The UK now has an astonishing 6 knitting magazines being published regularly and available in major high-street newsagents. These are: Knitting, Knit Today, Simply Knitting, Lets Knit, Yarn Forward and The Knitter.
The most recent are The Knitter (first issue on sale this month) and Yarn Forward (which has only just reached the shops but has been available online for a little while). Well I dashed out and bought my copy of The Knitter almost as it hit the shelves. It promised to be a source of inspiration for competent and experienced knitters. Well, The Knitter is of a high standard, but I don’t think it has quite hit the mark. I thought a comparison with Yard Forward was in order.
| The Knitter (issue 1) | Yarn Forward (Issue 9) | |
| Cost | £5.99 | £3.99 |
| Patterns | 12 (I’m only counting the cushion covers as one pattern) | 9 (I’ve not counted the chart from the intarsia article as a pattern) |
| Original patterns* | 6 (only half of the patterns) | 9 (all of them) |
| Techniques | Turkish Cast On | Mood boards Intarsia Cables |
| Articles | Two Interviews | Studio Visit Three Interviews Teaching children to knit Giving Something Back |
| Other features | The Knitter Loves… Trends Books Readers’ Letters Gallery of Readers work |
News Things we like Books Knitting on the Net Tales from a Yarn Shop |
* Original patterns are those not taken from a book or yarn supplier’s leaflet.
Both magazines contain interesting patterns. In Yarn Forward there is a chunky cabled coat and a beautiful lace shawl. In The Knitter there is a beautiful cabled and shaped jumper and a simpler cabled jumper with a ribbed yolk.
Both magazines assume a competency in knitting (or at least the ability to use a good knitting reference book). However, The Knitter concentrates on patterns while Yarn Forward has both exclusive patterns and a good selection of interesting articles. Overall I think Yarn Forward has the edge and I’m looking forward to reading it for many years to come.