These last few months have been very surreal. But in a good way. In June, I casually told my husband that I wanted to start an online knitting magazine. I asked him for a suggestion for a name. When he came up with Knitty* and a quick whois search confirmed that the domain was available, I just did it. I started this magazine. The rest of the story can be found here.

I didn't really know what I was in for when I took this project on. But as the magazine began to take shape, it quickly became apparent to me that I loved everything about Knitty: the editing process, the people I got the opportunity to work with and the projects they created. I hope as you read this issue that you'll love it too.

So now that the first issue is finished and uploaded, I can stop and thank the people who've helped my baby into being.

First, my husband, who named the baby, and supported and cared for its mother as she went through 4 months of labor.

I also want to thank Kristi Porter for having a sharp, critical eye and a lot of talent [as both a knitter and writer] and for helping with the crucial task of editing the patterns and proofing the magazine. She has been a gift to me, plus she's fun.

Three knitters inspired me to start this magazine with their own work: Kate Wisson, Becky Delgado and Bonne Marie Burns. I thank them for their talent, their enthusiasm and their willingness to share.

It goes without saying [though I'll say it anyway] that i send huge thanks and hugs to the writers and designers whose work fills our first issue.

Finally, I thank my grandma, whose spirit is Knitty's backbone.

Knitty is a web-only magazine, and this affords us several advantages. First of all, we kill no trees to produce it. Yay, us! Secondly, we can update it or make changes as required. And though we've worked very hard to ensure that our patterns are free of errors, no knitting magazine is immune from errata. If you come across an error, please write to this address and let us know. We'll post any corrections in the pattern in bright pink so you can spot them. Also, we'll be able to take advantage of the immediacy of the web by posting late-breaking stories when they happen, instead of making you wait three months for the next issue. We have one such story due several days after our launch. Check the features section.

As editor, I am very interested in what you think of this magazine. What would you like to see in its pages in future issues? What could we leave out? Write and let me know. Or, if it's working [it's been fussy lately], leave your thoughts in the guestbook.

We'll be back with a new issue in December. But don't be a stranger. You never know when we'll drop in something new, just because we can.

*What does Knitty mean? It's an adjective. It means something related to knitting. As in, "I'm feeling Knitty today." But since it's not a real word, it's also about how the word sounds. And the sound of this word exactly embodied what I wanted this magazine to be: fun.