Making Stories: Knitting Sustainably

Issue 7: JOY
Coming soon!

Issue 6: Skyward
We’re taking a look upward and beyond as a gentle reminder to not forget to look skyward, to see the beauty above, to take a breath of fresh air.

The 12 knitting patterns we’re so excited to share with you are inspired by everything we see when we take our eyes off the ground – the sky, the clouds, the buildings, the trees, the texture, the light. They’re complemented by the works of our artists and writers who remind us to stay present and connected, no matter where we are and what we see.

Designers featured in this publication: Fiona Alice, Makenzie Alvarez, Elena Solier Jansà, Valentina Cosciani, Emily Joy Rickard, Susan Schädler, Ayano Tanaka, Kjerstin Rovetta, Ksenia Naidyon, Julia Exner, and Audrey Borrego. 

Yarn partners: Isager Yarn, Garthenor Organic, Bouclelaine, Biches & Bûches, The Fibre Co., Gepard Garn, Holst Garn, Laxtons, mominoki yarn, Ulst Wool, Annabel Williams, and woollentwine fibrestudio.

Also: 

• Susan Chin shows us what we can see if we look up in her stunning illustration "Skyward"
• Deborah Stack shares why knitting is not the new yoga and three fantastic tips on connecting with your knitting in her essay "Mindfulness and Knitting"
• Luuanne Chau explores identity and name in her beautiful personal essay "Another Name"

With Making Stories Magazine, we strive to feature companies and makers who focus on sustainability, transparency, fairness and equity in their work.

We love telling their stories and hope to inspire and enable crafters to make conscious and informed decisions about the materials they use and companies they support. 

Previous issues...

Issue 5 / INSIDE NATURE

Explores the hidden qualities of plants and nature to shed a light on the essential role they have for us and the planet.

The 12 knitwear designs featured in this issue celebrate nature in all its glorious ways through texture, shape and form – as do the artists and writers who dive deep into the connection between nature and making in their works.

Issue 4 / SUBVERTING THE NORM 

An invitation to take a look at the craft we love and share as a way of challenging the status quo, changing standards that no longer serve us, and, yes, subverting the norm. 

In its pages you’ll find accessory and garment patterns that do just that by introducing us to a new technique, a unique construction method, a brave design inspiration. Stories about body image, size inclusivity, and queer identity, shared by a handful of wonderful authors and illustrators, invite you to sit down, read, and question.

Issue 3 / GROWTH 

We explore the topic of Growth with patterns that reflect this inspiration both in their stitch patterns and construction. All of them have been selected with an eye towards versatility in wearing as we're entering spring and autumn, both transitional seasons where layering is key.

In terms of editorial content, Issue 3 looks at Growth from a few different angles: It includes a fantastic conversation among a few fibre business owners who share their views on business growth and sustainability, Gaye Glasspie (ggmadeit) dives into what sustainable growth meant and means for her, Alina Jordan explores the depth of Social Media and how its growth has changed her life as a knitter, and Ani Lee opens up about growing to appreciate her body.

Issue 2 / LOVING & CARING

Cosy accessories and comfortable garments that are inspired by loving and caring for ourselves, our community and our planet. We’re delighted to share the extraordinary stories and visual art pieces of our contributors with you, from discovering the love for your body to finding the common threads in your communities and having necessary conversations on inclusion and racism.

Issue 1 / CHANGE 

Thoughtful accessories and versatile garments that are designed with change in mind - change in seasons, in the way we work and live, in our choice of materials. We’re proud to be able to share the fantastic work of writers and visual artists with you with pieces that range from disability and knitting to body image, from queering the knitting status quo to what change means for our lives.

WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT MAKING STORIES MAGAZINE?

We’re (to our knowledge) the only ad-free knitting magazine on the market today. We believe in preserving our independence when it comes to deciding who we feature and work with through not accepting any ads for this magazine. 

We’re printing on 100% recycled paper, one of the few that’s certified not only with the EU Ecolabel and the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, but also with the Blauer Engel certificate. 

We’re keeping production and fulfilment as local as possible, working with Druckhaus Berlin-Mitte as our printer, the first printer to be certified with Blauer Engel, and with Urbanmail as our fulfilment and shipping partner, both here in Berlin. 

WHO'S BEHIND MAKING STORIES MAGAZINE?

Making Stories GmbH is an independent knitwear design publisher based in Berlin. 

We believe in choosing to use resources and capacities, be they human, environmental, social or financial, in a way that can be sustained in the long run. We believe in being aware of and actively reflecting on all parts of our (work) process and communicating them openly and honestly. We believe in treating all living beings involved in our work fairly, respectfully and lovingly and in caring about and for their physical and mental well-being. We believe in not discriminating against anyone based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, health, physical appearance, economic situation, education or any other factor, being mindful of what that means for their lives and their stories and working towards a world where everyone is free to create the life they wish to live.

Details:

• 7.9" x 10.3" x 0.4”
• Approx. 400g
• 136 pages, completely ad-free 

*Note: Issue 2 had originally included an article by Nathan Taylor (Sockmatician). After his behavior online and offline which is deeply at odds with the values we base our work on, we’ve re-printed the portion of the magazine where his article should have appeared so that it does not longer appear. We’ve also put in place additional action steps, from donating 6% of profits of Issue 2 to anti-racism causes to figuring out a way to cover / remove his name from the cover. You can read more about these here.

Images courtesy of Making Stories magazine. 
Photographer: Melinda Dela Costa