Pin It To Win It: Wish List Must-Haves

Let the holiday countdown begin! Our Dreamz Limited-Edition Gift Set is now in stores, but not for long. As we've mentioned before, only 1500 sets are available, and when they're gone, they're gone! If you've been exceptionally good this year, this is the perfect addition to your wish list (click here to find a retailer near you!).

We know our fans are putting their favorite Knitter's Pride needles and hooks to good use this month creating memorable handmade gifts for their loved ones. All of us at Knitter's Pride would like to play 'Santa' by offering some extra-special prizes for our fans this month!

Pin It To Win It! 

We're giving away a Dreamz Starter Set to one lucky fan - all you have to do is pin your favorite Knitter's Pride product directly from our website (make sure it shows up here), then leave a comment on this blog post with a link to your pin and a way for us to contact you if you win (Ravelry name or e-mail address will do!).  

Not on Pinterest? That's ok, you can still enter our giveaway - simply leave a comment on this blog post sharing which Knitter's Pride product is at the top of your wish list (plus a way to contact you)! 

One winner will be announced on this blog on Friday, December 21 (we will use a random-number generator to pick our winner). Good luck! 

Be sure to follow us on Twitter, join our Ravelry group, or like our Facebook Fan Page for more great prizes this month (hint: if you've been wanting to give Karbonz a try, you won't want to miss out on this month's giveaways)! 

Karbonz + Operation Turkey Trot

We know that many of our fans were anxiously awaiting the arrival of Karbonz, our newest needles to join the Knitter's Pride family of products. Combining the sharp tips of our Novas with the lightweight, flexible carbon fiber which has an extremely high tensile strength, our Karbonz needles give you the best of both worlds!

We currently feature Straight, Single-Point and Fixed Circular needles in sizes ranging from US #000-US #4.  Click here to find a retailer near you!

For our fans who may not have a nearby LYS to see these needles in person, we'd like to share this video review from our friends at WEBS to give you a closer look at these unique new needles:

We're also excited to share the details of another exciting new product that we developed with the folks at Jimmy Beans Wool. When they asked us to create a one-of-a-kind interchangeable set that was truly "fit for a feast," we came up with this sleek set of Onyx-colored needle tips ranging in sizes from US #4 to US #11 which includes a spiffy case and four cords (one each 24" and 40" plus two 32").  The Holiday 2012 Dreamz Deluxe Set (available only at Jimmy Beans Wool) was inspired by the story of Kirstin Muench, one of our US distributors, and was part of "Operation Turkey Trot" - click here to read all about it!

Holiday Gifting Made Easy!

It's not too early to start making your holiday shopping list. We'd like to make it easy for you by rounding up the gifts you'll want to give and receive! 

For the serious knitter: The Dreamz Limited Edition Set is the ultimate gift for knitters this holiday season! Only 1500 gift sets will be available, each beautifully packaged with a certificate bearing a distinct box number. The attractive wooden box contains nine sizes of interchangeable Dreamz needle tips along with cords and other accessories. One set of Zooni Bead Stitch Markers are added complimentary in the set. 

For the sock-a-holic: Our Sock Needle Sets ensure you're ready for any sock project your heart desires! Choose from Nova or Dreamz, each set includes 6 sizes of DPNs ranging from US #0 to US #3. Sock Blockers are also an excellent choice for your sock-making friends. We have two colors to choose from, each available in three different sizes. 

For those who crochet: The Symfonie Rose Crochet Set is attractively packaged and tailor-made for gifting! Each single-ended crochet hook is adorned with European crystals. Sizes range from US E/4 to US L/11 totaling 8 hooks in all. The crochet artist on your list is sure to appreciate this elegant set! 

For stocking stuffers: Row counters, stitch holders, cable needles, stitch markers and point protectors are all handy gifts that knitters (and crocheters!) frequently forget to buy for themselves! Make sure your friends are ready to tackle a variety of projects in the new year by gifting these knitting bag essentials. 

