Kerrie's Place

I just wanted to say as a newbie knitter I love MagKnits and am currently working on Chris Behme's tank of many colors.

The only question I have is do you have a pattern errata page? I think there's a typo in the tank pattern (p3tbl should be p2tbl, yes?) yet I can't find any mention anywhere and have no idea where to look or ask on Chris Behme's blog.

Thanks.

you do a great job - but like anything public it is not going to please everyone at the same time. There are some ace patterns in MAgknits, and they are free, what is there to complain about! Congrats on serving our community!

Hi Kerrie,

Another lurker coming out to say that I appreciate the efforts of everyone who contributes to the magazine.

I was so excited when MagKnits first started and could hardly wait for each new issue. Imagine my delight when MagKnits became a monthly publication. I, and I dare say most others, were ecstatic (and amazed) with the prospect of so many free, fresh and varied patterns being available so often. I haven't yet knit anything from MagKnits, although I love, and have saved quite a few of them, but I enjoy looking at the patterns and seeing other knitters' ideas and hard work. I, for one, am grateful and I'm sure I'm in good company.

I am sorry so many people make it more difficult, and that I haven't stopped in to say thanks before today.

Kerrie, I know i'm late in responding with this comment, but I just have to tell you how wonderful a job you are doing. If anything, I think you are doing all us knitters a service and those who have a problem should back off or offer to help in some way. To me, if you can't make it better, then be quiet. Also, i often wonder how you do it all. I struggle with the little that i do as a SAHM. Finally, this reminds me, sort of, of when I started a magazine for the high school I taught at. It was such hard work. I was teaching myself as I went along how to use adobe Pagemaker, how to publish, how to get advertisers, how to get a volunteer staff, etc. And it was for a very small stipend and a lot of money, a lot, came out of my own pocket to get the magazine off the ground. I then got pregnant and decided to leave at the end of the school year, but I am proud of what i learned and accomplished. and you should be, too! Keep it up! I look forward to your blog every day and Magknits every month! If I could manage my time better, I would love to help. Maybe sometime in the future. Well, I do think that I would have time to maybe copy edit your patterns, etc. but you probably already do that.

What ungrateful buggers - one of them was probably my mother-in-law, who likes to complain about anyone and anything !
You do a fantastic job. Very fantastic !

I'm pretty disgusted by whoever criticized MagKnits for not paying as much as Knitty, and saying that you should feel guilty. Knitty's submissions guidelines are so inflexible, I wouldn't bother even if they paid sixteen times as much. MagKnits is extremely designer-friendly, and my sanity is worth the difference. Really.

I am so glad you wrote this Kerrie, but so sad to hear it. The collective weight of all of that negativity is such a burden, regardless of how able we are to shrug it off. It's depressing to me that people cannot respect the creative endeavors of others without feeling the need to complain about how those endeavors are falling short, in their opinions. I would wager that these are not, for the most part, the same people who are actually trying to give anything back themselves. . . . Otherwise they would recognize the ultimate generosity of your effort, as so many others (though quieter, perhaps) surely do. Keep the faith, my friend.

Kerrie, Sorry to hear that people are complaining like that. I mean they are free patterns by great designers, and if you don't like them, don't make them! Geesh! Some people. You do a lot of great work and it takes a lot of time. Wishing you great luck with your new store, just wished I could visit! Someday maybe. Take care and ignore them!

I work in a yarn store in Wisconsin, and customers bring in MagKnits patterns all the time, second only to Knitty for online sources of patterns. So you must be doing something right!

You shouldn't feel bad about anything. you publish an internet magazine full of free knitting patterns. That's a public service if I ever saw one. And so what if some people don't like sushi? I do. I think it's fantastic. Keep up the good work.

My first reaction was simply OMG; I am truly surprised that so many people would take the time and negative energy to send you emails like that. And to complain about something that is free? Boggles my mind. Some people will always want to rain on your parade. I think it has to do with only being to elevate themselves by putting someone else (and their efforts) down. Not the kind of people you need to give a second thought about. Constructive critisism is one thing, but unsolicited negativity is just not needed in this world of ours. Whether or not I love every pattern you publish (and it would be a rather boring world if we all liked the same things), I support and applaud your efforts. You are actually doing and putting it out there, that's what it's all about.

I missed this yesterday too, or I would have commented sooner.

Kerrie, the world is full of whingers and whiners and their voices will always be the loudest.

Quite how anyone DARE criticise something which is FREE is beyond me.

As for the quliaty of Magknits - you really have no worries on that score. It's great. The range of patterns means there's much I'd never knit, but almost always something I will.

And I'll end with just 3 little words, for you to think about when comparing Magknits with everything else out there - Simply Knitting magazine.

I rest my case ;)

Hi Kerry,
There are people who take no joy in everyday life, people who would complain about their own cooking, but don't listen to them. I have been a loyal MagKnits reader since the second issue, and while not all the patterns appeal to me, the majority of them do. Every issue holds something that makes me want to pick up the needles. There are plenty of commercial magazines that I have paid for that I really didn't care for most, even all of the patterns, but MagKnits holds a little something to appeal to everyone. You're doing a fantastic job! Put a smile on your face, look at how many people do read you and know the majority of us never say anything because we are busily knitting away at all the wonderful patterns you bring into our lives every month!
A very big hug for you and job well done on the zine!

I love magknits, I think its fab, people need to get over their tiny lives, moaning about something thats free; they'll expect you to pay them to read it next.
jeni

OMG i am so sorry for never compimenting you on your hard work.
i love magknits! i love the sushi pattern! even though i may not eat it ever.. not that yarn is that yummy! LOL
i need to make a mental not to thank all the people who edit the free knitting mags on the internet. or anything really that i use.
you're doing great!

