Skeinspotting

A New Magazine

The Twist Collective is a new magazine available to knitters online and the first issue Fall 2008 is up. It is what I would call a a designer's magazine. Of course it is suitable for knitters of all levels but it also has the sophisitication and polish that a designer will love.

There are a few differences between this sort of magazine and others you may have seen. Firstly, the patterns are not free. However you do not need to buy a whole issue only to find there is nothing in it that you would knit (especially designers who like to browse all others knitting but might not want to buy all the patterns to knit).

The articles and features are free and the magazine is laid out more like a glossy magazine in print than a website. You will see full colour glossy photos of designs then be able to roll over the images to find out who the designer is and the cost of downloading a pattern. You will also be able to go straight to the shop area to see thumbnails of designs and details.

Patterns on average are around $6 and there will be designers there you have seen and admired before like Cat Bhordi, Marnie Maclean and Cookie A to name
a few.

You will also see advertisements in classifieds sections, but just like a print magazine you don't have to linger on those pages or find them obtrusive if you don't want to. They are open to submissions, but I think the quality will be high and the competition tough. However, the lucky designers who are chosen get the chance to be able to receive a negotiated percentage of their pattern sales.

Although each design is of an haute couture (high end fashion) style and of subtle uses of colours and yarns designed to be sophisticated I have yet to find out if this is just because it is an Autumn issue or whether there will be a place for in it for designs that are challenging and alternative in their concept. A difficult one because if the patterns are designed for sale, then they have to appeal to the mainstream in order to be successful and that can also colour exactly what designers are likely to come up with. I myself would feel far too intimidated to submit at the moment as I am a mere 'baby' for (despite all my efforts) compared with these people!

They are currently working on their Winter issue and if it is as strong as this one, I am looking forward to it. Submissions are closed for that issue, and they are accepting stuff for Spring with a Sep 1st deadline.