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Thursday August 27, 2009
Get Simply Knitting and The Knitter on your screen!
Want to save the planet – or just can't wait for the postie to arrive? Well, now you can subscribe to both Simply Knitting and The Knitter digitally. A digital subscription – or buying a single issue of a magazine in digital format – means that you will get your magazine online, you will not get a printed-paper copy through the post. Instead, you'll be able to read the new issue at your computer.  Digital issues are easy to refer back to and only take a bit of computer space to store, so it's the perfect solution for a knitter on the go. There's a sample issue available, so you get a feel for how the process works. Here are a some of the features we like: - Zoom in up to 400%
- Search the whole issue at a click
- Only print patterns as you need them – more trees, less clutter!
- Quick delivery: order now, get it near instantly
- Take it anywhere on your laptop or iPhone
- Save on the shop price
To find out more click on the cover images below.   Updated 28/08/09 to add: We've just been told that if you subscribe via Zinio, you will not get the supplements published with the print magazine. And, of course, as you won't get a print copy, you won't get the cover gift, either. Updated 8/09/09 to fix links.
Favourite sheep at Fibrefest
I had hoped to have some photos of Fibrefest to show you, but my husband hasn't finished processing them. If you went, I'm sure you'll have had a fun day too. My favourite thing of all was a sheep. It's lovely seeing fibre-producing animals at yarn events; it really makes you look at natural fibres in a new light and really understand knitting's connection to the seasons and landscape. Anyway, there were some beautiful alpacas there, including a suri alpaca. I'd never seen one up close before. Unlike the more usual 'woolly' sort of alpaca, suris have locks of silky hair that hang down instead of standing out all over the body. There were Shetland sheep, Gotland sheep (Deb the editor liked those) and, my favourite, the Exmoor Horn. The great thing about the Exmoor Horn was that it was a chubby, round-faced sort of sheep, and the big ram was happy to be patted. He had magnificent curling horns and, all in all, looked the way you'd expect a sheep to! He even seemed to have a smiley face, although I suspect he probably wasn't happy at spending his weekend in a pen instead of in a field with all his woolly lady friends. We are so lucky to have all these lovely animals producing fibre – I'm definitely going to try to work more with naturally coloured wool in future!
Monday August 24, 2009
Knit a poem and poems about knitting
 Letter by letter, stitch by stitch the Poetry Society's team of knitters is creating a woollen poem. Each letter is being knit in wool, and the completed poem will be revealed on 8 October 2009. They still need more knitters, so if you'd like to get involved, visit the Poetry Society website where you can sign up. As part of their celebration of both knitting and poetry, each week they're recommending a different poem which has knitting as its theme. The poems range from traditional through to modern, and highlight the very different meanings people have given their knitting over the years. Want to learn more about this project? Visit the Poetry Society website or pick up a copy of Simply Knitting issue 58 (on sale now) and turn to page 70 to hear from Rachael Matthews and the PS organisers.
Friday August 21, 2009
Will's Wools – knitting blog review
 What are the latest trends – knitting trends, of course – to hit the Netherlands? What's it like inside a Dutch yarn shop, and what sort of things to their customers knit? Do they use the same yarns? Needle sizes? Wilbert Schouten, owner of a yarn shop in Hoorn in the north of the Netherlands, chronicles the life and knits of his shop on his blog, Will's Wools. Written in Dutch and English, this is a fun blog and we're thrilled that Wilbert has taken the time and effort to translate each of his posts, giving us a glimpse into the everyday life of his shop which seems rather exotic to us! Read
a great blog? Write a great blog?
Tell us what it is and why you like it, and you might see it here
next Friday.
Wednesday August 19, 2009
Tesco protesters make their point with yarn
 Protesters calling themselves 'Get Knitted' have stitched graffitti onto the fence surrounding a new Tesco, the Cambridge News Online reports. The article, Knitting Protest at Tesco, gives details of the action, and if you look further into their archive, you can find more news about this controversial store opening. The article is an interesting read, and has got us thinking: protests and knitting aren't usually seen hand in hand, but the stitched letters certainly get their message across, and do so in a peaceful way without damaging property – but is it an effective way to protest? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Tuesday August 18, 2009
Stitch & Creative Crafts, Manchester is 4-6 September
In issue 58 we printed that the Stitch & Creative Crafts Show would be in Manchester on 28-30 August 2009. This is not the case – the show will take place on 4-6 September. For more information or to book tickets call 01822 614671. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and hope you enjoy the show. As an aside, it turns out that the weekend of 28-30 August is still a great time to visit the city as Manchester Pride 09 runs from 21-30 August, with a parade, concerts and loads of different events celebrating LGBT life and raising money for local LGBT organisations.
