SoHo to Close Knit Simple, Produce Fewer Issues of Vogue Knitting

The current situation in the world has made a lot of companies rethink their strategies and chances of long-term survival, sometimes in ways that probably should have been done before the outbreak.

Vogue Knitting and its parent company, SoHo Publishing, have seen a lot of changes in the knitting world in the past few years, as independent publishing of individual patterns through Ravelry and other venues has cut down on the number of people wanting to buy full issues of magazines or books about knitting. And of course with yarn stores closed and people shopping less in brick-and-mortar stores, there are fewer places available to sell knitting books and magazines as well.

With that and the current global situation in mind, SoHo has announced the closure of Knit Simple magazine and the reduction of publication of Vogue Knitting to, as of right now, to issues in the fall.

“This is where we began almost forty years ago—the brand is too strong and important not to continue,” Art Joinnides, president of SoHo Publishing, said in a newsletter.

The company recently took its Vogue Knitting Live show virtual, and its unknown whether or when in-person events will resume.

The note also announced the news that Norah Gaughan will be taking over as editor at Vogue Knitting, which is awesome. I can’t wait to see what comes next for this storied brand and publication.

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During the summer (which is what it is where I am writing from) I like to share patterns for things that you can knit and use even when it’s warm out. And sometimes they are things you can use when it’s cold, too, like this collection of coffee cup cozies. Because hot coffee is a must almost any time of year.

This simple pattern form Darling Jadore is a great one for beginners and could be a good first knitting in the round project. It uses worsted weight yarn and includes video tutorials if you need extra help.

If you want a perfectly plain cozy that you can jazz up with your own designs, check out the Base Doodle Cup Cozy from Jamie Lomax. This free pattern on Ravelry comes in two sizes (short and long) and is meant to be used with her doodle charts to make it your own. You could also keep it plain, add stripes or design your own motifs to stitch on it.

Most coffee cozy patterns that I see are just sleeves meant to go over travel mugs, but what if your mug has a handle? This pattern from Stacey’s Knit Wits has an I-cord loop and button so you can use it on a mug with a handle or a travel cup. It uses DK weight yarn.

Coffee cozies are a fun way to play with stitch patterns and learn new techniques. If you’ve never knit cables before, this cozy from Purple Wool Co. would be a great first cable project, as it features simple braided cables all the way around. It uses worsted weight yarn and is worked in the round.

Try double knitting to make an extra-insulating coffee cozy with this pattern from Tracy Leming. It includes little color changes so you can get the concept of how double knitting works on a small scale. It also can include a little pocket for a tea bag if you want. This one uses worsted weight yarn and is a free pattern on Ravelry.

Or try stranded knitting with the Love in the Air cozy from Danielle Thuen. It features hearts of different sizes and is worked in sock yarn. You’ll need to make sure those floats are nice and loose so it will stretch to hug your cup. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

They’re also a fun way to add a bit of flair to an otherwise plain cup. KnitnKaboodle Designs has this lovely leaf-shaped cozy pattern, which you could use for hot or cold beverages by changing up the fiber you choose (that’s pretty much always true). It is made in pieces that are stitched together and can be worked in a single color or choose different colors for each leaf.

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