I've been so busy with an afghan project that I haven't done much of anything else except play around with this silly computer! LOL Facebook and Pinterest steal my hours but do give me much inspiration for my own projects.
I've been anxiously awaiting my first project kit from Annie's Hook and Needle Club and it came in yesterday. I wanted to tell you a little bit about it in case anyone is interested in joining. I'll have more to share later after I actually make the projects, but for now generalities.
First, the free gift is, as they describe, a little booklet (8 pages) with basic information on crochet and knitting. The print is a little small but I could make it out and don't really need the crochet information anyway. As free gifts go, I guess it depends on what you like. I'd have preferred this to be a standard in your first kit and a more substantial free gift - like a crochet hook, measuring tape, needle sizer or ruler or pack of needles. That would cost more, of course, and if you're buying kits of this nature you probably already have the essential tools. They did provide what they said they would so I can't fault them for that.
The pattern book was also 8 pages but much of it was pictures of the finished product. There were 4 different pictures of each (8 total) but pretty much showed the same information as they were completed scarves being worn by a model. There were no close-ups of stitches or how tos which I would have preferred to the inside photos. To be fair, you do need to show at least 2 pictures of each, one in crochet and one in knit - which they do. Given the nature of the club, you need that. You can clearly see that, without close examination, both scarves DO look very similar so I think they are providing what you are looking for if you've joined.
This first kit is a set of scarves so you are actually getting four patterns, two in kit and two in crochet. One is a white ruffled scarf worked on both sides of the foundation chain (crochet). The red is an infinity scarf. Truthfully that has been on my to-do list so perhaps I will actually make one now! And that is part of the reason I joined this club. (Note that if you hate long foundation chains, you will not enjoy these as one starts with 161 ch, and the other 227 (crochet). You could use foundation single crochet for the white but for the red scarf, the pattern is work starting in the first row so there is no foundation row of stitches.
In the kit itself was 2 skeins of yarn. One was 5 ounces, category #5, acrylic/nylon, red boucle yarn and the other was 6 ounces, category #2, acrylic, white yarn.
No hooks are provided and they don't say that they are so you should have a set of different sized hooks on hand. This particular kit uses a J crochet hook and a #10 knitting needle.
One thing I found disappointing is that the yarn labels say Hook & Needle Club and do not give a brand so if you like the yarn, you can't go out and get more of it without more investigating.
However, one thing I love about this club is the flexibility. Do you want a kit every month? You can choose any number up to 6 months. You can set that up at your account. If you're going on vacation and want to skip a month, you can do that. I imagine you have to plan in advance, but it's easy enough to make the changes. I have mine set for 1 month presently as I'm anxious to see a few kits to determine if it is worth the cost. (The "more options" appears to be for leaving the club.)
And what about the cost? You get a discount on your first kit. Mine was $7.99 + shipping and handling which came to just under $13. Future shipments will be $16.99 + s/h which I estimate will be about $25. Will it be worth it? We'll see. If I knitted also, I think it definitely would. I'll see how much yarn I have leftover after making the scarves. It looks to me like you would have to choose one or the other, but I'll have to see how it works out. Looking at the gallery, I think kits must contain different yarn amounts as some of the projects look like they might take more than two skeins, but again, I'll see over time.
I did notice one comment from a customer who is on a fixed income and she was very happy. I can't find the comment again, of course, but as I recall she thought it was great for someone in her financial situation.
All your Annie accounts can be accessed in one place at http://anniescustomercare.com/. That is a very nice perk. Also, it shows you all the neat things you COULD order if you wanted to though it is set up as customer care, not a selling page. Did you know all these things were associated with Annie's? I didn't though I did know they had a good bit going on over there.
You can manage everything online. You can check for errata, find out about shipments, payments and pretty much anything you need to know regarding your account. Well done!
I have to finish my current project, which is a filet name afghan, but will soon be working on at least one of these scarves.
Happy crocheting!
Sandie
I've been anxiously awaiting my first project kit from Annie's Hook and Needle Club and it came in yesterday. I wanted to tell you a little bit about it in case anyone is interested in joining. I'll have more to share later after I actually make the projects, but for now generalities.
First, the free gift is, as they describe, a little booklet (8 pages) with basic information on crochet and knitting. The print is a little small but I could make it out and don't really need the crochet information anyway. As free gifts go, I guess it depends on what you like. I'd have preferred this to be a standard in your first kit and a more substantial free gift - like a crochet hook, measuring tape, needle sizer or ruler or pack of needles. That would cost more, of course, and if you're buying kits of this nature you probably already have the essential tools. They did provide what they said they would so I can't fault them for that.
