Sunday 22 April 2018

Simply Knitting

Number 16 on my 50 Before 50 list is Subscribe to a magazine. I used to subscribe to many gardening magazines when I had my allotment but they all became a bit 'samey' and each month's publication in one particular year was very similar to the same month in other years.


I've read Simply Knitting magazine in the past and have enjoyed it so I thought I'd subscribe to this, however, the first issue of my subscription came with an accessories pamphlet and the first page I opened shows a pattern for Spring Green.


I knit this hat three years ago when it was featured in issue 128 of Simply Knitting magazine with Winter Green as its name. I haven't checked the pattern but it's got exactly the same photo, and it's also listed on Ravelry as Winter Green, so I expect it's the very same.


I just hope that I don't come across any more regurgitated patterns.

My 50th birthday is less than five months away now so I need a final push with the list, there's still lots of things to tick off and I don't expect that I'll fully complete it but it would be nice to tick off as many things as I can.

44 comments:

  1. I have every faith in you Jo to get the list done, I have loads of magazines stored, for my craft, it's handy to be able to get inspiration from them. I am looking at old knitting patterns I have, I want to knit another winter item.

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    1. There's a few things on the list which I know will definitely not get done but I'll give the rest a good go. I try to keep crafting magazines as they contain patterns which I may use one day, and as you say, they're good for inspiration.

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  2. Oh dear, that’s disappointing, you’d think they’d come up with something new!

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    1. There's a couple of other patterns which I seem to recognise too but I haven't gone through all my old magazines to check if they're repeats, I just recognised this hat straight away as I'd knit it.

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  3. The hat pattern is lovely and I prefer it knitted in the gorgeous berry colour you used. I hope you don't get many repeated patterns (maybe they are patterns which had proved very popular previously).
    It's getting exciting now. Fingers crossed you manage to get lots more ticked off your list. X

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    1. I think a pattern can look totally different depending on the yarn or colour you choose. I've still got a way to go with the list but I shall give it my best shot.

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  4. Good luck with your list. That's a shame about the repeated hat pattern. Hopfully you won't come across any more duplucation xx

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    1. There are still lots of other patterns in the magazines so even if there are a few duplicated patterns, I don't suppose it would matter all that much. I do enjoy leafing through a magazine.

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  5. Coo that's a bit cheeky, isn't it! You're doing splendidly with you list, I hope you've got some nice things left to do, not all the horrible ones you've been putting off!

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    1. I think it's a bit cheeky changing the name to suit the season. There's still lots of lovely things on the list, I need to get on with them now if they're going to get crossed off before my birthday.

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  6. Over the years I have subscribed to a variety of magazines, and like you have found that eventually they seem to run out of original material. These days I tend to pick ones with a good gift for signing up. Looking forward to seeing you tick more things on your list!!

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    1. There always seems to be something new in the crafting world, so many original ideas, that it's a bit disappointing that they use the same patterns in various issues. I don't often buy magazines these days but I do enjoy them when I do.

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  7. I stopped all subscriptions to knitting magazines a while back because they just seemed somuch the same. I would get one and fly through it with nothing taking my fancy to make. But recently I was sitting at the bookstore for a few minutes and bought the latest issue of Knitscene, it has some wonderful summer top patterns in it. It is a keeper. Good luck on the rest of your list.

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    1. I find that sometimes you just need to take a rest from magazines for a while and then things can seem fresh again a while later. I used to subscribe to lots of magazines but haven't bothered for some time, I'm enjoying rediscovering Simply Knitting.

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  8. That's a bit disappointing to find a repeat pattern! I hope there are no more. I hope you get the most fun and exiting things on your list ticked off before time is up :-)

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    1. Most of the things on the list are fun and I've enjoyed all the things I've ticked off so far. I'm looking forward to getting as many as I can completed before September.

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  9. Love the hat, I love magazines and often requested them as a present for birthday or Christmas. But I gave them up as there was just so many adverts in them and no real substance to the topics.

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    1. The adverts can be overwhelming in some magazines, there's just so many of them, and often they have nothing whatsoever to do with the topic of the magazine. I've often bought subscriptions for people as gifts, they make a good present.

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  10. Slightly disappointing to find a repeated pattern, but I'm sure many magazines do this. Of course for those who may be quite new to knitting they may not have seen it ... it is a very nice pattern isn't it.

    I'm sure you will get a few more things crossed off of your list before your birthday arrives.

    Hope the new week ahead will be a good one for you.

    All the best Jan

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    1. There's so many patterns and designers out there that I'd have thought they'd easily find enough patterns without duplicating them, but perhaps it's to keep costs down. I've still got a few months to get some more things crossed off my list, it's fun to do.

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  11. How disappointing to find a regurgitated pattern. That's annoying - and also a bit cheeky!! Good luck getting your list done. I'm sure you'll manage. :o)

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    1. I think it's really cheeky changing the name as if it's a brand new pattern. I definitely won't get everything crossed off my list but I'll give it a good go to get as many crossed off as I can.

