A Whole New TWIST!- Run for the Needles...Twist Collective Winter Issue

Kate Gilbert's Sweet Pea Coat

I am a magazine junkie...if it has pages I subscribe to it. There are piles of unread issues that I never seem to have time to catch up with and loose leaf notebooks stuffed with pages of design details, fabrics, recipes, wonderful inns, great bags...and of course knitting ideas!

The magazines I always find time for are my knitting magazines, but lately they have let me down...not a lot that grabbed my needles---that was until the Twist Collective

Technically the Twist Collective is not a magazine but a Webzine, you don't flip through the pages...you click through the pages. Now the whole on-line magazine/periodical thing, webzines, has not caught on with me. I still like the feel of the New York Times in my hand, and love to curl up on a rainy day with a pile of unread Vogues and Traditional Homes and Town and Countrys and...You can't curl up with a laptop and you can't tear the pages out!

That is why I was skeptical when I first heard about The Twist Collective--a knitting magazine on-line???? How could that work??? Tuulia Salmela's Cabled Cuff Gloves


WOW... was I WRONG!! This is not your Mother's Knitting magazine!!What a Joy! The new Winter Twist is ready and online and it is just beautiful!! A visual treat filled with lovely articles with the centerpiece of course being the collection of patterns that will have you running for the needles!

Mari Muinonen's Sylvi

Twist Collective was started by a group of creative talented knitters led by Kate Gilbert as Creative Director. The Collective was formed as a way to present wonderful designers' work and feature gifted writers. Patterns are available for sale through the Twist Collective site and I love the instant gratification of my printer popping out the patterns so I can get right to it!

Everything about the issues are refreshing. There are lots and lots of places you can download free patterns but this really is a Magazine. I certainly would pay to subscribe to it so I have no problem with the nominal download charge of $7.00 or so per pattern, plus you only pay for the patterns you want(I wanted everything!).
Jennifer Lippman-Bruno's Heroine

There are no yarn reviews per se or "shop talk"- just lovely verse, fun and informative pieces that you want to read again and again by terrific knitters in the know and writer's who just breath to knit... such as Knitter's Review Clara Parkes, the Mason Dixon ladies, Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne as the "Problem Ladies" offering advice and help and articles such as Melanie Marten's timely "In Defense of Selfish Knitting!-you better believe it!
Connie Chang Chinchio's Broderie

Each yummy page on the Twist Collective has up close details, beautifully photographed by Sadie Dayton, and bits of info... simply scroll over a design for details on materials, the designer and price info. The issues are divided into themed segments---DO NOT miss Critter Comforts featuring the magical watercolors of Eloise Narrigan (Eloise has an ETSY Shop--go visit!)

Pam Allen's Ariosa Cowl

Twist Collective is published quarterly. There is also a monthly newsletter(my only gripe is that there was no newsletter announcing the new issue, at least I didn't receive one) and a wonderful Blog filled with great "behind the scenes" , yarn discussion and tips and talk. Anne Hanson's Fantasia Shawl

Unlike traditional knitting magazines the yarn companies don't drive the content... the designers do! Designers are paid a"healthy" percentage of their pattern sales rather than a flat fee. Yes, there are ads but they are scattered throughout and blend nicely with the content so you are not thumbing or scrolling through pages of ads to get to the meat of the issue-the patterns!
Robein Melanson's Stormsvale

Ysolda Teague's Vivian

Twist is changing not only how patterns are sold and delivered, but also how on line magazines are presented. I hope the publishing planet is watching...it can be done well! Go Visit..Go Play!