Recent magazines

I've been meaning to write this posting for a while now, but getting all the photos together in a viewable state has taken a little bit longer than expected.

I guess the sensible place to start would be with the magazines I currently subscribe to...


My long awaited copy of the first issue of Yarn Forward finally arrived here in mid December after I finally found the right place to e-mail about its non-arrival. If anyone else is still missing their subscription copy of the first issue, try contacting them here as apparently the contact e-mail address linked to on the subscription page of the website is broken. As for the magazine itself... I was actually quite impressed with the first issue, and I'm glad I took a chance and bought a subscription. According to the website, the second issue is due out any time now -- I have my fingers crossed that their teething problems with overseas subscriptions have been solved now, and this issue will arrive here in a more timely manner.

Next, there is my subscription to Yarn magazine. Not only is the content of this magazine always interesting, but it is a joy to have the magazine arrive in my letterbox exactly when it is supposed to be there -- they even contacted me just after my first subscription copy arrived to make sure it had arrived safely and that I was happy with the service. :) And for the few Sydney knitters who may not have seen it yet, the current issue even features one of the Witty knitter's clever designs.

And then there is my subscription to Interweave Knits... Given the amount of discussion there has been about the difficulties Australian subscribers have been having receiving their subscription copies of both the Winter 2006 issue and the previous Fall 2006 issue, I feel more than a little guilty that my copies of both of these issues arrived here more or less when they were expected. As you can see from the photograph above, my subscription was expiring with the Winter 2006 issue, and I can't help but wonder if this might explain why I seem to be just about the only Australian subscriber to have received these two issues without having had to complain first. As I went ahead and renewed my subscription for two years before all the problems with the Winter 2006 issue in particular became apparent, I'm now hoping that after all of the complaints Interweave have received from Australian subscribers they will have all the problems solved before the Spring 2007 is due to be mailed out.

While I'm on the topic of Interweave Knits... In addition to their regular quarterly issues, they put together a special 'Holiday Gifts' issue this year...


Even though the content for the most part consists of reprints from old issues of the magazine which I already have, I went ahead and bought this issue when it arrived at my local newsagent for the 'Twilight Lace Wrap' pattern...



... which I've been looking out for for quite a while now. This was definitely a much less painful way of acquiring the pattern than searching for an affordable copy of the original magazine on eBay would have been. ;)

One thing I did find at an affordable price on eBay though, was an old 'My Weekly' special issue, which I bought because it featured this Shetland stole pattern...


I'm thinking this might even be a good pattern for some of the cobweb or lace weight cashmere I've been buying from ColourMart, most of which I've bought in rich, dark colours which would work really well with this stole.

I also bought the November 2006 issue of Simply Knitting when it arrived at my local newsagent...


One of the highlights of this issue for me was this pattern for stripy toe socks...


OK... So I was a teenager in the '70s... ;)

For anyone else who has a sudden desire to possess this particular pattern, the November 2006 issue of 'Simply Knitting' is unfortunately no longer available from the local newsagents, but the pattern is included in the latest cut and paste issue of 'Creative Knitting' (Issue 18) if you're desperate.

The 2006 "Woman's Weekly Knitting & Stitching Special" also finally turned up at the local newsagents before Christmas...


Cute as some of Alan Dart's Hobby Bears in the 16 page bonus booklet are, it was his Dickensian Mice that really got my attention...


Aren't they just adorable?

I also love the 'Toy lamb' pattern which was included along with a matching baby jacket and blanket...


And finally, I found the Winter 2006 issues of Knitter's and knit.1 at my local Borders store...


The highlights for me in this issue of "Knitter's" are...


... Elsebeth Lavold's 'Blanket Coat', Kaffe Fassetts's 'Framed Diamonds', Judy Sumner's 'Dungaree Socks', and Brandon Mably's 'Highland Stripes'.

As for the 'Love' issue of 'knit.1', these are the two patterns which caught my eye...


... a truly deviant take on the heart pillow, and the 'Arrr! Baby Set', which I'm sure both of my daughters will love when they eventually have babies of their own.

Apologies to anyone who might have been hoping for a proper review of any of these magazines, but rating things from one to ten really isn't something I ever have any desire to do, which is no doubt one of the many reasons marketing people hate me so very, very much. ;)