations!

Sneak Peek!

We're very pleased to share a small preview of our Spring Collection with you today right here on our blog. Since introducing our line of carbon fiber needles last year, we have had many requests from fans and shop owners for an interchangeable line of Karbonz needles. This year, we'll not only introduce Karbonz Interchangeable Circular needles to the line, but we'll also offer expanded size options for single point, double point and fixed circular Karbonz needles as well as DPN and Interchangeable needle sets.



In fact, we'll be introducing many new & exciting additions to the Knitter's Pride family of products at the Handarbeit + Hobby international trade fair in Cologne, Germany next month which will be appearing at a yarn shop near you this Summer - stay tuned for more details!

Knitter’s Pride on Pinterest + Giveaway

Exciting news: Knitter's Pride is now on Pinterest! Many of our fans are already sharing their crafty inspiration via pinboards. We've decided to join in the fun and share our favorite products, crafting tips, tutorials and pattern inspiration for our knitting and crocheting fans!

We hope you'll stop by to see what we've been pinning and follow our boards. To sweeten the deal, we'll be randomly selecting three of our Pinterest followers to win a Knitter's Pride Shawl Pin on Friday, February 22. Leave a comment on this post to say hello and share a link to your own Pinterest board so that fellow Knitter's Pride fans can follow you! Also be sure to leave a way for us to contact you if you win (Ravelry ID or email address).

Let's get pinning - Click here to follow Knitter's Pride on Pinterest!