Best knitting magazine subscription for MIL

[PigeonPie]

MIL enjoys knitting so we thought we'd get her a subscription to a magazine for Christmas (late in the day I know!).

I've had a look and there are a number of different ones around - could anyone help with which would be best for her?

She's a very accomplished knitter and enjoys all sorts of knitting.

Thanks

Anyone?

If she likes difficult patterns and a real challenge you might find either Knitting or The Knitter would suit her best. Some of them seem to be about hats, scarves toys and baby clothes which are fine, if that is your thing, but not exactly challenging for an accomplished knitter. Either of those two would be great if you want to do more complicated stuff with the nicest yarns.

I like simply knitting because it has a nice range of patterns, a cute toy from the same designer (Alan Dart) every month and has more other articles as well as the patterns than other knitting magazines. For example, it has puzzles including a prize one and a couple of regular columns by knitters of different kinds. It also very often has a good free gift. When you're a subscriber, you also get a different edition. It's identical to the newsagents one except that the "please sign up to a subscription" page is replaced by an extra pattern.
I don't work for them, honest

It always has a free gift, I just meant that more often than not they're really good!

If she's an experienced knitter I would really recommend interweave knits. It's an American publication, but is ever so good. You can buy the subscription through a uk supplier. Can't remember who - I'll check now.

Just checked - www.scottishfibres.co.uk

I agree that The Knitter or Interweave Knits are best for experienced knitters.

Too many of the magazines you can buy are filled with scarves, hats and toys. Good fun but an experienced knitter often wants more of a challenge.

How about a Rowan or Debbie Bliss subscription - they are less frequent but much better quality than most of the news-stand monthlies. With a Rowan subscription you get a lovely free gift.

I feel a bit unsophisticated now . But I do love Simply Knitting! I think you could do worse than try a big supermarket and look at the different mags on offer. You'd get a feel for the style of mag your mil would like.

I would agree with The Knitter, it is one of the few magazines that does not talk down to knitters, has decent patterns and good peripheral articles. I would be over the moon with a subscription to that!

I second the Rowan subscription.
As a very experienced knitter, I found the gift magazine subscription I was kindly bought for a couple of years was too repetitive with basic patterns that I never bothered to make & much of the editorial articles were about stuff I already knew.
You don't get deliveries as often with Rowan but the magazines you get twice a year are huge, more like books, & full of interesting often intricate patterns. You also get newsletters, a free gift ( often yarn & a pattern), plus access to lots of extras on their website not available to non subscribers.

Thank you all for your ideas.

I've actually gone for the Simply Knitting one as I could get a copy locally so that we've got one to wrap and send down.

Also, whilst I would love the Debbie Bliss or Rowan (in the unlikely event that I might have time to sit down and knit anytime soon!), I thought that she'd probably enjoy the Simply Knitting one as, whilst she's accomplished she's not hugely sophisticated (and I don't mean that in a horrid way)!

She's done all sorts of things including a beautiful proper Guernsey (which was supposed to be for DH in his younger days), but which fits me and I love to wear (although the DSs complain it's scratchy!), an Arran blanket which is enormous and extremely heavy, and many scarves and lovely jumpers for the DSs.

I will see whether she actually reads it and / or enjoys it and maybe change the subscription to something else next year.

Sorry to be so slow in thanking everyone - it's been quite a week here and I think I could do with at least a week more before Christmas!

Hooray! She can join me in the ranks of the unsophisticated knitter! I want to want "the Knitter" but somehow I am drawn to the cutesy toys and the monthly word search! Hope she enjoys it.

Sounds like you made the right choice for your MIL PigeonPie. I hope she enjoys it.

FWIW, I have just cancelled my subscription to Let's Knit (similar to Simply Knitting but perhaps a teeny bit more funky so not my first choice for MILs) because it was getting a bit samey so it might be worth reviewing your MIL sub in a year. She might find the same thing although it probably took me two years to get bored.

I bought four small, sealed knitting kits from a charity shop with the idea of knitting the items and donating them back to the charity shop to sell on. However, none included the patterns despite stating so on the packaging. Can anyone help me track down the patterns:

Let’s Knit: Woodland Friends
Princess Fifi
Alan Dart: Percy Polar Bear
Daisychain: Flower Brooch

I’m not experiences to knit without a pattern!
Thank you.
Dee

@22DMcN you might have more luck starting a new thread because you have posted on an old message. I checked on Ravelry for the Alan Dart polar bear. It was in Simply knitting 138 from October 2015 or you can buy the patten from Alan Darts website for £3.50. Many libraries have online versions of magazines which you can borrow for free so maybe worth checking if your local library has this service. I noticed my local Red Cross had some of these knitting kits in the window the other day. To be honest you might be better to return them to the charity shop as the little kits are usually a gift with a magazine and the pattern is usually in the magazine so the kits aren’t much use without the pattern. Otherwise there are lots of free patterns on Ravelry that you could probably use the wool in the kits to knit.

Thank you for getting back.
Yes, I realised after I’d posted my message that I’d hitched onto an existing thread. I’m new to this malarkey and last night I became newly registered and posted my first message. Disaster!
Anyway, I shall definitely take your advice and contact the local library to see if I can access the patterns.
Really impressed with the prompt, positive responses I’ve had.
Thanks again.
Dee