News

November update

Dear Readers

After my confessions last month about the Silver Reed LK-150, let me start with some fabulous news. For more years than I can remember, Susan Guagliumi has used and continues to sing the praises of the LK-150. She’s sent us some designs and articles for the magazine, which I’ll start to feature in the New Year. For a while she’s been working on a new video class and it’s now available for streaming at susan-guagliumi.teachable.com. The class is almost seven hours long and includes 42 unique lessons. She’s included all the charts she uses on screen so if you don’t already own the book, you’ll still have everything you need. Without a doubt, it will hugely increase your understanding of the methods she shows us in the book, but it also measures up as a stand-alone course. Her class materials include a number of Open Space sweater designs, as well as exclusive patterns and offers. Susan tells me she has plans for some shorter and less expensive classes in the future. She’s also very good at posting short videos on her blog and it’s the place to go for some amazing hints, tips and ideas such as making your own garter bar. If you don’t already do so, you need to visit https://guagliumi.com where you can sample her new class and find loads of the goodies she shares so freely.

The magazine’s New Year also has treats in store from Nina Miklin. Her new Knit To Finish Book 4 has masses of detail about modern trimmings and applications, such as calculating the exact length of bands and placing buttonholes accurately. The book has 39 colour pages and a colossal amount of information. The cost is £14.50 for a PDF download. Email Nina now for more information or to place an order at nina.miklin@virgin.net. Her website at www.exclusiveyarns.co.uk has details of all her patterns and yarns. Nina has sent us a selection of trims to knit, as well as patterns for hat and snood designs to keep us warm this winter. I’ll feature the first of them next month, so stock up now with her Milan Super Kid Mohair. You’ll need something like 60 to 80 grams, perhaps a little more, to knit some gorgeous last-minute gifts.

Finally, let me mention another new website at http://elainecater.com. It brings together Elaine Cater’s patterns and books and all except two can be downloaded. (Simply Garter Stitch and Simply Slip Stitch are bound books and can only be sent as hard copies.) It’s been a huge amount of work and is the best place to see and order Elaine’s designs. She includes an impressive amount of detail about each pattern and book and you can read more in Newsline.

In six weeks’ time, we’ve to turn ourselves into a kitchen Dream Queen, so let’s chill and do a bit of festive knitting. One thing’s for sure – if we run out of time, boxes of mince pies will be buy one, get one free by then!

NEXT ISSUE

January 2020

Subscription copies sent out Thursday 5th December

On sale Thursday 12th December

Ask your newsagent to reserve a copy now!

December 2019, our new issue

Our full-colour December 2019 issue is now on sale. Our cover sweater is a gorgeous quick-to-knit party top. There’s a choice of length and wide size range from bust 76 cm (30 in) to 122 cm (48 in) with an actual measurement of 81 cm (32 in) to 141 cm (55½ in). Our usual mix of over 12 designs includes details for converting patterns for knitting on standard gauge machine​s. Fran McCarthy reminds us how to reduce ur stash and Sally-Ann Carroll is here to help in the countdown to Christmas. Bill King reminds us that many simple ideas are often overlooked as we’re seduced by more sophisticated technology. We make liners for wellie boots to keep feet warm as well as dry and we’ve news of how to by-pass the console to send patterns directly to the E6000. It’s time to look at the double bed version in our Colour Changer series and we always ​include news, books and fashion plus great reader savings on new craft books from Search Press.

December 2019 Subscriptions

This is December 2019 and our current issue.

NEW SUBSCRIPTION If you select a new subscription, it will start with the January 2020 magazine, to be mailed out to subscribers on Thursday 5th December. If you’d like to start with this December issue, you need to order a Subscription Bundle.

SUBSCRIPTION BUNDLE If you select a subscription bundle, it will start with our current December 2019 magazine and we’ll send you a copy straight away. Your magazine will then be mailed direct from the printer on the first Thursday of each month and the January 2020 issue goes out to subscribers on Thursday 5th December.

