The April issue of Simply Knitting hits the shops today packed with 22 fabulous patterns as well as loads of tips and good advice.

Simply Knitting is three this issue, and to celebrate we've got patterns for you to knit a great birthday tea, including sandwiches, vol au vents, biscuits and, of course, a slice of cake.
 

Click for a larger image.

Our 40th issue is packed with other patterns for you to knit, from the delicate lace tunic on the cover to a warm wrap cardigan. Knitters and daughters alike will love Marie Wallin's clever use of knit and crochet to produce a sweet little girl's top and Alan Dart has created an heirloom circus bear, just for us. For the sock addicts out there, our own Kirstie McLeod has designed a pretty ruffled sock pattern just for you.

Other great things to look out for include:   

• Discover the magic of illusion knitting.
  
• Jane Ellison explains how Mirasol yarn is improving the lives of Peruvian children.
  
• Free! Our yarn tidy bag is literally stuck on a slow boat from China, but these useful yarn bobbins will come in handy when you knit the patterns in this issue.
  

And don't miss any of your usual favourites. Kirstie McLeod rounds up and reviews the best pure merino yarns, our guest expert Alan Dart gives us more tips on how to finish your toys professionally and we've got three unusual rib patterns for you to try in this month's stitch library.

Click to enlarge photo.

This little fellow is the world's only Äggtomte, an egg gnome. He's a tiny version of Alan's Yultide Gnomes, specially designed and knit by Alan to help raise funds for a unique school in Vermont. As well as the Äggtomte, there's another egg for us to shout about in the line up - cartoonist Malcolm Bird, creator of our In Stitches comic strip, has created an egg called Three Unwise Witches.

Our friend Jean is the founder of Open Fields, a tiny primary school in rural Vermont, Alan explained. They never have more than 25 pupils each year and all ages are taught together, although they aren't really taught in the formal sense of the word, more helped to explore their interests.

Every two years the school sends out blown goose eggs to artist friends for them to decorate, and these are then auctioned to raise 
funds. You can see the previous eggs on the Open Fields site and this year's auction will take place on 17 May 2008. Don't worry - you'll be able to bid online if you can't make it to the auction site in Hanover, New Hampshire, USA in person.

I knit Äggtomte in the hope that someone (hopefully a rich someone!) might bid for him, Alan said. There MUST be a knitter who'd like to have a teeny gnome, knitted by my own fair hands, sitting on a signed and dated egg...wouldn't you think?

And as so often happens, Alan's completely right: we can think of at least half a dozen people who's love to adopt the Äggtomte - and that's not counting the Simply Knitting team! (We think he'd make a lovely mascot! Do we have a mascot budget? [Not with the high cost of keeping you lot in yarn and cups of tea! - Ed.] Please? [No! - Ed.]) If you'd like to provide him with a good home, don't forget to visit the Open Fields website and make sure you're ready to place your bid on 17 May 2008!

If you're one of our loyal subscribers, issue 40 will be landing on your doormat any day now - in fact, we can see from our inbox that some of you have already received it and there's something that's puzzling you:

Where's my yarn tidy bag?

As we mentioned on page 105 of issue 39, we had planned to have a handy yarn tidy bag as our free gift on issue 40. Unfortunately, due to circumstances which even our editor can't control, spring storms forced the ship carrying the yarn tidy bags to slow its progress. While we're glad that the captain made the sensible decision not to fight through the wild winds, we were in a bit of a tizz trying to figure out what you might like instead. We settled on a set of six useful yarn bobbins. If you're already a fan of toy knitting and intarsia, we're sure they'll come in handy and if you haven't tried knitting projects using several colours we hope they'll inspire you to give it a go. Either way, we think they'll be useful for the patterns in issue 40 and hope they find a home in one of your knitting projects.

We're pleased to be able to say that although the yarn tidy bags are literally stuck on a slow boat from China, they've survived their perilous journey and you'll definitely get your bag on a future issue.

This competition is now closed but you can still enter our latest competitions. Find a Clover stockist near you by contacting Viridian Trading online or by calling  0117 300 5211.

This competition is now closed but you can still enter our latest competitions. Find out more about craft shows coming to venues near you on the ICHF website.

