If you haven’t yet got your copy of the latest issue of Simply Knitting, why not pop out and get it today?

Last year it was wonderful to meet you all at our Stitch & Craft Show in London, and I am hoping to see many more of you this spring! We’ll be there on our ‘Knitting Live!’ stand where you can come and join us for some fun workshops, drop in and listen to speakers, and look at some beautiful displays. Not to mention taking advantage of all the lovely shopping that will be available, of course...

We hope you’ll get involved with the Knitted Miniature Village competition, too. We’d love to make this a really amazing display, so if you can – get knitting! You could even be in line for some wonderful prizes if your entry is judged a winner.

Simply Knitting issue 90 appears in shops today, packed with patterns, ideas and tips to help you get the most from your knitting life!

You never know how the decisions you make are going to turn out. One of the interesting things about meeting knitters is how knitting has changed their lives, whether in large or small ways. Some would say it hasn’t done anything for their bank balance! We know a few people who pretty much lived their lives dressed in black until they started to knit. Now, having deliberated over variegated yarns in various electric hues and oohed and aahed over fibres from alpaca to acrylic, they’re far more inclined to include a touch of colour in their outfits.

In the ‘A Hint of Sparkle’ pattern for the blue mittens pattern in the Hats & Mitts booklet that came with Simply Knitting issue 89 we said 3.75mm needles  in the ‘You will need’ section, and 4mm needles in the pattern. Sorry about that! 

The correct needle size is 4mm.

The Christmas holidays are finally over and we’re all back in the Simply Knitting office again. It feels strange to be here after more than a week away – everyone’s looking a bit dazed and confused! Hopefully after a large coffee we’ll be feeling ready to face getting stuck back into laying out pages, writing features and checking knitting patterns.

We’re excited about a new year of knitting adventures, from events such as the Stitch & Craft Show, which takes place in London from 15-18 March, to colourful new knitting patterns to tackle. The magazine will have plenty to keep you busy over the coming months! 

It may only be December, but to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the knitting highlights coming up, this is our February issue! As a result you’ll find lots of romance-themed news and patterns throughout the magazine, and our cover gift this month is a set of six heart-shaped buttons, plus a free Sweet Hearts pattern book. 

We’re delighted that we’ll still be supporting Refuge as our charity throughout 2012. If you didn’t get a chance to make a blanket in 2011, now is your chance to join in the fun, and make a real difference. Go to www.justgiving.com/refugeblankets to download patterns.

We also have some fab competitions this month, including the chance to win pampering lanolin-based toiletries from Romney March Sheep Farm in Kent, and tickets to the Creative Crafts Show at Malvern (1-3 March) and Wonderwool Wales (28-29 April. 

In Knit One Purl Fun find out how Miriam got on at Susan Crawford’s trunk show in at Marmalade Yarns in Frome, and discover how knitting keeps long distance lorry driver Addy Osbourne smiling through the miles. We also share our reviews the knitting websites and books that have caught our eyes, and offer advice on all the knitting techniques you’ll need to tackie this issue’s projects. 

Simply Knitting 88 hits shops today so make sure you get your copy!

We’re already looking forward to the beginning of 2012, with our fun list of knitters’ New Year’s resolutions on page 48, (not one of them involves giving up chocolate!).

This issues free gift is a pair of superlight 7mm needles, ideal for making many of the patterns in this issue of Simply Knitting, as well as in your free Cosy Home pattern book. 

Designs we love include Alan Dart’s magical wizard, Amanda Jones’ irresistible Dachshund sweater, an exclusive Timmy Time jumper for kids and Martin Storey’s cosy on-trend cape.

We discover how a group of South African knitters have been helping local women, talk to Maria Losch about her passion for recreating works of fine art in knitting, and chat with Debbie Bliss about her knitting life.

Simply Knitting 87 hits shops today so make sure you get your copy! This issue’s free gift is a beautiful shawl pin, perfect for wearing with the shawl patterns on page 9 and page 73.

This month, we’ll mostly be counting down the days to Christmas and knitting last-minute gifts for everyone!’

Christmas is the perfect time to say thank you to all the people who make a difference in your life. And what better way to say it than with some gorgeous hand-knitted treats?

In this issue, we have plenty of fun patterns and ideas for last-minute Christmas makes, to tempt your needles into action.

Brrr, the British southwest’s a cold place to be today. I woke to a world whited out by fog, and the view from the office window is still thickly shrouded. It’s filled me with a craving for soft, warm, knitted things: gloves and scarves and hats please!

In fact, the main thing I’m coveting right now is a pair of wristwarmers. Mittens are snuggly but not always practical, and even gloves are cumbersome when trying to slip train passes from their plastic wallets into barriers. Wristwarmers, protecting the main part of the hands but leaving fingers free for tricky tasks are ideal!