The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting – Deep Dives

**Updated 16th June to include the final deep dive. Scroll down for details***

I know we’re all excited about the Upcoming The Sims 4 Eco Living pack – did you see the live stream last night? Looks sooooo good! – but it’s important to remember that The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting pack, the second community voted pack is also in production, and we’ve been getting a steady stream of info from the Gurus. So, let’s take a moment to recap on what we know so far!

In November, the first vote went live, giving us the chance to vote on the theme of the new community game pack. Arts and Crafts won against Happy Haunts, Self Care Routines, Fun Tech, and Science and Technology. Next we chose the art style, with DIY Delight winning over Granny Chic and Cozy Craft Workshop. Once the theme and style were decided, the next 2 votes covered the CAS and Build/Buy assets that would be offered, and then finally we picked the name, Nifty Knitting, which was announced at the beginning of May

We still don’t have a release date as yet, but over the last few weeks, SimGuruConor has been sharing a series of Deep Dive articles on the forum focussing on specific areas of game play. These do come with the caveat that everything is still in development, and may change, but they give us an exciting look not only into the pack but also the process of creating a Stuff Pack.

We knew the pack was focussed on knitting and we now know that Sims can add knitted items to the wardrobe, to share with the family. After all, who didn’t have a jumper at the back of the closet knitted by great auntie Mabel?! But, we’ve seen similar before – The Sims 2 Free Time included a sewing activity that allowed you to craft clothing. What makes this different? Well, in Nifty Knitting, you can actually see the potential clothes in Create A Sim, to allow you to preview them, and see what you want to learn to make. Or ask great auntie Mabel for! As well as previewing the clothes, SimGuruConor also chatted with Justin Allen, the UX designer. You can see what they said here.

The next thing to look at was music. This is what I’m personally most excited about for this pack – the Metal station is back! What can I say, I’m a rock chick at heart! Listening to Metal music will give you an energised buff and has a couple of unique interactions! There is also a Focus station, which does as it says. It calms your Sims and gives a focussed buff which is great for times you need to concentrate – like on that Freezer Bunny knitting pattern. Conor also chatted to Drew Boles, the Audio Designer, and looked at how to translate songs into Simlish. No word on who, if anyone, will be featured in the pack in Simlish – any suggestions for songs you’d like to see?

Next up is the rocking chair, and a look at how an object goes from concept design to finished asset. This I found fascinating, as it shows images of how it progresses and also covers some of the unique actions for the chair. This time, the chat was with Haeju Chung, the Lead Animator for the pack, and looked at animating for different age groups. EA also included more info on how an object goes from design to reality in a blog post here.

The latest Deep Dive looks at Plopsy, the new online market place. This will allow Sims to sell items they’ve created – not just knitted items, but the plan is to incorporate crafted items from other packs into this as well. You can still drag and drop to sell, but Plopsy will give a higher price – in return for a little time and effort! Knitting, painting, woodworking – maybe even candles! – will be sellable via Plopsy, whether it’s your Sim’s career, or a side job for a few extra simoleans. And, best of all, if your Sims doesn’t have a creative bone in their body, they can buy from Plopsy too, so who knows what they might find! This feature seems like one that will tie in nicely with pretty much any other pack! This chat is with Rick Rodgers, one of the Gameplay Engineers, who talks a little about what’s under the hood of the game.

There’s one more Deep Dive to come, but so far, I’m really excited for this pack! My favourite packs have always been the ones that not only add a lot on their own, but also work with the other packs for a blended experience. You can sell candles from Eco Living on Plopsy or sell knitwear via the market stalls from City Living. Start building Tiny Residential lots, which boost buffs and skill building, then play the Focus station to boost even more!

Watch this space for more info as we get it!

Update 16th June – we have the final Deep Dive which looks at the core function of the pack – Knitting itself! The yarn basket will live in your Sim’s inventory, allowing them to pick up their project as and when they want. As someone who’s been known to carry crochet in her bag to work, that’s one of the most realistic ideas I’ve seen yet!

There’s loads of things you can do with your projects, including selling, donating, gifting or wearing. And you’ll be able to knit a variety of items from socks and hats, to sweaters and Onesies – both for babies and toddlers. One of the cutest things, for me, is the ability to unlock the “teach knitting” social – I have fond memories of my granny teaching me to knit as a child. Or at least, trying to!