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Thursday January 31, 2008
Simply Knitting issue 38 on sale today!
The March issue of Simply
Knitting hits the shops today packed with 21 fabulous spring knits as well
as loads of tips and techniques. St Patrick's Day is right around the corner, and although Alan Dart's leprechaun pattern doesn't come with a free pot of gold, we think he'll definitely bring you good luck!  We've got knits for the whole family in this issue, from practical, easy-to-wear women's cardigans to bright baby clothes and a cute pixie hat. There's a knitted breakfast set for doll's tea parties, and wrist warmers which will make a great gift for even the most awkward birthday - with or without the heart buttons! It's right on our doorstep, but if it's a bit far for you to visit the Blue and White exhibition in Bath's Victoria Art Gallery, take a peak with us instead. With pieces from artists including Kaffe Fassett and Candace Bahouth using a broad range of media from embroidery to knitting and mosaics to paint, it's definitely worth a look. Other
great things to look out for
include: - Get started knitting toe-up socks - it's easy, we promise!
- Find out how simple knitted bears are helping change the lives of poor African children.
- Free! Bag clasp and three ways to use it.
And don't miss any of
your usual favourites. Get knitting with Kirstie McLeod's yarn reviews to find out which baby yarns we love this spring or turn to our news pages to for new organic and eco yarns from Rowan and Sirdar along with other suggestions for 'greener' knitting!
Wednesday January 30, 2008
Mochimochi fun
Anna, who blogs at mochimochiland.com, is not only daughter-in-law to the owner of possibly the world's largest yarn stash, but is also a fab designer and has filled her blog with fun knitted characters. We love the knitted bath tub and the hay eating sheep. Most of Anna's patterns are available to buy through her website - and some are even free, such as this great pattern for knitted toilet paper.
Tuesday January 29, 2008
Are you on Facebook?
Then come and join us in the Simply Knitting group, or join the Stitch & Craft 2008 group to chat to other visitors and members of the Simply Knitting team! If you're going to Stitch & Craft 2008, don't forget to come and say hi. We'll all be there on Friday, curled up on the Simply Knitting sofa with, of course, some knitting!
RKM Plassard yarn and patterns kits giveaway (issue 38)
This competition is now closed. Visit RKM Wools to find out more about Plassard yarn and patterns.
Monday January 28, 2008
Yesterday's news, today's yarn
In issue 34, we reviewed a number of yarns you can create from the contents of your recycling bin, from cutting up old t-shirts to knitting with those plastic mesh bags oranges come in. We had a great time thinking up different things to knit with, but one idea we didn't try was cutting the newspaper up and knitting with that. Fortunately, there are knitters out there who are rather more daring, and Greetje van Tiem has turned yesterday's news into today's yarn. It's impressive spinning work and looks like it's made a really fun yarn. If you'd like to try knitting with paper but don't have the patience or the skills to spin your own, why not try Habu's Japanese paper yarns available at K1 Yarns.
Thursday January 24, 2008
Regia baby knit kits giveaway (issue 38)
This competition is now closed but you can find out more about Regia's kits and yarns or contact Coats Crafts to find your nearest stockist.
Wendy bolero kit giveaway (issue 38)
This competition is now closed but you can find out more about the range of Wendy yarns and patterns or find your nearest stockist by contacting Thomas B Ramsden.
Biggan Design tea cosy kits giveaway (issue 38)
This competition is now closed but you can find out more about the amazing range of colours in the Biggan Design yarn collection and the patterns which support it.
Louisa Harding book giveaway (issue 38)
This competition is now closed but you can find out more about Louisa Harding's range of luxury yarns and patterns at Designer Yarns.
Wednesday January 23, 2008
We're doing it: Knit to Quit
With the smoking ban and all the rain we've been having lately, even our most determined smokers are starting to think about quitting. We've asked Harriet Handley, who works with us here at Simply Knitting HQ, to test drive our Knit to Quit pattern. "I would love to give up smoking and I can’t get through on
willpower alone," says Harriet. "I am open-minded and will see if knitting does it for
me."  Click to down load a PDF of our fab Knit to Quit
pattern.This pattern is a PDF document. It won’t open unless you
have Adobe
Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. You can download this
program from the Adobe
website for free.
If
you have Acrobat Reader and it’s still not working, try right-clicking
the link and clicking “save as”. Save the document onto your computer –
make sure you can find it again! – and try opening it from
there.
