The Times They Are a Changin'

It's very easy not to appreciate something (or someone) until it is no longer around. This is sadly the case with Magknits.com. After four years of operation Magknits has closed their site for good citing lack of funds, support, etc. I never really thought myself a big fan of the site until I found it had closed. The way I stumbled on it was looking through my bookmarks on my computer and trying to pull up a pattern for a scarf that caught my eye months ago. Well, along with new content the archives of past issues are goners too. Oddly, the project I was taking with me to TNK (Tuesday Night Knitting) today was my Jaywalker Socks which were a Magknits pattern.

As a sidebar, I have to post pictures of those socks cause you will love 'em!

So back to Magknits. I guess I always thought of them as Knitty.com's less sophisticated cousin and didn't give them as much credit as might have been due.

Another unfortunate discovery is the lack of free patterns that KnitPicks has been generating lately. I remember a time not so long ago when getting that catalog meant hopping online to download at least one free pattern. After their website got revamped last year I swear for a short while it said something along the lines of "patterns for you cheapskates" at the top of the free pattern section. That ticked me off a bit. Actually it really ticked me off. Because while they claim to be so affordable they are getting some real competition these days as more brands are producing nice yarns that are actually affordable. Also, when I order from KnitPicks I always do the same thing. I think,'Ah, everything is cheap so I should get 10 of them. Oh, and two of these too!' And I end up spending $50. So I'm plunking down my cash and yes, I have come to expect those couple of free patterns now and again. They did promptly remove that idiotic line from their site. I'm sure someone realized people weren't going to spend there money somewhere that insults them.
So here we are without Magknits and with KnitPicks dropping a couple of crappo patterns every six months instead of producing beauties like the Moc Croc Socks and the Candleflame Shawl. I guess the best we can do is try to let this be a lesson. Hang on to the things you hold dear. Give them the importance they deserve. Go hug a friend. Go hug your stash.

Slick New Sticks

Wooo knitta! After starting yet another project on circular needles, not having the right gauge/length combination, running out at 9 pm to Hobby Lobby, and ending up with a crappy curled up Baleen circ that stayed coiled up like a stubborn cobra I finally broke down and treated myself to the starter set of KnitPicks Options wooden needles. Back when I very first started knitting and had no one to compare notes with and no experience I tried the cheapo interchangeable needles and was very unimpressed. Well this is a whole new ball game. These lovelies have a great cable that popped right out of the bag and unrolled ready to get to work. The joint feels as smooth as a standard high end circular and there is a little key to tighten the tips and make sure they don't come loose while you're in your knitting groove. And of course, what caught my eye in the first place, the needles themselves are made of satin smooth rainbow colored wood. If you keep up with my banter you know my preference for wood and these simply take the cake. So there's only one question- why am I spending so much of my Friday free time extolling the virtues of these needles and not curled up in a fit of stitches? Go get you're own set! I'm off to knit!

Options for All

My knitting buddies have all been raving about the new KnitPicks Options needles line. I haven't gotten any for a couple of reasons. When given a choice I usually reach for straight bamboo or birch needles. I know a ton of people who swear by Addis and circulars but I like my sticks. I like wood. It gets warm in your hands. It has a memory to it. It gets smoother the more time you spend making each tiny stitch around it. The longer you keep them the better they get (except in the case of long bamboo ones which I tend to bend all crazy like). I like things like that. Old friends and worn in jeans and my smooth shiny wooden needles. So I clicked over to KnitPicks on a whim today and lookee there. I guess there are other knitters out there like me because they have introduced the same set with wooden tips. And not only are they birch tips on that much harolded interchangeable purple cable but they are cool multicolored wood. I may be converted to circulars yet. Oh be still my quaking wallet.