Magazine Splurge

The latest batch of craft magazines arrived in my local newsagency
so I splurged!

Left to right: Better Homes & Gardens Your Knitting & Crochet Collection 2016, Interweave Crochet Summer 2016, Crochet Essentials No. 1.

This photograph (above) sums up my fortnight:

A little splurge on some magazines and finishing a rainbow scarf which you can see pinned to the blocking board. 

 

Magazine Details

Better Homes & Gardens
Your Knitting & Crochet Collection 2016
Edited by Julia Zaetta and published by Pacific Magazines Pty Limited, Media City, 8 Central Avenue, Eveleigh NSW 2015, Sydney, Australia.
Ph: +61 (02) 9394 2000.

Last year, I first discovered a special knitting edition of Better Homes & Gardens magazine which must have been a success because another one has been published this year.

It is packaged with a set of 12 mm plastic knitting needles and a plastic 5.5 mm cable needle because this issue features knitted cables.  Like the 2015 edition there are detailed instructions about how to knit and crochet.

It is a bumper issue for people who love to knit and crochet with 61 patterns. Crochet is  represented this year with 15 crochet patterns on offer.

The crochet patterns use hooks ranging in size:
2.5 mm (toys, dummy pin)
3.5 mm (toy, cosies, girl's jacket)
4.0 mm (blanket, cushion)
4.5 mm (throws, trivet)
6.5 mm (throw, furniture socks)
19‒20 mm (throw & cushion)


Interweave Crochet Summer 2016, Volume X Number 2
Edited by Marcy Smith and published by F+W Media Inc.,
4868  Innovation Drive, Fort Collins CO 80525-5546, USA. 
Ph: +1 (800) 272 2193.
crochetme.com, interweave.com, fwmedia.com

I will declare right now that I have been a fan of Interweave Crochet ever since it began. I love the innovative design ideas to be found and the challenge of different specialist techniques alongside basic crochet.  

The Summer issue has a beachy theme in which one can find crocheted swimwear, wraps, bags and light projects such as lace and jewellery which are not too hot to work in the warmer months.

My only criticism is that the text has been shrinking, getting finer and harder to read in recent years (squeezing eight lines of text into a space that used to contain six).  I suspect the push to move to digital is on but I hope Interweave does not neglect those readers who prefer a physical printed-on-paper magazine instead of a screen.

Digital technology may allow typesetting at finer tolerances but there are still limits to what our eyes can handle.  Reading crochet patterns should not be a chore.

 
Crochet Essentials 01
Edited by Debra Hudson and published by Practical Publishing International Pty Ltd., GPO Box 1457, Brisbane QLD 4001, Australia.
Ph: +61 (07) 3855 3281
www.practicalpublishing.com.au

Self-described as a 'bookazine' (a term which bemuses me–is it a book or a magazine?*). This is Issue No. 1. Perhaps the publishers don't know whether they will publish another and thus can't decide upon whether it is a book or a magazine! Why not call it a 'special issue'?

I think it is funny that someone with language expertise like an editor needs to come up with a fanciful term when there are plenty of existing words to use that are more precise descriptions.*

Even though this magazine lists its head office in Sydney, it looks like it was designed and published for the UK and has been 're-badged' for Australia. The majority of the featured designers are from the UK with a few from the USA and one from Greece (none from Australia).
 
This magazine uses UK terms (as used in Australia) and includes Australian content (editorial and advertising) but the suggested yarns are all from the UK and Europe except for one from the USA. 

Many of these yarns would be difficult or expensive to obtain in Australia without shopping internationally online.   I would prefer to support the local yarn/craft industry and purchase from Australian suppliers.

The news column "The Round Up" lists some Australian online retailers of ready made items but it is disappointing that a magazine dressed up to look Australian featured no Australian patterns or designers.  

I was surprised with the lack of advertising and wondered how this magazine will sustain itself: only four Australian advertisers but each with a full page ad.  I wonder whether this will increase in future issues or whether the retailers featured in the news section were paid advertisers as well.

This magazine is filled with attractive, simple projects; mostly toys, homewares and small accessories with one ladies' cardigan. It is neat, colourful, printed on good quality, glossy paper and bound with a glued spine (not staples).

For beginning crocheters, basic crochet techniques are listed in the back.  
  
I haven't tried any of the patterns yet but the pattern for a granny square bag has an omission. Colour numbers are suggested for a DK weight yarn but the name of the yarn is missing! I also noticed a typo in the name of the Zpagetti yarn by 'Hoooked': it should have 3 letter Os but only 2 are printed. 

For the sake of the designers' beautiful work, I do hope the pattern instructions have been thoroughly tested and proofread!

Lupey Loops is a personal blog.

The views expressed here are entirely my own.  

*Definitions

book: noun a written or printed work of some length, as a treatise or other literary composition, especially on consecutive sheets fastened or bound together. 

journal: noun a daily record, as of occurrences, experiences or observations; diary; a newspaper, especially a daily one; any periodical or magazine, especially one published by a learned society.

magazine: noun a periodical publication, usually bound and with a paper cover, containing miscellaneous articles or pieces, in prose or verse, often with illustrations.

periodical: noun a magazine, journal, etc. issued at regularly recurring intervals.

publication: noun the act of publishing; that which is published, as a book or the like.

 

Reference

The Macquarie Dictionary Third Edition, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia 1999.

 

Related Posts on Lupey Loops

"BHG's Knitting & Crochet Collection", 28 May 2015: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/bhgs-knitting-crochet-collection.html