Monday August 17, 2009
What a quick knit!
I thought I'd update you on the progress of my first knitted toy. It's virtually finished, in under a fortnight! I really am impressed at how quickly Alan's pattern has come together, and how well the whole thing has worked. I didn't think I'd enjoy the making up at all, and while I have to confess to not enjoying making the fingers (mattress stitching something 5sts wide really isn't working for me) the rest has gone like a dream. Now it's sitting on my desk, and I'm not sure I want to let it go, but it has to be packed up and sent overseas for a swap. I might make another one for myself, and a friend has requested one too! I've really benefitted from knitting for the two swaps I'm doing – not in terms of things received (I haven't received anything to date, but then I haven't posted anything either!), but in terms of pushing myself to try new skills. My first toy, my first fair isle, all that practice purling into the back of stitches... You should definitely give it a go. It's a lot different from charity knitting, where you want to knit something nice but are largely governed by your own tastes because you know nothing about the recipient apart from that they need what you're making. With a swap, you know the recipient's likes and dislikes and so it's very important to try to get it right, which could mean learning new things.
Friday August 14, 2009
Dreamcatcher - knitting blog review
 We're a little bit obsessed – you have to be when your hobby is your job! – so we love that Louise focuses her blog, Dreamcatcher, [Have fixed link now – EB] almost exclusively on yarn – and the odd sheep. With a detailed review of each completed projects, this is a great place to look for inspiration for your next knit. Louise also talks about her other fibre-related exploits, including kitchen dyeing and visits to shows, so you may find yourself inspired to put your needles down and plunge into another aspect of the craft! Read
a great blog? Write a great blog?
Tell us what it is and why you like it, and you might see it here
next Friday.
Thursday August 13, 2009
Simply Knitting Issue 58 on sale today!
The September issue of Simply
Knitting is landing on shop shelves across the country today, so head on down to the shops, because we've got a whole new section and a new Alan Dart gnome pattern for you to knit!
 Click for a larger
image.We love summer knits – they're quick, light and lacy, fun to knit and wear – and with a bit of clever layering they can last through autumn, too. In this issue, we've got a great collection of versatile knits to keep you cool or cosy as the weather demands. For hot, sunny days you'll love our satiny crocheted tank top or our dainty cotton top. Younger knitters can get in on the action too, with our teen tank top, bag and headband set designed for teens to knit for themselves. While the weather is so changeable, we've got two stylish and versatile tops for you to knit: a chic Celtic cable top (shown on the cover) and a Fair Isle tank top with a matching bag. If you're new to stranded colourwork, this is a great project to try as the pattern is simple but stunning. If you're looking for a quicker knit, we've got a design for a cute, useable piggy bank and a graphic striped shawl. We've also got a brand-new section, packed with 12 patterns for you to cut out and keep.  Click for a larger
image.Our new section is full of Quick & Easy Knits which you can start – and finish – in a weekend. With the first day of school just around the corner, we've got a collection of fun patterns which will make great gifts for students. The section includes projects for the whole family, from baby bootees to pretty lace socks to a fab hat for dad – ideal if you're starting your gift knitting. We've
got two great gifts
for you this month: a pretty lace jumper pattern from Rowan
and Alan Dart's fabulous Gingerbread House!
 Click for a larger
image.Alan's Yuletide Gnomes were very popular, so we hope you'll enjoy this brand-new incarnation of a traditional festive figure! With Alan's attention to detail, the house, Gnome and Gnomette are a delight to knit and are sure to take pride of place in your Christmas decorations. Other
great things
to look out for in issue 58
include: - Rachael Matthews needs your help to knit a poem.
- Sue Bradley tells us how her historical reseach inspires her designs
- We review unusual animal yarns.
And don't miss any of your usual favourites: we've got our prize crossword puzzle and sudoku for you to untangle, fab books (and reader offers) and lots of your letters.