Hi Kerrie! I always love looking at magknits, even if the patterns aren't always for me. My only comment would be to add "http://" before the "magknits.com" URL in the email announcement making it a link, so I could click over faster to see the new issue!

Totally obnoxious. I don't understand why people complain about things that have to do with taste- if a pattern is not to yours, don't knit it. That doesn't mean anything is wrong with it or it shouldn't be published- it might be someone else's favorite. I get so frustrated when I read those kind of snarky comments on forums- as if everyone is publishing mags just to please you. Give me a break! Keep up the good work Kerrie, and I agree with the previous comment-- tell them to bite you.

Hi Kerrie,

I love the designs in Magknits: its always good. But you can't please all the people all the time - some have a cheek to complain about things that don't cost them time and/or money. I hope that you wont let this put you off providing this lovely source of free and generally gorgeous knitting designs.

A virtual knitterly hug for you.
Mary

Hi Kerrie

I didn't see this yesterday but I really don't understand people who complain about something that's free - if you've paid for it fair enough but free! They are no doubt the sort of people who complain about Christmas presents. Personally I love it - especially Grumperina's hat and the sushi ( oh and though I don't know of anybody with a daughter who is the right age to have Fragola knited for her that's lovely too ).

Have a great weekend

Charlotte

I am really SHOCKED that anyone has the cheek to complain about a free resource of such quality as yours!
I am fairly new to reading blogs and online knitting, but I find it really EXCITING that people like you are doing your thing and we can all benefit from it - or not - as we wish - that's the point! Do people email FCUK to tell them their new collection is CRAP? CRAZEEEEE!

I just read your blog and I have to leave a note. I absolutely love your magazine. No, that patterns will not be for everyone, but that is what free choice is. You spend so much time and effort doing it, I just wanted you to know I enjoy your blog and magazine. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Oh....Just tell them to BITE YOU!

You do a fabulous job. People are just jealous that you are living the life you love and you have a wonderful family and they probably work at some dead end job and don't have a life.

You hang in there and the rest of us will just have to give you more kudo's to make up for the boneheads!

Boy, I feel a bit guilty for requesting a men's issue now.

I think Magknits is great and although I've yet to try any of the patterns several of them are on my 'to do' list. I included it on a 'cool internet resources for knitters' list that I wrote for my Stitch n' Bitch group.

I'm appalled people write you such nasty comments. I'd like to see most of them try what you do. They should be lucky they even get access to the site.
Complaining about the advertising is plain silly; they should realise that it brings revenue to a free website. It's stupid they don't have two seconds to even think about anyone but themselves. I think what you do is remarkable and I can't wait until each issue comes out! Whatever happened to the loving, caring, and mutually supporting knitscene?

Well done with this issue and all the past issues!

Wow, I had no idea you would be getting that sort of feedback. For what it's worth, I had a look at the new issue and liked it. I think that MagKnits has gone from strength to strength over the last few months - there have been lots of really good, wearable patterns in there. Keep it up Kerrie, don't let them get you down!

I may not love every pattern, but I could say the same about any knitting (quilting, x-stitch, etc) book or mag I read. There are always several that I do love, many that I have made (Sophie 3 times!), and I am always looking forward to the next issue. If Magknits were a print magazine, I'd plunk down my money for every issue. Keep up the great work! Maybe one of these days I'll make it across the pond to visit your new shop.

Heard somewhere that if someone likes something they tell 3 people and if they hate it they tell 10 so those complaint figures would seem to follow the grumbleing pattern. Me? I loved it. and mainly i love the fact that it exisit and that people like me can se free patterns even if we might never have enough hours in the day to knit them. Thanks for all your hard work and boy, would they complain if you stopped, would they ever! :)

I'm so sad to hear that people don't have anything better to do with their time than complain. And if they don't like it, why don't they submit something "better?" It'd be hard for me not to be ugly right back!
You rock! Keep 'em coming!

Crikey ! What's wrong with people ? Don't like it,don't read it/knit the patterns ! It amazes me how some people just love a bitch fest. I'd love to see them do better.
Just keep on doing your thing,regardless of what anyone,including me,thinks !

xox

I am one of those annoying lurkers everyone complains about. Just for the record, I LOVE MagKnits. And I am especially excited about this one. Love the sushi, love the Odessa.

Maybe its' like the old joke about the little boy who didn't talk and didn't talk. His parents took him to all the specialists and tried every therapy, but nothing worked. Then, one day when he was 5, he sat down at dinner and said, "The soup's too salty." His parents exclaimed: "You can talk!" He said, "Of course I can. But until now everything has been okay."

Or maybe the needless complainers don't have anything else to do with their time and energy. Sad for them.

I loved this issue. I've been scoping out colors of silk garden to make the skirt. LOVE IT!

There's at least one pattern in every issue that wis my heart. I'm a picky person! So that's saying a lot. I also hope to send you a pattern or two one of these days, so watch out! ;)

People are strange. It is a FREE pattern, who can complain about that?

Kerrie - Magknits latest is GREAT . Can't imagine why people send in negative comments - such as I want to do with the latest Rowan mag !! - perhaps I shouldn't !! I couldn't wait to download Odessa and have never yet knitted with beads , but am going to have a go now. Keep it up and don't get downhearted . My friend and I were two of the first visitors to your stand at Ally Pally and we might even get to see you at Sawbridgeworth one of these days.

why would people email just to say they didn't like the patterns? I mean can't they realise that's a waste of everyone's time.

I swear knitters can be the bitchest at times, for the silliest of reasons (especially on LJ, which is why I only bother with punk knitters and britknits there these days... you know they have a whole community DEVOTED to bitching about other knitters)

It's great. Some people have too much time and not enough context in which to put it. You bother, I think, because you really, really care about fibre and yarn and design and enjoying life. Please don't stop!