Today is probably the biggest day in Knitty’s 13-year history. Today, we have transitioned from a magazine fully funded by advertising to a magazine funded by advertising and our readers.
This is where we’d have that silly record-scratch sound effect, if we were a TV show.
But this is the truth: we need your support to continue to publish. Frankly, we’re pretty nervous to say that out loud. It is, however, the truth. Advertising-supported publishing has been on a declining path for 7 years, and it’s finally come to a point where we need our readers to step in and help.
We’ve launched a Patreon campaign, which is like an ongoing Kickstarter that allows you to support whatever it is you love. (We hope you love us.) In exchange for as little as $2 per issue (aka $8 per year), you get rewards beyond the continued existence of Knitty. All the details are here.
The great news is that there are a lot of you! And as the cliche goes, we can solve this thing by attacking it with VOLUME. Lots of little donations add up to Knitty being here for years and years to come. Bigger donations get you more goodies and help us even more.
What if you don’t want to contribute? That’s okay. We’ll be here as long as we can, and we will always be free to read.
What if you can’t afford to contribute? We still love you. Not everyone has the means to send in a pledge, and we would never penalize anyone for their financial situation or decisions.
Although this, outwardly, means no change to Knitty except the possibility of us growing stronger, continuing to pay our staff and contributors a fair wage, getting technologically more sound, robust and current, and ensuring our future, we expect that some people will be upset by this decision. Such is life. We think Knitty is important to the worldwide knitting community, and that there are enough readers who will be excited by the possibilities of a reader-funded Knitty that we’ll be able to meet our financial goals at some point in the near future.
We also think that, in the face of the online advertising decline, many (if not all) ad-supported online endeavours are going to have to change in order to survive. We welcome other creative platforms to explore the possibilities Patreon can provide them. Paying to support content creators is how those content creators will keep producing what it is you love, and how you as a content consumer can keep your favorite sources alive and vibrant.
Thank you for your support and love over the last 13 years.
Here’s to another 13…and counting!
Like all Deep Fall issues before this one, we have packed our favorite season full of cozy, wearable goodness. Our cornucopia (ooh, a harvest-season reference!) runneth over with cardigans and pullovers and more accessories than you can shake a warty gourd at.
We're also thrilled to welcome our newest columnist, the esteemed teacher Lorilee Beltman, who will be taking over Techniques with a very new perspective. Lorilee is all about smart, efficient knitting and she'll be walking you through several different options for a selection of patterns in every issue, following a common theme. This time, she's tackling our favorite Judy's Magic Cast On, to be used as a provisional cast on.
There's lots more to read -- LOTS. And we hope it brings you happiness and lots of knitting pleasure for this fall season.
Much love to you,
Amy Singer
[editor, Knitty]
photo: Amy
Singer
Winding down and gearing up
Fall is my favorite season. Iit inspires me and energizes me, school starts, big fiber shows happen. But I also get a feeling of winding down. The year is three-quarters of the way over and I feel the need to tidy up things, more than in the spring. I dive deeply into my stash for spinning, look at old spinning goals and ideas to see what I’ve missed, generally finish up, or decide not to finish. There is something deeply satisfying in doing all of this.
My Knittyspin column came from my mental tidying up this issue. I’ve been playing with color and fractal spinning for a bit and have had on my spinning to do list for a bit this question, "gradient fractal?". So this issue I explore spinning a gradient colorway spun fractally.
Knittyspin also has a perfect fall sweater — Hopoholic by Rachel Brown — cozy and effortless to wear and will show off a favorite colorway to perfection.
Do you rev up or clear out in the fall? Either way I wish you Happy Spinning!
If you have an
idea for a project or article for
knittyspin write me.
Knittyspin submission guidelines
are here.
If you have fiber,
spindles, books, or other spinny
products or tools that you'd like
us to review, you'll find information
how how to get your products in
to the hands of our reviewers here.
I love to talk about it all.