This competition is now closed but you can still enter our latest competitions. Find a stockist near you or visit the Artesano website for more information about the gorgeous Manos del Uruguay yarns.

This competition is now closed but you can still enter our latest competitions. Visit the Kangaroo website to find out more about the great range of yarns, needles and accessories they offer.

This competition is now closed but you can still enter our latest competitions.

This competition is now closed but you can still enter our latest competitions.

This competition is now closed but you can still enter our latest competitions. Visit the Daylight website to find out more about their great range of craft lamps.

This competition is now closed but you can still enter our latest competitions. You can order Lily and Pickle: A Night-time Adventure by Emma Thompson, a story book with a knitting pattern, from Amazon,

This week we're interviewing Alison, one of the members of our lunchtime Craft & Chat about her Simply Knitalong socks. Alison is the creative assistant for our sister magazine, Papercraft Inspirations, and regularly updates their blog with her interesting finds and fun papercrafting freebies.

Vital sockstistics

Which yarn are you using? Colinette Jitterbug, in Jay

And which needles? They're 2.5mm although I think it says use 3mm on the ball band. Pah! I like my socks thick! I'm on plain cheapy metal needles at the moment although I'd like to be able to afford some Brittany Birch wooden ones as they're lovely to knit with.

OK, confess: are you knitting to the right tension and following the pattern to the letter? Tension?! That's what I get when I can't find my 4th DPN! I tend to cast on as many stitches as fit round my ankle and hope for the best. I've adjusted this pattern to work on 4 and not 5 needles, but apart from that I am following the pattern!!

All about you

Have you been knitting long? I first started knitting when I was 6 but didn't return to it until my 20s. No, not the same bit of knitting! I spent a long time knitting awful cardigans in squeaky acrylics before I found that there were Other Yarns. And Overdrafts.

Are these your first socks? About my 6th pair ever. I usually knit them plain though so following a lacy pattern is a challenge. I keep missing vital bits of Coronation Street when I look down at the pattern. I'm hoping one day scientists will patent a device that will enable me to literally keep one eye on the telly and one on my knitting.

What's your stash like? Taking over the house. I have far too much space-dyed sock yarn. As I buy it all on t'internet it's not always what I expected when I ordered it. So there's a lot waiting to be used up when I decide I actually like white, lime and orange together in a sock. (on my monitor I swear it was purple, blue and pink!!)

What's your favourite yarn? For socks - Colinette Jitterbug! It's a lovely thick sock yarn which has a lot of bounce so it's nice to knit with. For other things, I love Noro. I'm a bit partial to space-dyed yarns. Would love to learn to dye my own yarn one day but there comes a time when you have to admit that the house is actually 3ft deep in dust-balls and discarded dog chews, and that actually getting round to doing the housework might be a Good Thing. Later for the hand-dyed yarn!

Tell us about a gadget you can't live without: A Clover Chibi sewing needle case I got from Get Knitted so I can find my darning needles when I need to weave those ends in. Before that I just had to find them down the back of the sofa cushions. Although in doing that, I also found a £5 note, my Gran and that free DVD that came with the Observer.



And the question we really want to know the answer to: who's your gorgeous model? He looks very professional! He's my very patient dog, Dylan. He puts up with an awful lot of this kind of thing. I can definitely see him romping about in a woodland with that expression, modelling a waistcoat, tweed skirt and cabled hat! He does get cold in the winter so I shall have to knit him a jumper one day. If only I could get round to finishing these socks!

Would you like to be our next sockalong interviewee? It's easy! Just email us a photo of your sock (or you and your sock!) and your answers to these questions.

In knitting terms, of course! What we're really asking is: how many projects do you have on the needles at once?

I'm definitely not! I tend to have as many projects as I have pairs of needles but thanks to a spate of finishing up this weekend, so I've only (hah!) got a pair of socks, a blanket, a mitten and a shawl on the go at the moment. Of course, I'm itching to cast on Kirstie's pretty ruffled socks (you'll have to wait until issue 40 hits the shops on the 27th, though, I'm afraid) and I've been asked to knit a hat for a friend, so I might cast on a couple more things this weekend.

Mim, on the other hand, is a monogamous knitter who is testing her limits by having two projects on the go at once - Louisa Harding's gorgeous Evelyn jumper and our Simply Knitalong socks. With two such different styles in the office, it was definitely time for a cup of tea and a debate.