Wednesday August 12, 2009
P/hopping about
Fibrefest in Devon is just a couple of weekends away. Among the many stalls there'll be two events hosted by P/hop, the knitting fundraiser for Medicins Sans Frontieres. First there's the... …MULTICOLOURED FIBRE SWAP SHOP If you've got some yarn, fibre or any sort of knitting-related gubbins that you no longer want, take it along to the swap shop and exchange it for someone else's item. At the KNITTING EMPORIUM you can sit down, relax, and try out one of P/hop's free patterns. P/hop stands for 'pennies per hour of pleasure', and the idea behind the whole fundraising project is that you knit one of their free patterns and make a donation to Medicins Sans Frontieres based on how much joy you got from knitting it. It really is a brilliant idea, and the patterns are well worth donating money for. I'm hoping to knit the 'Socks Without Borders' at some point myself (once I conquer my fear of colourwork, that is!). After Fibrefest it's just a few more weekends until the I Knit Weekender, where P/hop will be raffling blankets made from squares knitted and donated by P/hop supporters – buy a ticket and you could win a family heirloom, plus you'll be improving access to medical care for people in poor countries and disaster zones around the world. If you'd like an advance preview of part of the knitted blanket, Rooknits will be on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square this Saturday. Head down between 9am and 10am to give her and P/hop some support, or visit the One and Other website at that time to see her via their live webfeed.
Tuesday August 11, 2009
Competitions Simply Knitting issue 58
Simply Knitting
issue 58 hits the shops on Thursday 13 August 2009. Enter our great
giveaways and competitions by using the links
below. Lang baby kit giveaway, page
6 Sirdar Blur yarn giveaway,
page 10 Hummingbird DK yarn giveaway, page
12Prize crossword, page 94 Prize sudoku, page
94
Monday August 10, 2009
Wool and the Gang: knit your own designer wear
 One reason to knit (and sew and rummage in charity shops) is to be able to recreate designer looks without breaking the bank. So we were intrigued to see that hip online shop Net-A-Porter have started offering knitting kits – and suggesting which designer items to pair them with. Designed and sourced by a multinational team, Wool and the Gang, the kits are billed as glamorous, fun and fabulous, and a chance to learn a new skill – they also cost from £69 up. The garter stitch scarf kit shown in the image above is listed at £120, and while that might be a snip for a designer item, it's a lot to ask for a DIY scarf – even if the kit does include a pair of needles. We would love to get our hands on the kit and find out what the quality of the wool is like as it certainly doesn't seem like value for money at first glance.
A poem about turning heels
Reader Heather Jerrie sent us a link to a poem she's written about turning a heel when sock knitting, and I thought you would like it too. Click here to go to Heather's blog and the poem. I do think the knitter in Heather's poem is doing much better than I did when I knitted my first sock. I ripped it out two or three times before I understood the instructions! Still, there's something magical about turning a sock heel, it's as though knitting the leg is like struggling up a hill on a bike, but once you've turned the heel you're freewheeling downhill. Do you find that, or do you find casting on easy and turning the heel tedious?
Friday August 07, 2009
Lolly Knitting Around: knitting blog review
 'Craft. Photography. Travel' is the tagline for Lolly Knitting Around but it could easily be 'colour' (well, more likely 'color' as Lolly lives and blogs in Maryland, USA). The origniator and organiser of the Project Spectrum challenge, Lolly has a keen interest in colour and encouraging people to explore them in creative ways, whether throught craft, photography, travel – or something else entirely. A thoughtful blog covering subjects from cooking to yoga – with lots of knitting in between. Read
a great blog? Write a great blog?
Tell us what it is and why you like it, and you might see it here
next Friday.
Alan Dart's Gnomes – four ways to buy Christmas Gifts Extra
 We're changing our set up so as of Friday 7 August 2009 you now have four ways to order. If your cheque's already in the post, don't worry: you'll get your gnomes!Alan
Dart's Yuletide Gnomes remain one of his most popular patterns. (If you
haven't met them, you can find out more about the little guys on Alan's website.)
The gnomes were first published back in 2005, in a supplement which was
free with issue 8 called 'Christmas Gifts Extra'. To make it easier to
get your hands on this 'vintage' Simply Knitting
pattern, our subscriptions team has taken on the task and you can now
order 'Christmas Gifts Extra' from them for £3.99 (UK) or £5.99 (rest
of world).
There are four ways to order:
- Phone Call 0844 848 1602 (UK) or +44 1858 438795 (rest of world) and pay over the phone.
- Fax Send your order to 01858 468969 (UK) or +44 1858 468969 (rest of world).
- Post Send a cheque made payable to 'Simply Knitting' to Simply Knitting,
Future Publishing Ltd, FREEPOST RLSC-SXSE-SKKT, Unit 4, Sovereign
Park, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 9EF. (If you're
outside the UK, you will need to use a stamp.)
- Online Order online at www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accept payments for the supplement from
outside the UK on the website at the moment. Our team is working on
resolving this problem as quickly as possible.
