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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!

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?

Apple Knitting Patterns for Fall and Back to School

It feels like it’s too early to be thinking about back to school, but as I write this my daughter has just a couple of weeks of summer left! So let’s get in that school and fall knitting spirit by looking at some apple knitting projects. 

If you have a 22 needle circular knitting machine, knitting an apple is one of the easiest things you can do. I have an apple pattern over at Our Daily Craft that will take you just a few minutes to knit and they’re a great addition to your fall decor. 

Apple hats are a classic, and whether you want to knit a hat that looks like an apple or one with apples on it, we’ve got you covered. For hats that look like apples check out the rolled brim version from Emma Crochet Design 4 U, which uses worsted weight yarn and comes in sizes for kids of all ages; and the ribbed brim version from Hand Knit Hugs. This one also calls for worsted weight yarn and comes in four kids sizes. Both include a stem and leaf. 

If you’d rather have apples on your hat, try the Red Apple Hat from Little Red Window. This one is sized from newborn to 2T and calls for four colors of worsted weight yarn. 

How about apple socks? You’ll find Ariel Chang’s Apple Picnic Socks as a free download on Ravelry. These use three colors of sock yarn and come in three sizes. Stone Knits also a pair of stripey apple socks that show the inside of the apple. These also have three sizes but they use six colors total, with the main color being a self-striping yarn. 

If you want a little apple accessory for the house, the apple potholder from Nifty Knitter Designs is cute and a great way to practice double knitting. It uses two colors and you’ll find the colors in the reverse on the other side. The pattern only uses about 50 yards of each color of worsted weight yarn, so it’s a great use for odd balls, too. 

Once you’ve got your double knitting skills sorted you can also try the double knit apple scarf from Crow and Chai Shop. The Winter Apples scarf is shown in red and gold, but you can use whatever colors you like. There are apples, stars and random stitches in the design, which calls for DK weight yarn. There’s also a matching fingerless glove pattern.