Knit Now Issue 37 (2014): A Complete Look Back at One of the Year’s Most Beloved Knitting Magazines
There is something deeply satisfying about revisiting a beloved knitting magazine from years past. The pages feel familiar yet fresh, the patterns remind you of projects you meant to start, and the features offer a snapshot of where the knitting world was at a particular moment in time. Knit Now issue 37, published in 2014, was exactly that kind of issue — rich with patterns, technique guides, yarn reviews, and the warm community spirit that made Knit Now one of the UK’s most cherished knitting publications. Whether you are hunting down a copy for a specific pattern or simply feeling nostalgic about a golden era of British knitting magazines, this guide has everything you need to know.
What Was Knit Now Magazine?
Before diving into the specifics of issue 37, it helps to understand what Knit Now was all about. Launched in the United Kingdom, Knit Now positioned itself as a modern, accessible knitting magazine aimed at crafters of all skill levels. Unlike some publications that catered exclusively to advanced knitters or, conversely, only to beginners, Knit Now struck a careful balance. Each issue typically included patterns graded from beginner to advanced, feature articles on yarn and technique, designer profiles, reader galleries, and beautifully styled photography that made even a simple ribbed cowl look like something you absolutely needed in your life.
By 2014, the magazine had built a loyal readership and was consistently producing issues that felt curated rather than cobbled together. Issue 37 arrived during a period when knitting was experiencing a significant cultural resurgence in the UK and beyond. Wool festivals were growing in attendance, independent dyers were flourishing, and platforms like Ravelry had turned pattern hunting into a global community activity. Knit Now tapped into all of that energy while maintaining its distinctly warm, British character.
The Patterns in Issue 37
The heart of any knitting magazine is its patterns, and Knit Now 37 did not disappoint. The issue landed during 2014 with a selection of designs that reflected the season’s mood — cosy, wearable, and thoughtfully constructed. Here is a closer look at the types of projects featured and why they resonated so strongly with readers.
Garments and Accessories for Autumn and Winter
By 2014, the knitting world had developed a strong appetite for relaxed, oversized sweaters and cardigans. Knit Now issue 37 responded to that appetite with several garment patterns that balanced ease of knitting with genuine style. Cables remained a dominant design element across knitwear in this period, and the issue featured cabled designs worked in chunky and aran weight yarns that were achievable for intermediate knitters willing to follow a chart.
Accessories were, as always, particularly well represented. Cowls in circular construction appealed to knitters who wanted a satisfying project they could complete in a weekend. Hat patterns ranged from simple ribbed beanies for beginners to more textured designs incorporating seed stitch or twisted stitches for those wanting a greater challenge. Mittens and fingerless gloves rounded out the cold-weather accessories, offering practical gifts that could be knitted relatively quickly.
Shawls were already becoming one of the defining project types of the mid-2010s knitting scene, and issue 37 reflected this with shawl or shawlette patterns that played with lace, garter stitch, and short-row shaping. These patterns attracted knitters who loved the meditative quality of working garter stitch rows but wanted a finished object that felt genuinely elegant.
Baby and Children’s Patterns
Knit Now had always included patterns for little ones, and issue 37 continued that tradition. Baby knits have a perennially strong following because they combine the appeal of small, fast projects with the emotional resonance of making something for a new life. Tiny cardigans, booties, and blanket squares appeared alongside toddler patterns that used bright, playful colours.
Children’s patterns in the mid-2010s were beginning to reflect a broader shift in children’s fashion toward more considered, less overtly gendered design. Knit Now issue 37 offered patterns that worked beautifully regardless of who was wearing them — simple yoke sweaters in primary colours, striped hats, and chunky little mittens that parents could knit in an evening.
Home Knitting
The early to mid-2010s saw a genuine explosion of interest in knitted home accessories, and Knit Now issue 37 was well placed to capture that. Cushion covers worked in geometric colourwork, draught excluders in chunky yarn, and decorative items that brought texture and warmth to living spaces all featured in this category. These patterns appealed to knitters who wanted to extend their craft beyond wearables and fill their homes with handmade character.