Please note: this is a different pattern from the 'Gnomes at Home' booklet, which accompanies issue 58.  About the beards
In the years since we originally published this pattern, Sirdar have discontinued a number of yarns, including Foxy, the yarn used to knit the beard. While some stores may still have a few balls left, there are plenty of other yarns which we've heard work well (we haven't tried them though, and some we haven't heard of before!), and of course you can substitute any yarn which you think looks the part. If you find one you like, please let us know in the comments. Stylecraft Eskimo Lion Brand Fun Fur Fancy Yarn Fur Katia Fox Sirdar Funky Fur Patons Whisper Wendy Racy Lady To keep things clear, comments which aren't suggesting yarns for gnome beards or rest of the gnome pattern will be deleted. If you have a query about your order, please contact the subscriptions team using the information above. If you have a query about Simply Knitting please email us so we can deal with your question directly.
Thursday August 06, 2009
Macmillan Cancer Support: Knitting campaign update
As we mentioned in a previous post, our sister magazine, The Knitter , has teamed up with top designers and Macmillan Cancer Support – and they need your help to knit blankets to bring comfort to cancer patients.We've got good news if you're knitting for Macmillan – they've got loads of new squares up since we last posted, including designs by Debbie Bliss, Martin Storey, Mason-Dixon, Jean Moss and Belinda Boaden, so check out the Macmillan website now. Once you've knitted a square or two, you can show them off in the Flickr pool dedicated to the Macmillan knit. And last but not least, if you're on Facebook, you can become a fan of Macmillan and let people know about your coffee morning on the Macmillan Facebook page.
My first knitted toy
I blogged fairly recently about doing a couple of knitting swaps. I'm frantically knitting away to complete my items for both swaps, and I'm both enjoying it and learning lots more. One project required me to purl into the front and back of stitches to increase. I don't like purling, it seems to take so much longer than doing plain knit stitches. However, the item had to be made – it was perfect for the swap, and I had the yarn and needles – and so the purl increases got done. Purling into the back of a stitch will be no bother in future! Now I'm starting another first: knitting my first toy, Alan Dart's Wilhelmina Witch. She's perfect for the theme of the swap, and I think she's something the recipient will love. So far I'm not finding it too difficult, although the making up is going to be the tricky bit, and it's also the bit that can turn a decent piece of knitting into a superb toy or a lumpy monster, depending on the care taken. Have you made many toys? Do you find the making up difficult? Knitting the toy is daunting for me because, of course, we get Alan's own hand-knitted versions in the office and they're always perfect. My witch won't be as pristine as his, but hopefully she will be a very nice knit. Within the next week issue 58 will go on sale – you may have your copy already if you're a subscriber – with Alan's Gingerbread House and Gnome couple as a special cover-mounted supplement. It's a big project that will make a brilliant Christmas decoration, so you're getting it in plenty of time to knit it. I'm not going to be making it, though. I've seen Alan's toy for our October issue, and it's already on my must-knit list! I won't spoil the surprise by telling you here what it is, but if you've got issue 58, turn to page 97 for a preview.
Tuesday August 04, 2009
Cute Overload: Cats in Sweaters
 Today's entry on Cute Overload is causing a bit of controversy in the office. Are cats in sweaters too cute for words or a really bad idea? It must at least partly depend on the cat – many wouldn't stand for it, while others might conceivably enjoy the attention. (See also: brushing, lying in places where you're sure to step, trees, water, the vet.) On a less controversial note, the knitted cardi is adorable, and looks like a Garter Yoke Baby Cardi by Jennifer Hoel or perhaps a 5-hour sweater by Gail Bable (both free patterns) in case you want to knit your own.
Friday July 31, 2009
Knitted film characters
 Total Film's 10 Wonderful Knitted Movie Characters isn't quite what we expected to find on the movie news and reviews site, but we love it. Flick through the gallery to see more characters (mainly from horror flicks, it has to be said) given the knitted treatment by Hannah Simpson. For more of the same quirky knitting style, check out Hannah's blog, The Adventures of Cakeyvoice or visit her Etsy shop, Cakeyvoice, where you can buy her knitted characters and related items.
Wednesday July 29, 2009
The Archers – spinning, knitting...and more?
Fans of classic British radio soap, The Archers, won't have missed Lynda Snell's growing interest in spinning and knitting the fleece from her two llamas, Constanza and Wolfgang. With the teaser for tonight's show saying simply " Lynda works on her social network" fans on Ravelry are hoping that Lynda will dive into the online world of social knit-working with a mention of the site. Will you be listening in? Let us know what you think in the comments!
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