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  12. My MIL always gave me a subscription to the Good Food magazine, but that too became very samey and lost its appeal. The cost of shipping etc out here now makes it far too expensive as they charge soo much more and I never received free gifts. Hope you enjoy your magazine and find lots of inspiration in future copies. Good luck with your list xcx

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    1. I think it's the same with most magazines, they run out of content so they begin to get a bit samey. I think magazines are quite expensive anyway these days, you could buy a book for the same price, but I know they're even more so when purchased abroad.

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  13. Oh how annoying that the first issue you get has a pattern from before. I can remember you making this hat for Eleanor.
    Fingers cross this improves in the forthcoming issues.

    Mitzi

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    1. I literally opened up the pattern booklet and this was the first thing I saw, it didn't bode well. I recognise some of the other patterns too, though there's nothing else that I've knitted so that's okay.

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  14. I'm a bit of a tart when it comes to magazines in that I tend not to stick to one but buy whatever comes with the best gift. This is particularly worthwhile with sewing magazines as they sometimes give two or three dressmaking patterns away with a copy which definitely justifies the cover price. I'm going to do a bit of loitering in W.H. Smith when I'm over in a few days to see what I can find. Otherwise, I do find craft magazines, in general, a bit samey if you take one regularly. Still, you've ticked it off your list.

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    1. The free gifts of patterns with sewing magazines sound worthwhile. I don't often make up the free gifts which come with knitting magazines. There's so much choice these days where magazines are concerned that we can shop around and find whatever works for us best.

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  15. I used to buy all the cross stitch magazines many years ago but stopped when i realized that i was very rarely stitching anything from them, and as you say many of the patterns and charts are just repeated. Now it is very rare that I buy a magazine, it's very naughty of them to re publish the hat pattern again with a new name, these magazines are not cheap and the least you can expect is new patterns when they are charging so much.

    Good luck with crossing some more things off your list before your birthday.
    (PS would you mind emailing me your address?)
    Have a good week

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    1. I think many of us are of the same mind where magazines are concerned. This subscription is a little treat to myself but as for one off magazines, I rarely buy them these days. I'm definitely going to make more of an effort to make things out of these magazines because, like you, I don't usually use many of the patterns. I shall drop you an email.

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  16. You're doing so well with your list. I will be 40 this year and probably should think about doing something like this before it's too late. I love magazines but have decided to let at least one of my sibscriptions go this year, it's just not relateable and it feels too much like the others in some ways too, so I didn't renew when it came due. I still have three others, though, so plenty of magazines for me. :)

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    1. I've heard of so many people with big '0' birthdays this year. I don't think I'd be able to keep up with as many magazines as you do, I have to set time aside to read just one each month otherwise I'd get behind with that. I do enjoy them though, they're so different to a book in that you can just dip in and out of them.

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  17. Getting the same pattern three years later must have been annoying! Oh....good luck with your list, I shall look forward to hearing what you manage to tick off over the next few months.xxx

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    1. I think it's a big cheeky really regurgitating the patterns in this way with a new name. I'm going to make an effort now to get as many things ticked off the list before my birthday, there's still a way to go.

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  18. I'm rather surprised that there's a repeat pattern in the magazine. Knitting patterns are one thing that there never seems to be a shortage of and new patterns are constantly coming out. I have so many in my Ravelry favourites that I'll likely not be able to knit them all up.

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    1. I suppose reusing patterns is a way for them to cut down costs but I think it's quite naughty really because, as you say, there's so many patterns being published all the time. I can get quite carried away when looking through Ravelry, there's so many lovely patterns on there.

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  19. I found the same issue with the gardening magazines once you got 12 months worth they were repeats. Disappointing to find a repeat in the knitting magazine, I stopped my subscription to a crochet magazine, as there were many repeats.

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    1. It must be the same with all types of magazines. It's a shame really as there are so many ideas out there. New patterns are being released all the time and there are some wonderful designers.

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  20. As soon as I saw that photo of the model I thought it reminded of Eleanor's hat so when I scrolled down and saw her photo I laughed out loud. I hope you find some lovely originals things you want to knit.
    Lisa x

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    1. That pattern was the first one I saw as I opened the first magazine of the subscription, I wasn't impressed. I'm sure there'll be plenty of other lovely things to knit.

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  21. Ah, I remember you knitting that hat & always thought it so nice. Your knitting prowess showed it beautifully done. I've found with quilting magazines (amongst others), do quite often cover the same old ground & I borrow most of the crafty ones now from the library. Admittedly, they don't keep all available, but it's one way of browsing without paying to see what you've already seen in the past. Take care & enjoy the rest of the week.

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    1. I must admit that borrowing magazines from the library is something I haven't thought about, I must enquire and see which magazines they lend out.

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  22. Your version of the hat is lovely and so beautifully modelled too.
    I don't buy magazines any more, like you I found the same things in the time and again.

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    1. I like to look inside magazines before I buy them usually but I think publishers have become wise to this and many are now sealed inside plastic bags so you don't get the chance to look before you buy. I think this will be the last subscription I take out.

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