I Think It's Time

Firstly, I didn't realize when I started writing this post that it was going to be so critical. Even so, I'm still going to post it because I think these things need to be thought through more. I understand that there were several different issues going out this season (another sore spot), but Interweave Knits' track record has made me expect more from them.

Yes, it's time to say goodbye to Interweave Knits. I've stuck by them for the past four years. They were the first knitting magazine subscription I've had (actually, so far, the only). Remember that summer issue one year that had all those winter sweaters and hats in it? I subscribed to it. Remember the old style with the patterns following right after the main images? I was there for that. Remember when Eunny took over? I was there for that too. Now, I know I'm not anything close to a "long-time subscriber," but I've been around for the most recent changes, and I've believed in a good many of them as they seemed to be logical.

Some of the most current changes, also seem to be logical. I find one especially confusing. But here's my list of what critiques for the Winter issue:

• If you're an editor for a magazine that makes such an intense stylistic change, freaking announce it in your letter to your subscribers
• There's no need for 2 mastheads. I really don't think that the company information needs to be in the magazine, and we're crafters. For crying out loud, we know what other magazines you do! If not, we can always hop on the google.
• That brings me to another point: stop being so pushy. We get it. We know you have an online thing. We know you want subscribers to both of these different places, but geez, there's no need to advertise it 13 times (I counted the ads, ad that's not even counting the blow in cards).
• The articles seem to be a little out of date. Also, wasn't there an article about Cowichan sweaters earlier this year? Why is there another one? If there's an article about a sweater style, I feel like there should be a pattern describing that sweater style. But there's no Modern Cowichan sweater in the magazine...
• Artist Spotlight: I don't want to discount the work that Mark Newport has done. I actually think it's really cool. I feel like this article is redundant considering they profiled him in 2005, and I think there have to be other knit artists out there to profile that we haven't seen before.
• The knitting needles on the top left corner of every page are throwing me for a loop. They make me think I marked the page for some reason.
• mtfyed?! When did that become an acronym? Aren't acronyms capitalized? Also, sorry for not adding this to the advertisement piece, because it doesn't really try to give you inspiration to make time for yarn every day. It just points you to one of their Knitting Daily TV episodes (heavy handed much?).
• It seems like they made a compromise with their style and what their readers wanted, and they put the patterns after the editorial sections in the magazine. While this is a valiant effort, really, it's quite confusing.
• That hat on p. 51: I can barely tell what the cable is, and it's pretty small. Why wasn't it just put on the model who's rummaging through her purse for something? Then you might have been able to see it.

So, if it were just this issue, I'd say fine. Leave it at that, and maybe continue subscribing. But it's not just that stuff. The major one of those reasons I'm discontinuing is the pushy bit. You may be thinking "but in this economic climate, you can't be too pushy as a business..." I totally disagree with that. I do think that you have to be more aware of things, and certainly, you have to have an online presence as a magazine in this day in age and a way for folks to digitally get your patterns. But there's nothing out there that says you need to club your consumers with a 2x4. While we're at it...normally, if someone subscribes to a magazine they get every issue. That's the point of subscribing to the magazine. While I'm glad that I didn't get the Accessories edition of IK (it was all re-runs from other issues!), I still kinda think it should be something they at least give you an option of adding to your subscription.

The third main reason is that after having read Yarn Forward from the UK and even Vogue Knitting, I feel like I get an idea as to where the knitting events are taking place, what kinds of notions are newish, and more of a who's who of today's knitting world than IK has been providing me with over the past 8 issues.

I used to really look forward to getting IK because the articles and profiles were really cool and awesome and the patterns were stunning and things I wanted to knit. There were maybe 2 patterns in this issue I wanted to knit, and nothing I felt the need to cast on for right away. I wasn't excited to get this issue. And I don't think I have been for quite a while. There's a lot of competition out there, though. And it's not the only fish in the sea. I still love you, IK. I'm just not in love with you. :(

The Next Project Has Been Chosen!

Indigo Ripples Skirt from IK Spring 07: 7 votes (41%)
Seraphim Shawl by Miriam L. Felton: 5 votes (29%)
Twisty Tank top from Sublime Soya Cotton DK 2 Booklet: 5 votes (29%)

I'm going to admit off the bat that I voted twice. Once from work for the Seraphim shawl, and once from home for the Indigo Ripples Skirt (I changed my mind that quickly). Even taking those votes away, while the vote was close, the clear winner is the Indigo Ripples Skirt. I'll begin swatching as soon as I've finished the trim on the Bog Jacket.