November 2019, our new issue


Our full-colour November issue was mailed out to subscribers on 3rd October. We’ve a gorgeous chunky sweater on the cover for Silver Reed LK-150 and chunky machines plus a similar jacket design and the usual mix of over 12 designs for all machines including Passap. Don’t forget we include details for converting our patterns for knitting on standard gauge machine​s. Claire Newberry reviews the new DesignaKnit 9, with upgrade details at www.softbyte.co.uk and Sally-Ann Carroll checks out the new autumnal prints and hopes you and your knits are feeling square! Bill King shows us a new twist for this season’s favourite fashion look and we highlight some amazing fibre art Carole Redlich has produced on her Passap. (Check out http://www.caroleredlich.com.au). We always ​include news, books and fashion plus great reader savings on new craft books from Search Press.

October 2019

Anne Baker’s Karabee Design on the cover is perfect for the new season and we’ve the usual mix of designs for all machines including Passap. DesignaKnit 9 has just been officially launched and it’s the biggest upgrade we’ve known, so we bring you two pages with masses of details. We’ve a special feature on colour and style for crafters and it’s time to embrace the brand-new season and introduce your knits to all the new shades and trends says Sally-Ann Carroll. Bill King returns to one of his favourite stitches this month and shows us some of the endless possibilities. Fay Butcher guides us through reversible Fair Isle for Duomatic and E6000 machines and in Part 3 of our new series we look at using a colour changer with multi-coloured Fair Isle patterns. Joan Lafferty talks about pockets, with step-by-step instructions and photos for knitting one. We always ​include news, books and fashion plus great reader savings on new craft books from Search Press.

Yarn in the city

Yarn in the City

This year’s Great London Yarn Crawl (GLYC) takes place from 1st to 8th September 2019

This year’s edition of the Great London Yarn Crawl will be a little different. The week-long event will allow participants to choose their own routes and shop combinations and to spread their visits over multiple days, extending the yarn-y celebration! The fantastic shops involved in this year’s GLYC have come up with some special offers and events for September. Participants must present their GLYC passports to take advantage of any shop offers!


Ticket sales will end at 11.59 pm on Sunday, 25th August. For more details and tickets, visit https://www.yarninthecity.com/tickets-2019

Refuge says: “Part of our goal in putting on The Great London Yarn Crawl in the autumn is to give back to the community. There are a couple of ways we see that happening. The first is by bringing together knitters, crocheters, spinners and weavers and giving them an opportunity to explore new shops and make new friends. The second is by donating to a local charity, specifically one devoted to helping women and children. As both of us are women with children, supporting organisations that help those in need is an important thing for us. After researching the various London-based women-focused charities around, we decided that a portion of the proceeds from The Great London Yarn Crawl event will be donated to Refuge.

In their own words: “Refuge opened the world’s first safe house for women and children escaping domestic violence, in West London, in 1971. Since then we have grown to become the country’s largest single provider of specialist domestic violence services. On any given day our national network of services support over 2,000 women and children. Our life-saving and life-changing services empower women to rebuild their lives, and support children to overcome their traumatic experiences. Refuge is facing unprecedented financial pressure – which is why we need support more than ever before. Thank you to all at Yarn in the City: The Great London Yarn Crawl for your continued support. For more information visit www.refuge.org.uk.”

September 2019 Current issue

Our cover design is a cross-over top in King Cole Opium, with a similar short-sleeved top in a large size range. We’ve a selection of twelve designs including two versatile Phyllis Moran patterns for Passap machines and we include details for converting mid gauge and chunky patterns for standard gauge machine​s​. Denim makes the perfect season stretcher and will instantly update your favourite knit says Sally-Ann Carroll and Bill King shows us how the slip stitch setting has lots of potential for creativity. Fay Butcher is our new Passap contributor and this month she passes on another trick to help all knitters and Karin Rogalski creates a fabulous lounge lizard, as the finale in her mini-series showing us how to knit toy scarves. Claire Newberry shows us how to design a motif and put it into a repeat in DesignaKnit and we’ve Part 2 of our series on Colour Changers, looking at attachments that may never have come out of their box. We always ​include news, books and fashion plus great reader savings on new craft books from Search Press.