Really, says Mim, it's a time and tidiness thing. This way I don't have balls of yarn and bits of knitting all over the house.

I think she's got a point there. Our sofa currently has more WIPs than Mim does - not ideal when my boyfriend wants to watch football or The Wire!

When you're a slow knitter, the last thing you need is to have several projects on the go, says Mim. If I did, I'd finish something about once every five years! That said, I do buy the yarn to start knitting new projects and queue them up ready to start knitting and I will start knitting something new as soon as I've cast off the last project - finishing up doesn't count! I've got a few things waiting to be sewn together.

On the other hand, although I don't count projects as properly off the needles until the last pesky end has been woven in, I don't like the finishing up stage either - something we can definitely agree on!

I like to have different projects for different moods: there's a blanket-in-progress on the sofa because I can knit most lines of the pattern without looking at my hands - great for when I'm watching Torchwood - and the sock lives in my handbag, for queues and bus knitting and the other projects get picked up when I'm in the mood for a mental workout. I wonder: do monogamous knitter get bored?

You do have to be quite single minded, Mim agrees, and it can be quite annoying if you want to knit on a train so I do sometimes have a small side project - like my socks - for that sort of situation.

Mim regularly wears her handknit jumpers and cardigans into the office, while I've just finished my first one - which I started last May. On the otherhand, I've got a growing collection of handknit scarves and hats to brighten up my winter coat. I like to knit cardigans and jumpers, says Mim, perhaps having five hats on the go wouldn't be so bad!

So what have we learned? First, that someone's been pinching our milk again, and tea just doesn't taste the same without it. And second, that while monogamy is great if you want to finish a big project, even monogamous knitters like to have something smaller to take on the train. And finally, that even our very tolerant editor, Debora wants us to do some work now and then.

Haven't you two got books to review and news to gather? she asked sternly although she did add I have to admit I tend to have lots of things half finished. I usually go back and finish them off eventually - sometimes if you make a daft mistake while you're watching something exciting on TV, for example, you've just got to throw something in a cupboard and let it stew for a while!

...and the Simply Knitting Wednesday Afternoon Prize for the Most Unusual Use of Cables goes to...


Seen any other contenders we might have missed? Leave us a link in the comments - we could all do with something to smile at on a drab Thursday morning!

We're right in the middle of Fairtrade Fortnight, so it seems like a great time to see if we could knit a whole project using materials which truly support the people who produce them.

First up, it's time to choose the yarn and the pattern. There's a gorgeous selection of Fairtrade yarns over at Deytheur. Take your pick from cotton or merino wool, or go for a more unusual fibre, like camel, yak or bamboo. Artesano also do a range of beautiful ethically traded yarns, and both sites offer free patterns to download, making it easy to pick a project.

Pick up a pair of stunning Lantern Moon wooden needles or a crochet hook - and perhaps a bag handle, if you need one - and you'll be ready to cast on. If you need buttons, Injabulo have an amazing range from classic to cute. They also do other embellishments and even stitch markers!

The last stop on our tour isn't strictly necessary, but we love carrying our knitting around so we love the practical knitting bag and needle case over at Scotia Fair Trade and the pretty ones at Injabulo. It's a great  way to store your fabulous knit in fairtrade style.

Find out more about Fairtrade Fortnight and the 3,000 fairtrade products - from apples to yarn - available in the UK at the Fairtrade Foundation.

Knitters have made rivers, gardens, picnics – now crocheters in the US are saving the seas with their craft. The Hyperbolic Coral Reef is a crocheted reef formed from pieces of crochet made by many different crafters, with the aim of making those who work on it and those who view it think a little more about climate change and marine ecosystems. The reef consists of many sections, including the bleached reef, which draws attention to the way climate change and rising sea temperatures are causing coral reefs to die (corals are living organisms), and the toxic reef, which incorporates plastics and rubbish.

One of the most striking thing about the crocheted corals is their beauty. There are some patterns that occur naturally in nature, such as hexagons (insect eyes, honeycombs) and waves. Hyperbolic geometry is quite complex, but corals naturally embody hyperbolic forms. Each person who adds a piece to the reef isn't just crocheting a coral, they're enjoying higher mathematics!

