diy: we are knitters

I mentioned my stalking the we are knitters (WAK) website here but for some reason I just never bought a kit until they had a sale and I finally bit the bullet.  I decided to go with the Sabrina Sweater in Aquamarine.  Here’s what I thought about the kit:

WEBSITE:  It was easy to purchase the kit and it arrived a few days later in really cute packaging.  I did try to purchase the kit with PayPal but for some reason it didn’t work and I ended up having to pay for it with my credit card but that only happened once because I’ve bought other kits since and no problems the other times around.

PATTERN:  I decided to get the pattern in Spanish because I figured it would be the safest bet since this is a Spanish company.  I’d also received a free pattern through their newsletter and I found the English translation wasn’t great.  The pattern is ok but I do think they can seriously improve their pattern writing skills.  These are my complaints about the pattern:

• They only offer the pattern in one size and let’s be honest we aren’t all a perfect size four like their models.  This is a really easy pattern because it’s just a square and the sleeves only increase on the edges and they go straight across the top so you can easily adapt it but that may not be the case for other patterns.
• They tell you about the gauge but their way of getting gauge is by knitting looser or tighter which is not a good solution for a knitter.  All knitters knit our own way and knitting isn’t fun if you aren’t knitting with your natural tension and the right way to adjust your gauge is by going up or down a needle size.  I get why WAK says to tighten or loosen your tension because they only sell a very limited number of sizes in needles but again I really don’t think it’s how you should solve your gauge especially if you’re a newbie knitter, you’ll just drive yourself crazy!
• The pattern doesn’t state exactly how much yarn is used which I think is important especially if you have to adjust the dimensions.  WAK yarn balls are huge at 100 gr. which is double the standard for cotton yarn balls and they go a long way so if you just have to adjust a little you may not have to buy a whole other yarn ball.  I’m almost 5’11” so I have to lengthen the body and the sleeves and I picked up an additional yarn ball and used about a quarter of it.
• I also think they can improve their pattern writing skills because they go through the pattern by referring to the rows, i.e.: BO after row 104.  I think it’s best to state knit rows 1 through 8 until the piece measures 55 cm from the cast on edge because again if your gauge is off then you may not have gotten to where you should to bind off.
• I also think they should include a photo in the pattern so you have a visual point of reference.  The only pic you get is the sticker on the kit’s packaging and a line drawing, which again isn’t the best visual aid.

I follow a lot of patterns so I think I have a pretty good idea of what a good pattern is and this one isn’t written as professionally as it should be. 

MATERIALS:  The cotton yarn balls are amazing!  They are huge at 100 grams each and they have a very on trend colour selection.  The colours you see online are also true to the real thing, which makes picking them out easy.  Don’t go by the name because I find that the name isn’t always the correct name for the shade but the online image is true to reality.  The cotton is super soft and feels like your favourite vintage tee.  I absolutely loved this yarn and will definitely be using it again. It’s a worsted weight yarn so it knits up quite quickly which is nice.  The kit comes with needles but I didn’t get them because I have a ton of needles and I like knitting on circular needles.  They offer bamboo needles which are great for beginners because they offer a kind of grip on the wool but I find that slowed down my knitting once I got the hang of knitting.  They also include a WAK label and a plastic sewing needle so you have everything you need in your kit.  Please note that you save 10 euros if you don’t order the needles.

PRICE vs QUALITY:  I found the price reasonable for the quality of the yarn and the packaging you get and I’ll definitely be ordering more.

OVERALL:  I found this to be a great knitting kit and a good way to start a knitting project.  They offer a lot of relatively simple knitting kits which are great for beginners.  They have modern and on trend knits so you definitely can’t go wrong if you’re an it girl.  I found this kit to be easy even with the bobbles.  The bobbles are easy to knit and you get a great piece that looks much harder than it really was so I think this kit is perfect for beginners.  I’ve already bit the bullet a second and third time with the Hualpa Kimono which was love at first sight and I ordered it as soon as it came out and finally the Napa cardigan.  If you’re doubting whether a WAK kit is worth it then I can say that the cotton ones definitely are and you’ll totally enjoy knitting the project and loving your finished product.  These kits also make fabulous gifts for your knitting friends because you get it all in a one stop shop with great packaging and perfect designs.  

My Sabrina sweater is my favourite knit so far and I can’t get over how much I love it. I just need it to cool down a bit because this 40 degree weather is just too hot for this long sleeved sweater. 

I’ve knit two other we are knitters cotton kits since the Sabrina sweater and my feedback is the same. My overall feeling is that they were great kits and they just need a few tweaks to be perfect. The Hualpa Kimono was a super fun knit and once I got the hang of working with two yarns at the same time, everything came together quickly. The Napa Cardigan was my fastest knit yet and it turned out amazingly as well.

we are knitters kits are great for beginners because they’re easy projects and come together really quickly which is fabulous. The WAK kits are also great for knitters of all levels because the designs are really modern and easy which is nice sometimes. I also love how quickly everything comes together because the yarn is worsted weight so your labour of love is ready to wear in no time!

Thanks WAK for such great kits and I’m looking forward to knitting more WAK projects very soon!

Have you guys tried any WAK kits or other knitting kits you would recommend?  I’d love to here what DIY projects you’re working on this summer.