It’s competition time!

It’s competition time and we’ve some exciting news to share with you all.

From the 31st July to the 2nd September King Cole is running a competition using its Raffia yarn. There’s a prize each for the UK, the USA and ROW worth £50 – three prize packs in total.

The competition is being run through Facebook and Instagram with entries being submitted via these platforms. However if you know of anyone who would like to enter who doesn’t have access to these platforms please send all entries to roland.parker@kingcole.com. 

It’s an excellent opportunity to see what the knitting community can produce with this quirky yarn and how countries differ in their submissions. King Cole can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

New Lanark Makers Market

The next Makers Market brings Scottish craft and creativity to new and
exciting levels. There will be stunning photography and portraits to brighten up your home and even doggy bandannas to brighten up your dog! You can find ceramic yarn holders, homemade cakes and chutneys, beautiful metal-worked jewellery and more!

New Lanark Visitor Centre is at New Lanark Mills, Lanark, South Lanarkshire ML11 9DB. The Makers Market is a brand NEW market and will continue throughout the Summer on the following weekends – 27th & 28th July and the 10th & 11th August, showcasing the best of hand-made products from across Scotland in the Exhibition Gallery from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.

When visiting the Markers Market, take a moment to visit the award winning visitor attraction and you can step back in time and rediscover life of this working mill village. Following on from this, explore the industrial heritage, pick up a gift in the Mill Shop, have breakfast or lunch in the Mill Café or New Lanark Mill Hotel Restaurant, enjoy dinner, play in the park or simply take a seat by the waterwheel and soak up the history of this magnificent 18th century cotton mill village.

To find out more about the Makers Market at New Lanark World Heritage Site, click here.

July update

Dear Readers

Here in the South East and unlike last year, our green and pleasant land was definitely fact and not fiction in June. We needed the much-wanted rain to hammer down but, in the hope that we may have something of a summer after the blazing heatwave at the end of July, I’ve included some pretty tops this time. However, if summer doesn’t materialise, remember that lacy tops look equally stunning for the party season, which will be here before we can turn around! A fine thread of Lurex or shiny metallic makes no difference to the tension and adds a lovely sparkle to many yarns. Call Uppingham Yarns on 01572-823747 or Yeoman Yarns on 0116-240 4464 to ask what they have on offer.

            This month we welcome back Heidi Cleary, who has been absent from our pages for too long. She’s still knitting for all the tiny tots in her life and this month’s striped sweater is an ideal stash buster. Heidi almost always uses acrylic double knitting for her kids’ knits. There’s a huge colour choice, it’s hard-wearing, machine-washable and dries in next-to-no-time. She simply sets the tension dial as far round as it will go on her standard gauge machine and opens up the tension on the mast. Her garter carriage loves it and I remember Hilary’s mum, the late Barbara Belton at Busy Bee, also loving Forsell Shamal DK for many of her designs. By the way, the half price offer on Forsell yarns continues at Silver Viscount and there are still stocks of lovely colours. If you’re looking for something special, visit the website at http://www.silverviscount.co.uk or give Jackie or Rosie a call on 01933-311888 and they’ll let you know what’s currently available.

            DesignaKnit enthusiasts will love Claire Newberry’s new feature on Page 52 and Part 2 follows next month. Fay Butcher shares her Passap pattern for a pretty baby cape and I’m sure you’ll want to re-discover your love of Artika Designs. Linda has been producing her booklets for more years than I care to remember and they’re absolutely packed with masses of stitch pattern diagrams, colour variations and design ideas. There’s a special offer for all our readers on Page 54 and overseas knitters are not left out. Simply email Linda at artika@compuserve.com and she’ll look after you personally.

            I’ve a great Autumn of knitting lined up for you with exclusive features and patterns from our craft leaders Susan Guagliumi and Nina Miklin together with popular favourites Helen Lewis and Karin Rogalski. Until next time, happy knitting.

NEXT ISSUE

September 2019Subscription copies sent out Thursday 1st August

On sale Thursday 8th August