Want to be a rock star knitter?

Learn new techniques, tips, and tricks while making the super fun Reality Check Cowl in your favorite colors!

Learn how to beautifully carry your yarns up on the inside of your cowl!
Add beads to your knits quickly and painlessly!
Learn my super awesome technique to have a clean end of round bind off! (No more weird nubbin when you bind off in the round!)

Learn new techniques while you knit your own Reality Check Cowl!


Named after a great song by the band Man Overboard, this cowl stitches up quickly and the fun beads add a little flare to your finished piece!

Have fun choosing complimentary colors and sparkly beads to create this fast knit.

There are all kinds of new skills that you will learn and add to your knitting bag of tricks!

Do you knit continental (yarn held in your left) or English (yarn held in your right)? Doesn't matter because demonstrations are shown using both ways of holding the yarn!

You will be able to download the ad-free printable pdf pattern and you can watch every video at your own pace and repeat videos as many times as you need.

What You Will Learn

  • Creating a swatch
  • Measuring your swatch
  • Joining to work in the round
  • How to eliminate the gap when joining to work in the round
  • Reading your work (what round are you on?)
  • Detailed walk through of the pattern
  • Adding beads to your knits
  • How to carry your yarn up on the inside of your work
  • Flawless bind off that doesn't show any weird nubbins where you began/ended the bind off
  • Weaving in your tails
  • Blocking secrets

What You Need To Already Know

  • Knit stitch
  • Purl stitch
  • Working from Ks to Ps and Ps to Ks
  • Long tail cast on (Don't worry if you don't know this, I have a link to a great video to teach you this technique as well!)


Enroll in the Reality Check Cowl Class Now!

Become a knitting rock star!

Do you...


...want to make one-of-a-kind gifts for loved ones?

...want to have a healthy way to relieve stress?

...want to have a hobby that can go anywhere you go?

...want to use all your waiting around time productively?

...just want to be able to say "I made that!" to all your friends?

If your answer is yes to any (or all!) of the questions above, then you are in the right place!

Knitting is more than just a hobby, it is a way of life for those of us that are proud to call ourselves knitters.

Learn how to knit or upgrade your knitting skills so that you can create amazing memories with just two sticks, a ball of yarn, and your hands!

Hey there! I'm Krista and I'll be your instructor!


I have been clicking away non-stop since I first learned to knit in my early twenties.

Holding the title for LA's Fastest Knitter, I have built a solid reputation as the knitter to go to when a piece is needed "yesterday."

I launched the KnitsyKnits brand in October 2014 and haven't looked back since. When we made the big decision to become nomads in 2019, I wanted to go beyond knitting and also talk about my other passion - travel. So, I rebranded to Explore with Knitsy in December 2020.

Knitting for costume and fashion designers has allowed me to create some pretty fun knit and crochet pieces for film, TV, and commercials. Some of my projects include The Mindy ProjectTAG the movie, Annabelle: Coming Home, and many other projects (some are still hush hush!).

With a teaching credential and a strong love for knitting, it was only natural that I transition into teaching the craft that I am truly passionate about. I have been teaching for over ten years and love sharing my love (and secrets!) with other fiber enthusiasts.

My husband, our cat Phinny, and I now live and travel in an RV full time with lots of international excursions. I love visiting yarn shops, fiber farms, and meeting fellow knitters along our travels.

When you Learn with Knitsy, your knitting skills will truly ROCK!