Yup! That's right! It's all seamed together, all I have to do is add the icord trim and sew in a zipper. maybe I'll see if my mom can't snap a photo of me in it this weekend. I'm hoping to finish the icord by the time I get off the train in Kingston, RI tomorrow. We'll see...it might take more than that.

Protection

This is what happens when you take a magazine around with you everywhere for about a year. If you're a hardcore IK fan, you'll realize that this is the issue with Icarus and the Wedgewood blouse in it. If you're a fan (or let's face it, at this point a casual glancer) of my blog, you'll remember I'm knitting one of these projects, and have finished one of these projects. Icarus is really the reason this issue has traveled with me so much. Even though I copied the charts and was pretty sure of how everything was going to go down, I still felt as though I needed the security the pattern in the magazine afforded (I can be really silly sometimes).

You can see the wreckage done to the interiors as well:


Yeah, I bought another copy of the magazine so that later, if I say, want to re-knit the Wedgewood Blouse, I have a working copy of the magazine.

The condition of this magazine inspired me to reorganize. And reorganize I did!

I took all my loose paper patterns out and put them in page protectors. I organized them all fancy like too. There's a tab for Summer, Sweaters, Socks, Kids, Home, Etc. I made it look pretty cool too:


you can't really see the knitting ball/knitting needle stamp there, but it's there and it looks really cool with the rest of it, trust me! It looks all sorts of organized from the shelf, and it actually fits on the shelf!! :)

On the tattoo front, I changed my idea a bit, I decided that I wanted a bracelet more or less of the knit stitch in a column. I brought my idea, along with a swatch (it was a pretty small swatch though, probaly close to 5 stitches to the inch) to NY Adorned on Second avenue. They told me the idea I had wouldn't translate into a good tattoo because the lines I'd want are too close together. I kinda think this is sorta BS since the idea i have is fairly simple. I think if I'd brought a much larger swatch, it might have swayed him. Right now, however, I'm still looking for good ideas, so if you see any hot knitting tattoos, drop me a line!

I Should Never Have Jinxed Myself

You'll note, of course, the orange waste yarn keeping the underarm stitches live (thank you blogless Suzi!). You'll also notice that the pattern says to BIND OFF 14 stitches. Yeah. If there's a way to f*** up a pattern, I'll find it. It's not a big deal though, I'll just bind off with new yarn and then sew the underarm seams. Other than that it's going well.


This was taken earlier this week once I had connected the sleeves and started in on the yoke. I've never done a sweater for myself, and so I've never done a yoke, but I like the way it makes it look rather seamless. I just started in on the pattern of the project which is interestingly constructed and a pleasant interruption from reverse stockinette!

On a different note, for Christmas about three years (one of my first projects!), I was planning on knitting a pair of argyle slippers for my mother from Weekend Knitting. A knitting store in North Kingston, RI told me I couldn't knit them, that they were too advanced for me since they had all those colors to them, and wouldn't I like to try something more one color and easier? No, damn you. I didn't ask if I could knit them, I asked you to help me find yarn. (Sorry for that tangent. I just strongly believe that what you *can* knit is highly dependent on how badly you want to knit it.) I showed her though! They were knit completely! However, there's a TON of finishing, and I just decided that there was no way in hell I'd be doing that.

To "replace" this missed gift, I'm going to attempt to knit the MUCH simpler slippers from Berroco pictured on the right. It's a free pattern. They're going to be knit out of a nice grey Berroco Suede (the recommended yarn).

I got a pair of really cute buttons to fasten them with on the side. These are probably also going to be late for Mother's Day, but I think I get points for thinking of her for more than just one day. Also, maybe it will get the rest of my family off my back regarding those embarrassing non gifted slippers.

In other news, I received the latest copy of IK (Summer 07). I'm somewhat confused why the summer issue has wool wintery hats in it. In general I found a lot of the patterns to be quite not summery, though there were a few things I'd love to make (like that one shoulder number with the scarf by Kate Gilbert!) Also, in my wanderings this week, I found a couple of interesting KALs I think I'll join - both for IK publications.

• Interweave Knits KAL


• Favorite Socks KAL


• List of 2007 Knit Alongs!

That last one is ESPECIALLY handy and will more than likely be making an appearance in the sidebar!