Knit'N Style

Customer Rating:
Summary: Too many pattern writing mistakes!
Comment: I subscribed to Knit'n Style for one year.

I purchased a rather expensive summer camisole yarn and pattern kit that was featured on the front cover of June 2007 Knit'n Style. Much to my dismay, I found some very serious mistakes in the pattern that made knitting this piece a discouraging experience.
I wrote to both the Editor and the designer to alert them of these mistakes and received no help whatsoever. In fact, the apathy I was met with was pretty appalling.

Also, a friend of mine started a knitted lounge wear set featured in a more recent copy of Knit'n Style and she ran into some very serious mistakes in the pattern instructions that made her experience with this magazine rather miserable as well. My friend has been knitting for well over 35 years, and is very accomplished.

Please note that the website of Knit'n Style has a page for all the errata (and there is plenty) found in their magazine BUT there is also errata that is overlooked as both my friend and I found out the hard way.

To play Devil's Advocate, it is possible that some very accomplished knitters would be able to figure out how to carry on through the pattern errata and not be too bothered by it. I wish this were the case with me.

So, my final point is this; Knitting is a pursuit that should be enjoyable. It takes some time to knit a project one can be proud of.
If I am going to take the time (and spend the money on fabulous yarn) to handcraft a beautiful knitted piece, why in the world would I risk relying on patterns in Knit'n Style that have been proven to be less than reliable?

My subscription has been cancelled, and my friend has cancelled hers as well.

Sorry Knit'n Style, I just really need to spend time knitting off of reliable patterns that have been properly tested.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Depends on what you are looking for...
Comment: I agree that this is by far NOT the best magazine a knitter could find. But I think I wouldn't go so far as to say 'most knitters find it to be a joke.' For example, there was recently a free pattern from 'Not Just Plain Jane Knits'. She is a serious and respected knit artist and this pattern retails at 25.00 - not to mention that Jane Elliot is hard to find except exhibiting at major knit shows. So, you wade through some pretty redundant and uninspiring offerings, and find a real treasure or two not replicated anywhere else. You occasionally spot an advertiser with a great new yarn, or you see a basic pattern you have somewhere in your stash, and decide to adapt this one rather than dig through all your books. It's not an expensive subscription, I don't hold my breath til it arrives, but I always come away with something and for me, that's enough.

Customer Rating:
Summary: to many errors
Comment: The magazine has a broad range of patterns. Out of 1 year there are about 10 things I want to make. Or I should say I wanted to make- Until I started on the first one.

They have a high percentage of errors in the patterns. One Issue had 13 out of 30 that had corrections. The worst part is, they don't seem to post corrections until a reader has tried to knit the item and told them what was wrong. Which means that unless you want to do a lot of counting, calculating, ripping and reknitting, you have to wait until an issue has been out for 6 months and other readers have found the errors.

I'm working on a cardigan that I plan to give to someone for Christmas, and have found 2 major errors so far. No idea if I will get this done in time and when I get done if I'll have a cardigan or a layette! One more error that causes me to rip it out and start over and I'll find a new pattern or make my own. After spending $130 on angora yarn to make this gift, I'm not going to give up, but the renewal notices I get for the magazine are promptly thrown out.

update- Still working on the cardigan, have pretty much had to start over and redesign the pattern on my own. Still no correction online, but they have added many other corrections for other patterns from this issue. The Corrections sometimes are little, simple ones, but some of the corrections are a total rewriting of the instructions or charts! I have thrown out all of the magazines so I don't get tempted to try another pattern from them.

Customer Rating:
Summary: I must be out of the loop
Comment: Based on negative reviews, either I've been knitting too long to still have good sense, or completely in the dark when it comes to this magazine. It is my favorite, and I do not always follow patterns exactly but use ideas in my own sweaters. I found about 6 cardigans in just the last 2-3 issues (a reviewer didn't find any in a couple years of issues). Re Zimmerman-type designs, you can make any sweater in one or two pieces, change gauge, needle sizes, yarns, etc. Search Websites to give you the basics for free. After 2 years of crochet, I learned to knit at age 8 with 2 pencils for needles, found that quad-ruled pads were great to chart patterns whether plain, fancy, Aran, Jacquard, sideways or you-name-it. I like Knit 'N Style. Thanks for reading this.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Not Funny, & Not Worth It
Comment: I am not alone here when I say that Knit 'n Style is a joke to most knitters. Myself and my knitting friends agree that it's evidence that someone, somewhere, is seriously deluded if they think that these patterns are what the average knitter is yearning to make. I can't help but believe that if you can't get published in a worthwhile knitting magazine then you go to Knit 'n Style. Because, seriously, they'll take anything and try to sell it to poor unsuspecting knitters.

Save yourself the money and flip through this magazine if you see it on the shelf somewhere. You may get lucky and find one pattern that's worth making in a single issue... but then again, you may not. I suggest Interweave Knits, Family Circle Easy Knits, or Vogue Knitting if you want patterns you'll actually want to wear.