Knitting sets pattern for Future

Magazine firm Future is to cash in on the unlikely boom in the hobby of knitting.

The Bath publisher is launching The Knitter, a new monthly magazine aimed at the more experienced enthusiast.

The magazine will be launched on January 7 and will be the firm's second publication for knitters.

It already publishes Simply Knitting – which was set up in 2005 – along with craft and specialist magazines PaperCraft Inspirations, Scrapbook Inspirations and CrossStitcher.

With an average of 64,000 knitting magazines sold in the UK each month and an estimated six million knitting enthusiasts in the UK, Future says it has identified a niche in the growing market.

It runs a research programme which has established that around one-in-three women has a craft hobby, with knitting being the most popular.

It will be produced in Future's Bath office, with a team of five people and be edited by Juliet Bernard, who has been knitting since she was seven.

She said: "Experienced knitters in the UK have been looking for a magazine that brings challenging patterns to really push their skills as well as inspirational ideas blended with creativity and elegance.

"The Knitter meets this need in the market and as the editor I look forward to bringing knitters patterns by the best designers from around the world."

The knitting magazine market has seen sales go up by 38 per cent in the past year.

Future group publisher Kerry Lawrence said: "The UK knitting market is buoyant."

The magazine will have a cover price of £5.99.