For knitting guilds and stitching groups: If you have a big groups of crafty pals to shop for, remember that good things come in small packages! Our Zooni Bead Stitch Markers are colorful and stylish, not to mention useful. Choose from 17 colors and styles in all - each set includes 3 markers in all. There's sure to be one for everyone on your list!

Winner + Choosing the Right Needles for YOU!

Thanks to everyone who entered our blog contest this month! We were impressed with the variety of answers we received when we asked the question, "how do you like to knit socks?"  Our winner is Patrick Lyddy who said "Two at a time, Toe-up! Have an actual pair when you're done and no Second-Sock-itis!!" Please contact us at support@knitterspride.com (or Ravelry PM knitterpride) to arrange delivery of your Knitter's Pride Sock Blockers. Congratulations! 

Though many of our fans know which style of needle they prefer, we'd like to offer anyone who is new to Knitter's Pride a few suggestions to help select the right needles for your next project. 

First, consider what you'll be making: Projects that are knitted flat are well-suited to single-point needles, which beginning knitters are often more comfortable using. However, if you are knitting something large such as an afghan, you'll want to use circular needles so that you have plenty of room for all of your stitches. 

Karbonz DPNs

Cubics Fixed Circulars

Projects that are knitted in-the-round can be made on circular needles or double point needles (DPNs). As we noted in our last blog post, small circumference projects can use either needle option if you know how to use the magic loop technique for circulars. Larger-circumference projects such as sweaters work best on circulars. 

Lace knitting is often faster and easier with sharp-pointed needles such as our Nova or Karbonz needles, while sock knitting (as we learned in our last post) lends itself to various needle and material types. This brings us to our next point: your knitting style.

Yes, how you knit can play a part in your needle choice. Do you hold a lot of tension in your hands as you work and are often sore after a few hours of knitting? Give our ergonomic Cubics needles a try! Knitting on-the-go? Consider using circular needles - there's no need to worry about dropping a needle and never finding it again! Our new line of Karbonz needles is also great for traveling knitters; they are virtually unbreakable while still being lightweight and warm to the touch. Both Karbonz and Nova needles can endure being packed away in your purse or bag without fear of snapping.

Nova Deluxe Interchangeable Set

If you're trying to decide between fixed circular needles or investing in an interchangeable set, it's especially important to pay attention to how you knit: knitters who tend to twist their knitting while working in the round will be happiest with fixed circular needles, while looser knitters who use less twisting motions in their knitting will enjoy working with our interchangeable sets. 

Ultimately, personal preference is often the deciding factor in choosing needles. Once you've tried various materials and styles (such as in our Comby Sampler Set), you'll know what works best for you! 

It's a Sockstravaganza!

Pair-A-Normal Socks

For our sock-obsessed fans, October is also known as Socktober, a time to welcome fall and celebrate all things sock-related! 

We've seen a lot of great new sock patterns for fall, such as Rohn Strong's Horatio Socks from The Heritage Collection (perfect for beginners!), Hunter Hammerson's Phaeodaria socks from the first issue of The Sock Report, or the Pair-a-Normal colorwork socks from Knitty Deep Fall. There's so much sock-knitting inspiration this fall! 

If you're new to sock-making, it might seem intimidating at first, but with the right tools and a few good resources to turn to when you get stuck, you'll be happily making socks in no time flat! We've rounded up a few helpful articles and videos below to get you started. We're also giving away one pair of Knitter's Pride Sock Blockers to a lucky reader - see below for details! 

YouTube provides thousands of free tutorial videos. Our friends at Jimmy Beans Wool not only share informative product reviews on their YouTube channel, they also have several videos demonstrating knitting and crochet techniques. This tutorial demonstrating the German Twisted Cast-On method is great for starting your top-down socks! 

For visual learners who prefer a little more guidance, point your browsers to Craftsy.com. Craftsy has several video classes you can enroll in for a one-time fee, giving you lifetime access to in-depth video instruction. As an added bonus, you can ask questions for the instructor or fellow classmates to answer as you view each lesson. Donna Druchanas' Knit Original Toe-Up Socks, and Knit Original Cuff-Down Socks classes will have you knitting socks like a pro, no matter which method you prefer! 

