Warning – Long and picture heavy post ahead!!
Australia has it’s own knitting magazine, called “Creative Knitting”. The ninth issue has just been released, and in the past, this hasn’t really been a great magazine. Unreliable release dates, crappy patterns, crappy articles. At $10 an issue, it’s been a toss up as to whether it’s worth the money or not. There’s been editorial problems, but apparently there is now a new editor. They put out an entire issue devoted to scarves. They put out an issue rehashing the first four issues. They have had ugly patterns, they have featured hard (if not impossible) to get yarns. In the past they have left out sizing information, tension recommendations, some instructions. They frequently feature overseas companies and knitters. I have nothing against overseas companies or knitters, but I get them in overseas magazines.
The ninth issue arrived yesterday, and I thought I’d review it, so people could decide whether to spend their money or not.
First off, there are few articles. One is a profile of Kaffe Fassett. Next is a feature called “January in Knitted New York”. Not quite sure why that’s pertinent in an Australian magazine. Next up is the ladies patterns. Quite like some of these for a change!!
This is the cover page for the “Jumpers and Tops”
I have a beef with this. I like the cardi. But the pattern’s not in this issue. Don’t know if it will appear in a future issue. Not quite sure why it’s on this page.
First pattern is this.
“Cotton Wrap Top” by
Jo Sharp. Made with
Desert Garden, I quite like this.
Next is a Zhivago striped sweater.
Meh.
Zhivago is a locally available yarn, 50% Tencel, 50% acrylic. I don’t mind the yarn, but I’ve only used it for gloves and a beanie for DH. The sweater is okay. Nothing flash, it has a few neckline options (Crew neck, Turtle collar, roll collar and Cowl collar).
Next is this.
They have actually called this a “Classic Edge to Edge Jacket”. What the? It’s gross, I’m sorry. Just my opinion, of course. The yarn is called
Tufty. Another local Patons offering. It’s 92% acrylic, 8% nylon and 100% yuck. It’s shaggy feathers type stuff. I think even the model looks fluffy in this. No one looks slim in these yarns, people.
Next.
Another Jo Sharp offering. I quite like it, but I don’t like warm but sleeveless things. What’s the point? If it’s cold enough for the sweater, my arms would be cold. And if it’s warm enough for bare arms, the vest is too hot. Anyway, it’s made in
Rare Comfort Kid Mohair and
Silkroad Aran Tweed.
Called “Classic Comfort”. Why do they call all the floofy yarn patterns “Classic”? Anything but. Patons
Feathers and Zhivago again. Check out the colour range in the Feathers! Will this crap ever go away? Em loves it. I hate it, with a passion. The only knitters I know in real life all knit nothing but scarves with this stuff. And then they drop stitches and ask me for help. Forget it, the stitch is gone forever. And then they ask why I’m not knitting feathery scarves. Sigh. Sorry, I hate this cardi.
Next is a felted poncho thingy which is different, it’s noice, it’s unusual. (Sorry, aussie joke). It doesn’t picture well (it’s very dark, and poorly photographed), but it’s interesting. It’s made with silk, wool top, slubby yarn, and you use your arms for knitting needles. Sorry, you have to see it to understand it.
Next.
Not a feathery novelty yarn, but a novelty yarn, nonetheless. It’s Cleckheaton
Deluxe Velvet Ribbon. Not for me, but the pattern is okay, I guess.
There is an obsession with novelty yarn. “Edge to Edge Jacket with Feathers
and Ostrich Trim”. More Patons, more Feathers, plus
Ostrich. Oh, and
Totem. Why couldn’t they leave out the Feathers and the Ostrich? Oh it has a little matching handbag with feathery stuff on it, too. I might make the cardi without the floof.
I
love this! Jo Sharp again, in Silkroad Aran Tweed again. Why isn’t this one called “Classic”? Simple, attractive, nice yarn. My favourite.
The last ladies pattern is this –
A poncho made with slubby yarn from
Marta’s Yarns. Not bad, but I’m not really a poncho person, myself. Nice yarn :).
Next are the kids knits.
The less said, the better. Creative Knitting has a record of bad kids and babies patterns. One of the previous issues managed to make a baby look like a hobbit. Unintentionally (I think). I like the striped sweater made from Patons
Inca. I usually like kids knits, but I don’t like these. There’s a yellow sweater from Katia Idea, very badly pictured short overalls, beret and shoes set (the blue and white)
which claims to be from 8ply (DK) cotton, but is a 4ply tension, and a double breasted hooded jacket in a fluffy yarn, trimmed in Loopy mohair (The red). It’s knitted in Dive “Odeon” which I’ve never heard of.
Then there is an article about knitting creatively. It’s really a book review of “Freeform Knitting and Crochet”.
Accessory patterns are next, and these are okay.
An angora neck warmer and a diagonal silk scarf. Not to my taste, but nice yarns, both from Marta’s.
Birkenstock socks. With separate big toes.
Next is an article about the Isle of Skye. Interesting, but we have sheep in Australia. Are there no stories here?
Initially, I thought this issue was an improvement on previous ones. Now that I’ve sat and analysed it for the blog, I’m disappointed. I’d like to see more articles, more feature stories based in Australia. I’d like more how-to articles. I’d like a lot less fluff!!
See why we Aussies order so much off the internet? Our commercially available yarns are all feathery, novelty stuff, apart from a few smaller sources, and Jo Sharp.
Apparently the new editor has taken over from the next issue. I hope the magazine improves. Quite frankly, it doesn’t come close to the US based knitting magazines.
And now that I’ve just run the magazine down to the ground, I have an extra (new) copy of the Creative Knitting “Scarf Feature” that I’d like to trade for Knitpicks Sock Yarn if anyone is at all interested!