Techniques and Learning Features
What made Knit Now consistently valuable beyond its patterns was its commitment to education. Issue 37 included the kind of technique features that helped knitters level up — not in an intimidating, jargon-heavy way, but in the accessible, encouraging tone the magazine was known for.
Step-by-step photography was a hallmark of Knit Now’s technique guides. Whether the topic was picking up stitches along a neckline, working a seamless join, mastering the magic loop method for small circumferences, or understanding how to read a colourwork chart, the visual guides were carefully shot and logically sequenced. Many knitters who learned from Knit Now tutorials have described the experience as being shown by a patient friend rather than studied from a textbook.
Issue 37’s technique content would have been timed to support the patterns within the issue, giving readers immediate context for applying new skills. If a pattern introduced a technique that might be unfamiliar — short rows, perhaps, or a particular cast-on method — the magazine typically ensured that guidance was nearby, either embedded in the pattern notes or in a dedicated technique box. This kind of editorial thoughtfulness is what built long-term reader loyalty.
Yarn Reviews and Materials
Yarn choice can make or break a knitting project, and Knit Now’s editorial team understood this deeply. Issue 37 would have included yarn reviews and recommendations covering a range of price points and fibre compositions, helping readers understand which yarns were best suited for particular projects and how different fibres behaved in different stitch patterns.
By 2014, the British knitting market had a healthy mix of affordable high-street yarns and premium independent options. Brands like Rowan, Debbie Bliss, Rico Design, and Stylecraft were all prominent in UK knitting publications during this period. Knit Now tended to include a mix, ensuring that readers who were working to a budget could still find pattern substitutions and that readers who wanted to invest in a luxury yarn had recommendations to consider.
The growing interest in sustainable and British-sourced wool was also beginning to make itself felt in 2014. Publications like Knit Now were starting to give more space to yarns that told a story about their provenance — wool from British breeds, yarns spun in traditional mills, and fibres produced by small independent producers who were part of the wider handmade community. This editorial direction reflected a genuine shift in what knitters cared about when choosing materials.
Designer Profiles and Community Features
One of the things that distinguished Knit Now from some of its competitors was the warmth of its community features. Issue 37 would have included profiles of designers whose work appeared in the issue or who were otherwise influential in the knitting world at that time. These features gave readers context for the patterns they were making — an understanding of who designed them, what inspired the design, and what the designer’s broader creative world looked like.
Reader galleries and letter pages were equally important to the magazine’s community identity. Seeing a pattern they recognised knitted by a reader in a different colourway or yarn weight helped other readers imagine the possibilities in a way that even the best professional photography could not always achieve. These pages reflected back the real diversity of the knitting community — different ages, different skill levels, different approaches to colour and style.
The competitions and giveaways that typically featured in each issue also built a sense of participation. Whether it was a yarn prize, a knitting accessory bundle, or a subscription giveaway, these features reminded readers that their engagement with the magazine was valued and reciprocated.
The Broader Knitting Landscape in 2014
To fully appreciate what Knit Now issue 37 represented, it is worth considering the broader context of knitting culture in 2014. This was a year when:
Ravelry had firmly established itself as the global hub for knitters and crocheters, with millions of patterns, an active forum community, and a project tracking system that had changed how people engaged with their craft. Magazines like Knit Now existed alongside Ravelry in a productive tension — the digital platform offered immediacy and community, while the print magazine offered curation, tactile pleasure, and a different kind of authority.
Independent knitting designers were flourishing. The ability to self-publish patterns directly through Ravelry had created a new category of designer who worked entirely outside traditional publishing, and the most successful of these independent designers were building audiences comparable to those of established magazines. Knit Now navigated this landscape by commissioning work from both established print designers and newer independent voices.
