My last (i.e., not only latest, but also last) issue of VOGUEknitting's knitsimple arrived today. It's the best one so far. It's a young magazine and is maturing nicely, I think. It covers knit and crochet subjects.
1) Knits + That ... things to buy that you don't need, plus books introduced.
The interesting book intro is Nicky Epstein's "Knitting Beyond the Edge". I want somebody to give me this book for my birthday so I can knit the hooded shawl. In my estimation, the most interesting thing to buy is the Options Needle Set from KnitPicks. I have this set and I like it - the joins are good, cables small and pliable, and the points are sharp. I have used this set more than once now and still like it.
2) fiberfacts : Know Your Naturals, but Edie Eckman
This is a good intro to fiber facts and uses. There isn't a log of depth. It's short enough that my eyes didn't glaze over. The fibers covered are Wool, Alpaca, Mohair, Angora, Cashmere, Silk, Cotton, Linen. It's just a paragraph about each of these. Patterns for sample scarves can be found on www.knitsimplemag.com.
3) technique : size is just a (small) number, by Kathleen Power Johnson
A few pages for those of you who are thin and tall, short and average, short and plump, or short and thin. It's 4 pages of design and pattern alteration information. I have taken one class from K.P. Johnson and she is good with math, so this article might be worth a read.
4) projects
There are various projects to make: accessories, blankets, sweaters (jumpers), jumper (sleeveless overdress), scarves, hats, bags, mp3 and cell phone cases, pillows, socks.
There are two sweaters that look interesting to me:
polo solo, left (pg 34), and
sporty utility, right (pg 38).
So, if the magazine is pretty good, why am I not renewing my s*bscription? I get too many magazines (IK and Vogue Knitting are enough). I don't look at the stacks of magazines littering my house, and adding yet another stack is not required.