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Get Digital Downloads of Craft Magazines

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craft magazinesSometimes I can really see the appeal of digital magazines. I have let a lot of my subscriptions lapse because I don’t have time for all the magazines I used to get, but I need to get knitting magazines (hello, business expense!) and I enjoy looking at magazines in other crafty disciplines, too.

But then I end up with the mess that is my office, with stacks of unread magazines all over the place. I’ve been cleaning out lately and there’s a giant plastic tub in my closet full of nothing but magazines that need to go to the recycling center.

How much easier it would be if those issues just took up residence on my computer’s hard drive or on my iPad instead?

Well now I (and you) have an easier way to find out if we’d like this approach. Craft Magazines allows crafters to download digital issues of single copies of some of your favorite crafty periodicals and digitally subscribe to others.

Many of the magazines available are the Interweave publications, and they’re currently on sale: $5 off any special issue valued at $10 or more. Get the new knit.wear (which I just bought a paper copy of yesterday) for $9.99 instead of $14.99, or the new Fall Knitscene (which came out yesterday) for $2.99.

In addition to the Interweave publications, you’ll find Knitter’s for $5.99 an issue or $20 for a year (four issues) and the British knitting magazines The Knitter and Simply Knitting cna be had for $6.99 an issue or $64.99 for 13 issues. You’ll also find pubs like Mollie Makes, Do it Yourself, Australian Homespun and many more. It’s not an exhaustive list of crafty pubs, but if you’re a fan of digital delivery this is a good place to start.

Downloads will work on your PC or Mac, on the iPad (but not yet the iPhone), in the cloud and on Android devices. Downloads are immediate and most can be read immediately (I picked one, Mollie Makes, that says it requires an updated reader, so I’ll have to look at that one later). The site is part of Zinio, so if your’e at all familiar with that platform you’ll be ready for crafty inspiration in no time.

So, I downloaded a couple of things and will have updates once I’ve perused them. My worry with digital magazines is that I’ll never get back to them because there’s nothing physical to remind me of their existence. That’s why I only bought single copies instead of subscribing to anything. But it could be a good way to try some new magazines out or get special issues you might not be able to buy off the rack where you live.

Do you get digital downloads of any crafty magazines or books? What do you think of them? Spill it!

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Comments

  1. About that tub of magazines… I take mine to my local library and donate them. I get a tiny tax write off, and they sell them to raise money for more books or other library necessities!
    Oh, and I don’t like digital craft magazines as much as the paper ones, but they sure save a lot of space (and trees!)

Have you read?

Summer T-Shirt Knitting Patterns

Knitters are always looking for ways to continue to knit and to wear their knits even when it’s hot outside, so there are tots of great T0shirt knitting patterns to choose from. I love knitting short-sleeved shirts because they feel so much faster than sweaters, and you can wear them on top of dresses or even longer-sleeved items when it gets cooler.

There are lots of different styles of knit tops, from the basic to the more detailed. On the more basic side are things like the Perfect T-Shirt from Originally Lovely, a basic raglan tee with nine sizes and worked in worsted weight yarn; Paper Bloom by Yvonne Hugo (free on Ravelry), available in six sizes and worked with cotton and silk yarn for extra coolness; or Iris H’s Amelia Top, also on Ravelry, a slim fit, DK weight top with nine size.

Jazz it up with a bit of lace like on the Athens Lace Hem top by Sarah Hatton (Ravelry). This otherwise simple project has a bit of lace at the bottom, which is an easy way to make a project more interesting without a ton of work. This one uses fingering weight yarn and comes in nine sizes.

Another simple embellishment is to emphasize the lines of your top with different stitches. The Spring Lines top uses twisted ribbing at the center front and V-neck and along the raglan lines to give it a slimmer fit and more interest. This design from Turquoise Toque Designs has 11 size options and is available on Ravelry.

Silfurberg by Joji Locatelli uses both of these elements, with lace panels at the center front and back and purl ridges throughout to make it a little more fun to knit and to wear. The pattern uses fingering weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes. Learn more on Ravelry.

Keep it simple or add puffed sleeves (and/or long sleeves) to the slim fit Knitty Committee top by Lily Kate France. This one has two length options, waist shaping and optional bust darts to fulfill all your curvy top dreams, and it comes in nine sizes. You’ll find it on Ravelry.

Take it even more romantic with the Daphne Top from Friday Knits, which has puffed sleeves and applied I-cord to emphasize the bust and sweetheart neckline. It comes in eight sizes and uses DK weight yarn.

Or add some sweet flowers with the Gigio pattern from Emilie Luis. This pretty pattern found on Ravelry has cable panels running up the front with the option for adding sweet embroidered flowers. You can also add decorative buttons if you like. It comes in 11 sizes and calls for sport weight yarn.