I still subscribe to Interweave Knits. Used to get FiberArts, Knitter's, SpinOff, American Craft.
I got so little from the magazines. Lame writing, ugly patterns, (Knitters,) too much glass and not-very-interesting-most-of-the-time contents. (American Craft) I'm sure it's just me, but the so-called art world pisses. Me. Off. (The same stupid question - Is it art or is it craft. Fuck You.) FiberArts had some really good stuff, but not enough. And SpinOff seemed to be a repeat of stuff from past issues. This mild rant could continue for many paragraphs. I guess what I am trying to say is that I don't feel a need for what these magazines have to offer. Your mileage will vary, I am sure.
Anyway, my sub to IK is good for at least another year and so every three months, it arrives. I thumb through it, read the articles, look at the ads - in about an hour. Then it joins The Pile.
I won't recycle them yet, because my mood and needs may change and I will need That Pattern someday. But it is more like at some future date, I will look to these magazines for inspiration, not the particular.
My internal thermostat is running hot so I don't need another sweater for the winter except maybe a light cardigan. Neither does Sweetie, ever since he discovered sub-artic polypropylene undies. I have plenty of sock, shawl, lace patterns to last my lifetime. I'm not a beginning knitter or spinner. Even crocheter.
So. The latest IK arrives and Sweetie and I flip through it together. He could tell that some of the patterns were ugly and/ or stupid without my help. I had hoped that Eunnie would have had a greater influence on content by now. Granted, it must be hard to appeal to a diverse audience; to keep the newbies and the old hands happy. But still, good design should reign.
Two things struck me as most lovely. One was a Norah Gaughan sweater (Strawberry Hill) in an advertisement for Rowan yarns on page 4. (The pattern on page five for a Loop-d-Loop for a sweatercoat is so awful that I cannot imagine what the designer was thinking.)
The other thing that caught my eye was a pair of mitts shown on page 70. The pattern itself, Winter Twilight Mitts, is clever and I downloaded it free from their website. I thought the tree imagery would work very well for socks.
So, this is my thing. One this subscription is up, I won't renew.
7 comments:
I agree completely about IK. Think maybe they are trying so hard to be different that they are publishing ugly instead. I also think there is a strain of ugly going around with the 20 and 30 somethings. I looked at IK last night at the grocery store and put it down fast. Nothing, absolutely nothing caught my eye.
That said I think Spin Off is actually trying hard to be relevant. The Fall issue will have a spreadsheet documenting many wheels and their attributes.
I agree also about IK. However, so many times a pattern comes up for a copy I don't possess. I could tear my hair out over some of them. I need to go out there and pre-test each one. :)
American Craft was one expensive and useless magazine, a cheering section for the Hot One of the Month. I suppose they are trying to raise the public's response to "real Art" meaning however they define it. I love Spin off, though don't subscribe, but maybe mine are older? As you know, I'm old, let's face it. =\
Clearly I don't relate to my peers (big surprise there..) since I'm not subscribing to the ugly that they are pushing for the 20-30 somethings either... and I am *coughs* thirty-SOMETHING. Personally I'm just jealous now that someone in your comments can actually BUY IK from their grocery store and I wonder what the carp is wrong with our local food marts that since I *have* to go there once a week that at least they could reward me with a knitting magazine from time to time.
Wait.. what the heck was I saying? Oh yeah.. I usually really like one or two designs at most from the recent IK issues and the rest of it I could forget about. I much prefer the older issues or buying patterns online from the designers themselves.
I still like IK (mostly) but Knitters is becoming a big disappointment.
How do you feel about Piecework?
The magazine thing is hard. I'm still just new enough at what I'm doing that I enjoy some of what's in various magazines, although I'm starting to find that I use them more and more for inspiration, and less for actual patterns, as you said. I tend to fall in and out of interest in particular magazines, and I let my subscriptions lapse as that happens... I have to say in all honesty, that I think I like what Eunnie was doing with her blog better than what she's doing at IK -- I miss her writing!
Man, you stuck a rich vein of comment- provoking gold. I, too, must add: I fearfully renewed Knitters, IK and SpinOff thinking I would be poor after my kid's wedding. Now the mags pile up and I feel like an idiot. If I had any sense, Knitters would not have made the cut. One of the reasons I look forward to SpinOff is that a friend tends to submit yarn challenge samples. I now, however, have to go to the website to view these. What is a blind follower to do?
Nibbler
Nibbler is right - I did hit a gold mine of comment fodder with this post.
I, too, am jealous that Susan can pick up IK at the grocery store. We have meager choices at my Kroger since I don't scrapbook, own a muscle car, or hunt.
I've not ever gotten a Piecework magazine, but I do own lots of instructional books. If I ever see it, I'll have a looksee.
Ah, Nibbler. The truth is there before your eyes! Now, try to grab the pebble from my hand...
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