We're getting ready for Stitch & Craft 2008 (27th-30th March 2008), and it's very exciting. We went to a trade fair a couple of weeks back and it was brilliant to see all the new yarns and patterns (and to cast an eager eye over the latest goodies for other crafts) but it's not the same as a consumer show. It's all very well seeing things early, but there's nothing like seeing stuff you can buy right now and take away with you. I'm hankering after some more Lantern Moon needles, some sock yarn, some Noro... and perhaps a bout of insomnia so I can use it all!

Of course, the show isn't just about shopping. There are workshops where you can learn new skills or polish up your existing ones, and you'll find all the wonderful displays a great source of inspiration. You'll be able to meet knitters and other crafters and have a good chinwag. The Simply Knitting team will all be at the show on the 28th March celebrating the mag's third birthday, so if you want to chat, please do drop by our stand and talk to us. We'd love to know what you enjoy about the magazine, what you'd like to see more of – yes, and what you'd like to see less of, so we can deliver what you want each month.

We've got a draw to win pairs of tickets on our competition page, and because the show is close that giveaway has a deadline of the 14th of March – enter before then for your chance to win a pair.

For more information or to buy tickets (£8 in advance, £7 for concessions or £6 if you subscribe to Simply Knitting or one of our sister publications from Future), visit Twisted Thread's website or call Twisted Thread on 020 8692 2299.

Irresistible Gifts To Knit is now available to buy online. We'd have put it on the front page of My Favourite Magazines in a super-sized box if it were up to us, but it isn't, so there's a bit of rigmarole to go through. Here's how to get your copy:

Go to My Favourite Magazines

Click on 'Stitch and Craft' in the 'Browse Magazines' box on the left-hand side of the page.

Click on Simply Knitting and scroll down until you see the cover of Irresistible Gifts To Knit, then click on that.

Choose your copy according to your location (UK, Europe, Rest of World) and proceed to check out.

If you want to make sure a particular pattern is in there, please do ask us in the comments section of this blog entry or drop us an email.

Also, if your local WH Smiths is telling you they know nothing about it, they do have it, we've given them crates of copies and they're handling the distribution themselves, so they might not have shipped it out to your branch yet. It is coming. We promise!

Don't forget that Mothering Sunday is on its way! It's probably too late to start knitting a large project like a jumper or cardigan for your mum, but there's still time to create something special. Here are some ideas for relatively quick knits:

A knitted, beaded bracelet using Habu wire.

A skinny scarf or pretty belt in a luxurious yarn like Colinette Tao silk - when you use yarn that beautiful, your creation will be more like jewellery than clothing.

A headband covered in a fancy yarn. There are instructions for knitting a headband cover as part of the earmuffs pattern on page 50 of the current issue of Simply Knitting. We used Muench Yarns Touch Me, available in the UK through Loop.

A small felted purse. If you're not sure what size the knitting will shrink to, buy your zip to fit after doing your felting.

A cosy pair of slippers, following the pattern in the current issue of Simply Knitting. To make them extra special, choose a fancy (but still soft) yarn and sew on sparkling buttons, a ready-made embroidered motif or even beads and sequins!

If mum's a knitter, Irresistible Gifts To Knit, a collection of Alan Dart toy patterns, is now on sale in the UK at WH Smiths, or you could get her a subscription to Simply Knitting through My Favourite Magazines. You could also inspire her buy buying her a pack of some special yarn – one of the many new organic cottons or some beautiful Manos del Uruguay silk mix might be just what she needs.

Have a great weekend with your mum!

We've been having a few enquiries about Irresistible Gifts To Knit our collection of Alan Dart patterns. It should be available in WH Smiths from today, although it seems some store staff don't realise they're getting the book in. It's all gone to press and been printed, so unless WH Smiths staff are hurling all the boxes of books onto a bonfire at their warehouse, your local shop should have it in stock soon!

If you're overseas or can't get to a branch of WH Smiths, Irresistible Gifts To Knit should be on sale through My Favourite Magazines in the future, although it's not on sale there at the moment.

The book features patterns Alan has done for Simply Knitting, including the Little Blossom elephant, Yuletide Gnomes, Noah's Ark and the farmyard scene. If you love to knit toys, it's a great book to have.