Knitter' Pride Sock Blockers

Another great resource is Knitty.com, which has lots of fantastic articles on technique. Toe-up sock enthusiasts will find the Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off photo tutorial to be particularly handy; there's nothing worse than knitting a beautiful pair of socks you can't get on your feed because the bound-off cuff is too tight! 

Finally, you can always turn to the blogosphere for sage advice and photo tutorials. Do you prefer knitting socks with DPN needles, but don't know how to avoid unsightly stitch 'ladders'? Kirsten Hipsky, the Design Manager at Webs, shared a few of her best tips for preventing ladders earlier this year on the Webs Yarn Store blog; Cookie A shared a fantastic photo tutorial on her blog earlier this summer demonstrating an easy way to repair holes in well-loved socks. If you have sock questions, there are most likely answers waiting for you out in the blogosphere!

Enter our Blog Giveaway!
How do you like to make your socks? Top-down or toe-up? Magic loop or on DPNs? One-at-a-time or two-at-a-time?  Leave a comment on this post to share your favorite sock-knitting method(s). You'll be eligible to win a pair of Knitter's Pride Sock Blockers so that your finished socks will look their best! We'll randomly select one lucky winner on Friday, October 26th. Good luck! 

Tools of the Trade for Successful Crafting!

Having the right tools at hand can make whatever you're doing easier and infinitely more enjoyable. At Knitter's Pride, we don't see why those tools can't also be lovely to look at, too! From our candy-colored line of Dreamz knitting needles and crochet hooks to our stylish fabric needle storage bags (and everything in between!), make sure you've got what you need at your fingertips as you jump into fall crafting.

Keep all of your needles and hooks tidy with our new fabric storage bags, available in a variety of prints:

Most knitters will tell you that keeping a few good crochet hooks on hand is a good idea. From fixing dropped stitches to creating a quick and easy provisional cast-on, a crochet hook can be a knitter's best friend. You'll want to have a few sizes to correspond with the yarn weights you typically work with, of course. Our color-coded Dreamz line is a great choice - simply grab and go!

Crocheters appreciate our many varieties of crochet hooks, but if you're new to the craft you might be wondering, "Which hook is right for me?" We've got some good news: all of our hooks were designed to work with with every type of material, whether you prefer to crochet with wool, cotton, bamboo, silk, acrylic, or any fiber combination you can dream up!

On the Fresh Stitches blog: Dreamz crochet hook!

It truly comes down to personal preference and what works with your crocheting style. For crafters that tend to grip the hook near the working area, our our ergonomic hooks (available in aluminum and steel) are preferred because the soft handle grip is easy on their hands. For those that tend to hold their hook further away from the working area, our Dreamz and Basix crochet hooks are an excellent choice; the highly-polished surface provides easy stitch flow as you work.

Ready to craft like a pro? One of our Dreamz crochet hooks was recently used in a photo tutorial on the Fresh Stitches blog - click here to see how easy it is to knit or crochet from both ends of a skein! 

Winners!

Thanks to everyone who watched our latest YouTube video and entered our giveaway! Those of you who guessed Ursula and Uma the Understanding Monsters by Rebecca Danger (or any permutation of that pattern name) were entered into our drawing to win a Knitter's Pride Shawl Pin. The Random Number Generator chose Karin, aka kvitsvart on Ravelry as our winner - we have PM'd you to arrange for the delivery of your prize. Congratulations!

We also have another prize winner to share with you - last month's winning entry in the Share Your Pride Video Contest! Congratulations to Esther, whose winning entry will receive her choice of a deluxe needle or crochet set from Knitter's Pride and a free shawl pin!

Watch her video below to see her "most interesting filming location" (last month's theme). We hope this inspires you to work on your submission for this month - our theme is "best animal guest appearance." You can view the full contest rules and upcoming themes here!