The pattern book was also 8 pages but much of it was pictures of the finished product. There were 4 different pictures of each (8 total) but pretty much showed the same information as they were completed scarves being worn by a model. There were no close-ups of stitches or how tos which I would have preferred to the inside photos. To be fair, you do need to show at least 2 pictures of each, one in crochet and one in knit - which they do. Given the nature of the club, you need that. You can clearly see that, without close examination, both scarves DO look very similar so I think they are providing what you are looking for if you've joined.
This first kit is a set of scarves so you are actually getting four patterns, two in kit and two in crochet. One is a white ruffled scarf worked on both sides of the foundation chain (crochet). The red is an infinity scarf. Truthfully that has been on my to-do list so perhaps I will actually make one now! And that is part of the reason I joined this club. (Note that if you hate long foundation chains, you will not enjoy these as one starts with 161 ch, and the other 227 (crochet). You could use foundation single crochet for the white but for the red scarf, the pattern is work starting in the first row so there is no foundation row of stitches.
In the kit itself was 2 skeins of yarn. One was 5 ounces, category #5, acrylic/nylon, red boucle yarn and the other was 6 ounces, category #2, acrylic, white yarn.
No hooks are provided and they don't say that they are so you should have a set of different sized hooks on hand. This particular kit uses a J crochet hook and a #10 knitting needle.
One thing I found disappointing is that the yarn labels say Hook & Needle Club and do not give a brand so if you like the yarn, you can't go out and get more of it without more investigating.
However, one thing I love about this club is the flexibility. Do you want a kit every month? You can choose any number up to 6 months. You can set that up at your account. If you're going on vacation and want to skip a month, you can do that. I imagine you have to plan in advance, but it's easy enough to make the changes. I have mine set for 1 month presently as I'm anxious to see a few kits to determine if it is worth the cost. (The "more options" appears to be for leaving the club.)
And what about the cost? You get a discount on your first kit. Mine was $7.99 + shipping and handling which came to just under $13. Future shipments will be $16.99 + s/h which I estimate will be about $25. Will it be worth it? We'll see. If I knitted also, I think it definitely would. I'll see how much yarn I have leftover after making the scarves. It looks to me like you would have to choose one or the other, but I'll have to see how it works out. Looking at the gallery, I think kits must contain different yarn amounts as some of the projects look like they might take more than two skeins, but again, I'll see over time.
I did notice one comment from a customer who is on a fixed income and she was very happy. I can't find the comment again, of course, but as I recall she thought it was great for someone in her financial situation.
All your Annie accounts can be accessed in one place at http://anniescustomercare.com/. That is a very nice perk. Also, it shows you all the neat things you COULD order if you wanted to though it is set up as customer care, not a selling page. Did you know all these things were associated with Annie's? I didn't though I did know they had a good bit going on over there.
You can manage everything online. You can check for errata, find out about shipments, payments and pretty much anything you need to know regarding your account. Well done!
I have to finish my current project, which is a filet name afghan, but will soon be working on at least one of these scarves.
Happy crocheting!
Sandie
I've been quite interested in a couple of the Annie Kit of the Month club things for quite some time. However, in our current financial situation I just can't seem to let go of the funds. The Simply Beads KOM and the Hook and Needle KOM are my top two since I knit, crochet, and make jewelry. However, the Creative Woman KOM really appeals to me to since I'm always up for trying something new. My son is still a bit young for the Young Woodworkers KOM, but I think he'll really like something like that in a few years.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reviewing this KOM product and I look forward to your input as you finish this one and try more. Your sites have been essential in my crochet journey and I love reading your blog.
I'm so glad you found the review helpful. My fingers are itching and I fear I will jump into this kit before I finish my current project. LOL I think I did try the Creative Woman kit but I discovered even when pushed I only crochet! LOL I gave my daughter the birdhouse and she did a great job on it but that didn't help me!
DeleteI realize that this post is years old. But I just found it tonight, and am curious if you remember your opinion of this first month's kit. Have you stayed in the club? If not, how long did you and why did you leave. And, last question, what was your overall opinion of the club? Sorry if you feel interrogated. Lol! 😃
ReplyDeleteI stayed in the club for a few months. There were a couple of the patterns that I still want to make again. I left primarily for financial reasons. There were other places I needed to put those funds. The club is well organized. The web site easy to use as I recall. You can spread your mailings out, suspend or quit. I don't knit, but my daughter does and if there was a pattern I wasn't interested in, I passed it on to her. You can see some of the upcoming mailings on the site. http://www.hookandneedleclub.com/survey.html
DeleteHope that is some help!
Also, I'm remembering that I ended up using some of the yarn for other projects. You have to make the project as designed as to colors and such. If you change the color pattern you may not have enough yarn to complete it. If you like to make a variety of projects and can find a way to use them, you might enjoy the club.
Delete