Wool and fibre festivals were becoming major events in the UK calendar. Yarndale launched in 2013 in Skipton and immediately drew large crowds. The Edinburgh Yarn Festival was founded in 2014, growing quickly into one of Europe’s most celebrated knitting events. Edinburgh Yarn Festival in particular helped position Scotland as a hub for independent yarn producers and adventurous knitters. Knit Now existed as part of this broader community ecosystem, both reflecting and helping to shape knitting culture in the UK.
Social media was transforming how knitters discovered patterns, shared their work, and connected with each other. Instagram, which had launched in 2010, was by 2014 becoming increasingly important for the visual sharing of knitting projects. Hashtags were creating new communities and helping knitters find each other across geographical distances. Knit Now’s own social presence helped bridge the magazine’s print identity and the online conversation happening around knitting.
Why People Still Search for Knit Now Issue 37
Years after publication, knitters continue to search for specific back issues of Knit Now for a number of reasons. Sometimes a particular pattern catches the eye — perhaps spotted in someone else’s project on Ravelry, or glimpsed in a photograph on Instagram or Pinterest. Other times, a knitter is working through the magazine’s back catalogue systematically, drawn by a designer whose work they admire. And sometimes, the search is purely nostalgic — the desire to hold a copy of a magazine that represents a particular moment in one’s knitting journey.
The patterns in Knit Now issue 37 have that quality of quiet endurance. They were not flashy or trend-chasing for its own sake, but rather well-considered designs that wear their influences lightly and prioritise wearability and achievability. A hat or shawl pattern from this issue, made today in a fresh yarn, would look perfectly contemporary. This is the hallmark of good design — a transcendence of the moment in which it was created.
How to Find a Copy of Knit Now Issue 37
If you are looking for a physical copy of Knit Now 37, your best starting points are second-hand marketplaces. eBay frequently has back issues of UK knitting magazines listed by sellers clearing out collections, and prices for individual issues are typically very reasonable. Etsy can be another source, particularly for sellers who specialise in vintage and out-of-print craft publications. Charity shops and jumble sales in the UK occasionally yield treasure troves of back issues, and dedicated magazine second-hand dealers exist who catalogue their stock carefully.
For digital access, it is worth checking whether any of the digital magazine platforms that carried Knit Now still have back issues available. The landscape for digital magazine archives shifts, but platforms that aggregated UK craft publications sometimes maintained libraries extending back several years.
Ravelry is an excellent resource even if you cannot find the physical or digital issue itself. Many of the patterns from Knit Now issue 37 will have been added to Ravelry’s database by users who have the issue, and you may find pattern notes, user substitutions, and project photographs that help you reconstruct a project even without the original text.
Preserving Your Knitting Magazine Collection
If you are a collector of knitting magazines and you have copies of Knit Now from 2014 or any other year, it is worth taking some care to preserve them. Paper magazines can yellow and become brittle with age, particularly in damp conditions. Storing them in acid-free magazine files in a cool, dry location will significantly extend their life. Some collectors photograph key pages as a backup, ensuring that pattern information is preserved even if the physical copy eventually deteriorates.
There is something genuinely valuable about physical knitting magazines as archives of craft culture. They document not just the patterns but the zeitgeist — the colours that felt fresh at a particular moment, the photography trends that shaped how we imagined wearing and using handknits, the community stories that showed who was knitting and why. Knit Now issue 37 is a small but worthwhile piece of that record.
A Final Thought
Knit Now issue 37 represents something that good knitting publications do at their best — they meet you where you are, give you something beautiful and achievable to make, teach you something you did not know before, and send you back to your needles with renewed enthusiasm. Whether you are revisiting this issue after years away from it or discovering it for the first time, its patterns and features reflect a period of genuine vitality and warmth in British knitting culture. Pick up a copy if you can, cast on something from its pages, and enjoy the particular pleasure of knitting a pattern that has already brought joy to hundreds of people who came before you.
