One of my favorite places to get knitting supplies is Kitterly, a company that combines patterns with the yarn, needles and notions needed to complete them. It makes my life easier and it’s a great option for buying gifts for those who knit and crochet.

Kitterly also offers a monthly Kit Club, and I wanted to check that out because 1. I love knitting and 2. I love getting stuff in the mail that isn’t bills or political flyers.

The folks at Kitterly were kind enough to supply me with a sample of their April Kit Club in exchange for an honest review.

Here is how it works: every month Kitterly sends Kit Club members a knitting pattern and the yarn required to complete that pattern. The yarn and the pattern are a surprise, but prior to shipping out Kitterly does email members with color swatches and asks for preferences. They cannot guarantee you’ll get the color you want, but they do their best to accommodate a subscriber’s first and second picks.

I was super excited when I got my email asking me for my color preference, especially since the colors were gradients. I love gradient yarn SO MUCH. I own a lot of Freia Fibers.

You don’t get a picture of the actual yarn in the email, but rather color swatches (like paint swatches) to choose from. I actually loved all three options, a purple to pink/orange gradient, a dark purple to light purple gradient, and a blue to yellow gradient.

I was not disappointed when my kit arrived.

The pattern for April was the Brie Shawl by Justyna Lorkowska (it’s also available here on Ravelry).

I primarily knit shawls and socks, and I totally gasped when I saw this pattern. It’s right up my alley. I’d describe myself as an intermediate knitter, and this pattern is in line with my skill level. The lacework in the pattern came both charted  and in written form (which made me super happy because I hate reading charts).

All the past kits are described as being intermediate in skill level, so I don’t think this kit subscription would be a good fit for beginning knitters.

The yarn I got for the pattern came from Apple Tree Knits. My base yarn was Plush Fingering in the colorway Nimbus. It was a mini skein at 280 yards. The gradient was Plush Fingering in Water Lily Gradient, a full skein at 560 yards.

The yarn is so soft, you guys. SO SOFT.

I just cast on the project. I’m a slow knitter and with the lace work, I expect this shawl will take me a couple of months.

The Kitterly Club retails for $49.95 per month plus $4.00 in shipping. Previous kits have included shawls, hats and cowls.

The Brie Shawl pattern retails for $6. The gradient yarn retails online for $35. I couldn’t find the mini skein online, but based on the yardage and the quality of the merino wool, it’s gotta be at least $20. So we’re looking at a value of $61.

The thing I liked, though, is that Apple Tree Knits isn’t widely available online – they primarily sell through little yarn stores. I had to do some Googling to find a shop near me that sold the gradient yarn. I never would have found this yarn without the Kit Club, and OMG I need more of it.

So the verdict? The value totally checks out, and I’m very enthusiastic about finding yarn companies that don’t have a big online presence. I love the pattern. It totally works with my skill level.

My only issue (and it’s entirely my issue) is that I’m a slow knitter meaning I won’t have this shawl done by the time the next kit comes out. Not to mention all my other half-finished projects.

My advice? I think this would be a really fun subscription to split with a knitting friend so that you get a little more space between projects. You could alternate months, thereby giving yourself more time between kits.

That said, don’t run away frightened! Not all the projects involve a ton of time. So far there has been one cowl and one hat, though the remaining five kits are shawls. (You can see previous kit projects on the Kit Club site.)

I really like the Kitterly Kit Club. It’s fun, it’s a good value, and it introduces you to new yarns and patterns. For faster knitters, it’s definitely a great deal. I’m going to see if a friend with split the subscription with me to keep my stash from getting out of control (or more out of control, rather). Once I finish my Brie Shawl, I’ll make sure to upload photos for everyone to see the end result.

Until then, this is the finished product image – how beautiful is this picture?

The Kitterly Kit Club is $49.95 + $4.50 s/h, and you can sign up online. 

And! We have a coupon! Use code SMARTTRASHY15 for 15% any item, including a single month’s Knit Club box (future boxes would be regular price). Thank you, Kitterly!