Thursday, September 17, 2015

Review of Taproot Magazine via Lilly My Cat :)

Greetings my friends.  First, let me tell you that we received some much needed rain here in southern California.  That's right, glorious, refreshing, green making rain; over one inch in our area.  The weatherman (& woman) said that we may receive more next week.  We're keeping our fingers crossed...

Today, I'm joining in with my friend Amy at Five on Friday.  And, I'm also linking to Victoria's fabulous Handmade Monday.

I thought I would give you my reivew of Taproot magazine.  I discovered this magazine a few months ago via another blog (sorry, I can't remember which blog).  I subscribed for one year at the exorbitant sum of $27.00 for four issues.  Ah, I remember, why I subscribed.  Do you remember the popular barn sweater? It was featured in issue 11 of Taproot.  I love this sweater and I hesitant to purchase the pattern.  Instead, I thought if I subscribed to Taproot, I would receive another great pattern somehwere along the line.  No such luck so far.
Above is the current issue of Taproot that I received in the mail this week.  I'll tell you why this magazine is popular; is has no advertising.  That's right, each and every page is filled with something that will appeal to someone.


This month's copy came with an address book.  Here's the cover of the address book.  I don't know about you, but this is not a pleasant picture to look at.  It's way out there in my thinking.


 
To my surprise there was a proper pattern for a knitted shawl in the current issue.  But, I'm not sure if I will make it or not.  Since discovering  http://www.ravelry.com/ is there any need for any other place to find patterns?

I'm not trying to be discouraging but I really don't think I have gotten anything out of my Taproot subscription.  Issue 13 and 14 really didn't have anything that I could use (there was a tutorial on how to make your own soap or make crocheted jackets for rocks).  And, sometimes, the art work is really avant garde.  Here's what I think:

1.  The magazine is way overpriced for what is included.
2.  The art work is way out there sometimes. For example, do you like see an artist's rendition of a mother having a child?  Women have children so be it. You don't need to constantly draw pictures of how it happens.  And breastfeeding?  Hey, I had my child in the 70's and the doctor didn't even ask me if I wanted to breastfeed. He said  "you want a shot don't you since you won't be breastfeeding"?  I said "yes"....(he was an old, ex army doctor, by the way).
3.  I kind of feel it's a hippie era wanta be magazine.  Don't get me wrong; I would love to grow my own vegetables, make my own bread from my own ground wheat, dye my cloth from natural plant dyes.  But, today is 2015 and not a lot of people have these resources.
4.  The magazine is headquartered in Vermont.  A lovely state that I have yet to visit. I have wonderful visions in my head of what Vermont looks like.  
5.  It's just a bit too out there for my taste.  Yes, I'm in my early 60's but remember, I was a teenager during the hippie years so I'm not out of tune.  I didn't embrace that lifestyle although many things appeal to me like growing your own food, eating healthy, etc.

I don't think I will renew my subscription.  I live in a ramblin' house on a small lot here in southern California.  I can't have a chicken coop and I can't grow a large garden (unless there's someway it can be hydroponic via my swimming pool) haha.   Seriously, it would be heaven if the pool could be filled in and we could have a proper lawn with fake grass. That would make my husband so happy!

Maybe I've just had a busy week so far and was too tired to really tune in to Taproot.  But, if you enjoy learning things and discovering new ideas, then I suggest that you give Taproot a try.

Before I sign off, Lilly thanks everyone for your good wishes.  She is a healthy, happy cat and always enjoys hearing from you as do I.  If you have time, please feel free to comment.  I do read each and every one.

My best to everyone :)

Pat

15 comments:

  1. Hi I started out thinking the magazine looked quite interesting with it's jazzy cover but I can see from your comments that it has been very disappointing and an expensive purchase. Oh well you gave it a try, time to go back to getting your patterns on the internet. Glad you've had some rain, so have we, shame it just doesn't rain overnight though! Have a good week. x

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  2. Its always nice to read someone else's thoughts on a subscription. I tend to buy the magazine for a few months before committing so that I know it will suit. I have actually just stopped my crochet magazine subscription as it was getting very same each month and I want more for my money. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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  3. What a shame it didnt' live up to expectations - it's always better to count your losses in these cases :) Maybe you can find a magazine you do like and a lot out of to subscribe to :) x

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  4. Oh dear, I can feel your disappointment, what a shame. I did a similar thing with a magazine about blogging. It arrived weeks after I ordered it from US and there wasn't anything in it I didn't know. So disappointing. But how lovely to have a pool.

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  5. Ummm, I've not heard of this magazine, perhaps it is not available here in the UK. A shame you have not found anything in there though. I love raverly for aptterns, but I do also love to have pattern books and magazines, I love turning the pages and printing off from the computer or reading the pattern straight from the screen doesn't really do it for me. But I would not want to be without raverly however!!!

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  6. I was toying with the idea of a Taproot subscription. I kinda like stuff like that because it is all so remote from my own life. I do make my own soap though :-) Have a lovely weekend! I'll send some rain your way, there is always too much of it here. x

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  7. I haven't even bothered to subscribe to any magazine, knit related or not. Just no desire to deal with the waste. With online publishing of patterns so widespread now, you don't really need print copies of anything. I store most all my patterns on 3 devices so I don't loose them. And through an app so it's there if my phone, computer and I-Pad all fail at once! Tell Lilly my pups iNDy and Cooper say Yap!

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  8. Hi Pat! I looked into a subscription to "Taproot" as well, because some of what I saw about it appealed to me, but then opted not to invest in it for reasons I don't remember, but probably reflect your opinions. I'm so glad you are getting rain! We are got some too, and are looking forward to more at the end of next week. Wishing you and Lily and your family a Happy Weekend! xx

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  9. It is a shame that things with your subscription didn't work out as you hoped, but you need to try these things don't you. Live and learn! Thank you for joining Five on Friday. I hope that you have a great weekend!!! Sorry to be late visiting, we have been away and just got back today. xx

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  10. I hate it when I get disappointed in things I have ordered sight unseen. Sorry. So happy you are having some rain. You folks in California have been cheated this year in the rain department.

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  11. Hi Pat thats a shame that you didn't enjoy the magazine but at least you gave it a try and now you know what it's all about. I'm like you I think I subscribed to a crochet magazine and to be honest felt totally cheated because I couldn't really use anything that was in there, these subscriptions are so expensive. Have a great weekend. :) xx

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  12. Mom, you should have been with me in the delivery room a few weeks ago with your watercolors!

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  13. I have never heard of this magazine, but I am glad for the honest review because if I saw it, I might be tempted to subscribe. I have subscribed to some disappointing magazines over the years and aren't they getting so expensive these days! So glad to hear that you have had some much needed rain. Hoping Northern Cal gets some too. The wildfires are so terrible and heartbreaking. Hope you have a lovely week with no more bad magazines :) xo

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  14. Hi Pat

    I thought I had left a comment earlier in the week, but Blogger let me down again!

    I had seen this magazine elsewhere, so appreciated your review. I don't subscribe to magazines as I have found so often that there are only 1 or 2 articles, at the most, that are useful to me, and then I can't bring myself to throw the magazine away after reading it.

    Missy, my cat, says hi to Lilly, and she is glad to hear Lilly is well.


    Barbara xx

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  15. It's a shame that you didn't find the magazine as good as you hoped, I often buy a magazine on a whim - but if I ever see one of these I'll probably pass it by as I agree with a lot of your review.

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