New online knitting mag MetaPostModernKnitting arrived on the internet last week with the fashion forward in mind. Complete with great patterns, blog and articles, MPMK is a welcome edition to the online world.

In their first issue, The Knitting Bully contemplates recycling as a fashion trend. The article questions the use of new clothing repurposed right out of the box, and marketed as “recycled,” and rightly so (take a look at that sweater/skirt.) Other outlays in the article are also easy to get behind; ensuring proper use of reclaimed materials and creating an end product that will be worn. But the larger question that isn’t as easy to get behind, is the premise that recycling is detrimental to style.

The Knitting Bully asks “…have we thought about what [recycling] is doing to our style?”

The answer is a million times, yes!

Crafters and DIYers have always repurposed clothing and used unlikely cast off materials in order to create one’s own look and style. It is one of the basic tenets of crafting and DIY. Fed up with mass produced, cookie cutter looks, hyped by big box stores, crafters have cut up, painted, sewed, knitted and printed our way into our own unique fabulous styles. And it has always been at the root of doing so.

Recycling and repurposing has pushed style in a good way. People are always amazed by that unique bag made of fused plastic or cute skirt from old t-shirts. These items are special and distinct and are not found at the mall. If this “trend” helps get the message out about the environment and the three R’s, then good.

Fashion does come and go and regardless of whether or not green will go out of style. I have no doubt that us crafters and DIYers will continue to recycle and repurpose our own look year after year. As the Knitting Bully points out, “Be true to yourself, your beliefs, and your style.”

Each quarterly issue features 10-15 new patterns tailor to each season, as well as columns, articles, interviews, product recommendations and more. One of the consistent columns, titled "Frankenknits," is written by Kristi Porter, in which she chops up clothing, and transforms them into updated items of wonder (perfect for us reuse-loving crafters). Knitty's Fall 2007 issue recently went live, and the Frankenknits column features two handy dress incarnations: one for women and another for baby.

Even after a stint in the pen, Martha Stewart is still as popular as ever. Thankfully, she has been promoting reduce, reuse, and recycle to millions of Americans. For the crafty and DIY among us, Martha's website features a nice offering of denim transformation ideas, all of which are affordable and easy to complete. In the current issue of Blueprint magazine, a spread on denim fashion is featured, along with a couple of fantastic fashion options. First up is their Denim Coverall Dress (shown in the accompanying picture), which can be easily adjusted depending on how long you would like the dress. To complete this project, all you need is a pair of work coveralls (which you could buy brand new, but you can easily find them for cheap at a vintage store), scissors, a sewing needle, and thread. In just an hour, you can have a long-lasting dress for those breezy trips to the beach or cooler days as we venture into Fall.