Tuesday January 22, 2008
Help your heart stay healthy: Knit to Quit!
Valentine's Day is coming up, so now more than ever you'll want to make sure your heart is in great shape. Smoking might not be the first thing you'd think of, but stopping smoking is the single most important thing a smoker can do to avoid a heart attack, says the British Heart Foundation. "Knit to Quit: an ideal distraction to calm frayed nerves," says designer Clare Scope-Farrell and we can't help but agree. Quitting isn't easy, but it definitely helps if you have something to do with your hands – so knitting is perfect! And when you cast off these trendy, safe ciggies you can pop them in your handbag so you've got something to fiddle with. You could keep a box of mints or gum in the packet, or knit some fags – just don't try to light them!  Click to down load a PDF of our fab Knit to Quit pattern.This pattern is a PDF document. It won’t open unless you have Adobe
Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. You can download this
program from the Adobe website for free. If
you have Acrobat Reader and it’s still not working, try right-clicking
the link and clicking “save as”. Save the document onto your computer –
make sure you can find it again! – and try opening it from there.
Monday January 21, 2008
Knitting through the mail
Another great idea from across the pond - knitting designs on your stamps! We bet knitters in the US were even happier than usual to receive Christmas and birthday cards this year - we've even had a couple sent in to the Simply Knitting office. They're very cute - take note, Royal Mail!
Friday January 18, 2008
Welcome to Simply Knitting!
We've got two new team members here at Simply Knitting, so we thought it was a good time to have a team photo. (Not of us at our desks though - even after all our good resolutions we're not quite that brave!)  From left to right, Elizabeth, our two lovely new starters, Mim (Production Editor) and Liz (Art Editor), Debora and Ali and behind the camera, Kirstie. Welcome to Simply Knitting, Mim and Liz!
Thursday January 17, 2008
Liz - Simply Knitting's Art Editor
Liz is Simply Knitting's art editor and makes sure the magazine looks beautiful every issue. Photo shoots are a speciality and she loves finding just the right piece of jewellery to make the most of the models and the clothes. Having moved to join us from the big smoke she is still getting used to both finding her way around the west country, fathoming the accent and being able to walk to work rather than sit on a stuffy tube for hours at a time.
Liz loves crochet and wearing fabulous jumpers to the office which make the rest of the team sit trying to work out the patterns when they should be working!
Mim - Simply Knitting's Production Editor
Mim is Simply Knitting's
Production Editor. She did woodwork and metalwork at High School, and
only really became interested in textiles when her mother was given a
tablecloth, hand-embroidered and edged with lace, made by an elderly
relative. It seemed a shame to her that a lot of women’s arts weren’t
being carried on. As a result, she taught herself to embroider and
crochet with the help of books and magazines. Being a lefty, she had
trouble learning to knit, though, and it was only two years ago, with
the help of Simply Knitting, that she finally managed the elusive purl
stitch! Since then she hasn’t looked back.
Mim’s a big fan of yarns with interesting textures and colours, with
Colinette and Louisa Harding being her favourite ranges, although
Wendy Moiselle and Sirdar Snuggly Bubbly have found their way into her
stash. (She uses the Sirdar to make hats with bear ears on for
friends’ babies!) She’s also getting into cables.
She likes big projects that she can really get her teeth into, and
leave lying around the house to annoy her husband. Currently on the
needles is a cabled jumper in Louisa Harding Fauve, after which she’s
planning to make the pixie jacket from the second Sublime baby book as
a gift for a friend. She’s got some vintage patterns that she’d like to
try, and is still working up her courage to give one a go.
All her knits come with bonus fluff, courtesy of Boycie the one-eyed
cat!
Monday January 14, 2008
What kind of fibre are you?
You probably know which you prefer to knit with, but which fibre do you most resemble? A fun quiz from Potter Craft News will help you figure out whether you're soft angora, consistent camel or a wacky odd ball!
Monday January 07, 2008
Web of Wool sock yarn giveaway (issue 37)
This competition is now closed. If you're looking for a great sock yarn, why not visit Web of Wool to see their full range?
Search Press sock book giveaway (issue 37)
This competition is now closed. Please visit Search Press to see their full range of knitting and craft books.
Shilasdair knitting kit giveaway (issue 37)
This competition has now closed. Please contact Shilasdair for more information about their range of organic cotton and Skye yarns.
Cico knitting journal giveaway (issue 37)
This competition is now closed. Please contact Cico Books for information about their range of knitting and craft titles.
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