Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Top Five Knitting Magazines


    In this technology-driven and digital age, it's often easy to overlook the printed word as outdated and cumbersome. Now, I'll admitted I'm attached to my iPod, smartphone, and Kindle app as much as the next girl, but I still love the feel of paper beneath my fingertips and the sound a page makes as its turned. While the internet is a vast resource and a wealth of information, I  find an immeasurable amount of joy in knitting books and magazines. I'll be discussing my favorite knitting books in future posts ('cause there are way too many to list in just one post), but for now, I'd like to showcase my favorite knitting magazines.


  1. The Knitter's Magazine

  2. To tell you the truth, I haven’t ever subscribed to this particular magazine. Instead I buy the odd random copy when I see a particular pattern that appeals to me. That being said, this magazine is great for the more adventurous and eclectic advance-beginning/intermediate knitters out there. However, the majority of the patterns are just a too tad abstract for my tastes. I also find the magazine's website a little annoying and not very conducive to the tech-savvy knitter. Still, if you like your knitting patterns non-traditional and don't give two hoots about a magazine's website, I encourage you to try this one out.

  3. Knit Simple

  4. This was the first knitting magazine I ever subscribed to, and as such it will always hold a special place in my heart. This is a great publication for beginning knitters, filled with several (usually around 20) easy and simple patterns. However, if you're a more advanced knitter, or are looking for articles and discussions on knitting trends or techniques, this probably won't be the magazine for you. Nevertheless, this is a great place to start!

  5. Creative Knitting

  6. You know all that stuff I said at the beginning of this post about finding joy in the printed knitting magazine? Well, ignore it completely for Creative Knitting. While the magazine itself is filled with good resources, articles and patterns, its website is where the real magic happens. The website for this magazine contains all the back issues, accessible for a small yearly fee without subscribing to the magazine, through which you can either search for just the right pattern, or read each issue individually. Best of all, you can choose to either subscribe to the printed magazine or the digital edition (which you can read on your iPad or other tablet), and get full access to the online archives.

  7. Vogue Knitting

  8. This magazine has some of the best patterns in any knitting magazine that I've seen - and some of the worst. Granted, the worst and odd ones are far outweighed by the really good ones - as long as you ignore the weird hair and knida creepy direct stares of the models. But, as good as the patterns are (which is again, really good), the articles are even better. Particularly the "What's New in Knitting Section," which features the latest gadgets, techniques and trends out there in the knit-verse. And, if you still are hesitant on the whole "paper" and "print" thing, Vogue has a great app for the iPad on which you can read the newest issue. The only drawback to this magazine is the overwhelming number of ads - but this can be overlooked in favor of the fantastic patterns and articles.

  9. Interweave Knits

  10. With a television show, publishing house, blog, daily newsletter and a magazine under their belts, Interweave Knits just might be the powerhouse of the knitting industry. And for a good reason - these guys publish fantastic stuff! Not only to they publish great books, but their magazines are truly fantastic for knitters at every level. The patterns range nicely from the traditional to the modern while still being contemporary and interesting. The articles are also fantastic, discussing everything from new ways to cast-off to making a better buttonhole. Plus, they put out several extra publications for different seasons which are also fantastic. If you only subscribe to one knitting magazine, make sure this is the one!

    What's your favorite knitting magazine?

    Casting off,

    Megan



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