A few thoughts, while I take a break from writing the next Ecology exam...
Knitting magazines: I never look forward much to the spring and summer issues. As I've said, I don't like knitting with cotton all that much. I actively dislike tank tops or sleevless things. Last summer, I was very disappointed with the Vogue knitting - it was all knitting for kids. First off, I don't have kids, don't plan to have any. Second, the designs were mostly so complex and time consuming that I wouldn't make them, not even for the child of a close friend or relative. So I felt like it was an issue wasted on me.

The fall and winter issues are generally the best, as far as I'm concerned.
What precipitated this thought was that I got my first issue of the "new" Cast On (with Helene Rush as editor) yesterday. Now, I had been considering letting my membership in TKGA (the knitting guild of America) lapse because frankly, it wasn't worth the $20 or so a year to me - I don't live near enough to any active guilds. And Cast On, the magazine of the guild, was, frankly, a major disappointment. Most of the patterns were - I don't know, it's hard for me to describe - but they seemed kind of dated or frumpy or idiosyncratic or something. They were boring. And it was all sweaters, all the time. Almost no accessories, which is what I generally prefer to knit. And the yarn choices were often obscure yarns I knew nothing about and was unsure of how/what to substitute, even if I wanted to knit the patterns.

That has all changed. Brava, Helene! The magazine is *so* *much* *better* now. Here are some things about it I SPECIFICALLY like:

1. The designs have more character. They seem more "classic" as well, or at least more likely to be things that will still look good 10 years from now. Because, if I'm going to put in months on a sweater, I dang well want something that won't scream "1998" (or whatever year I made it in)

2. The photography is more professional.

3. The yarns used are more diverse. There are patterns with inexpensive yarns as well as some more obscure ones. There is a pattern calling for Red Heart. I know some of the "yarn snobs" will scoff at that, but I like the thought that maybe someone on a limited income can knit one of the designs for once. And hey, I know what Red Heart is like and I know that if I want to use, say, a Brown Sheep product instead I have a handle to base my substitution is on

4. There are sock patterns. There is a shawl pattern. There are scarf patterns. Yesssss!

The whole magazine just looks more carefully done and produced. 'Cos really, TKGA should have the BEST of the knitting mags, in my opinion. I mean - they are the "official" group of American knitters, so their magazine should be truly great.

I hope Helene gets the support she needs to keep the future issues as good as this one.