Personalising the set-up on the FZ1 has dramatically improved my enjoyment of it this month. Measuring the sag is worth doing no matter what you ride or how. The sag is dictated by the preload, which doesn’t make the shock stiffer, it simply changes the...Read More

Yamaha has announced that its all-new for 2009 YZF-R1 will cost £9,999 when it goes on sale later this year. That’s £1,000 more than the current model. With the pound sterling struggling to hold its own against international currencies, we expect to see...Read More

You can now download Margaret Sherry's V for Voles chart here. Happy stitching!

The Eleventh Doctor will be Matt Smith. After keeping us on tenterhooks for the longest half hour of 2009 so far, a special Doctor Who Confidential revealed that 26-year-old Matt Smith, the youngest ever actor to get the keys to the TARDIS, will be the...Read More

People online have been speculating - apparently with the help of some inside sources - about what planet the Galactica crew have actually landed on, and how it fits into Cylon mythology. Now, this might all be nonsense. But if any of it is true, this could...Read More

Blog Boing Boing draws our attention to this gallery of screen grabs from the opening titles of many B-movies of yesteryear. From Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) to Zontar: The Thing from Venus (1966), via some genuine good'uns like 2001: A...Read More

Tonight’s a big one for British SF and fantasy. Not only will we see the announcement of the Eleventh Doctor, but it’s the debut of Demons, ITV1’s new Saturday night monster show. As the last descendant of the Van Helsing family, teenager Luke Rutherford...Read More

Since David Tennant announced he was handing in the keys to the TARDIS at the National Television Awards, we've been on 24/7 tenterhooks wondering who new boss Steven Moffat will pick to carry the show into 2010. We're not going to have to wait much longer, as...Read More

You may remember our post about the creation of a new award in David Gemmell's name not long ago. The novels of the late author David Gemmell rank among some of SFX's favourites, so it was with great interest that we heard of the inaugural David Gemmell...Read More

We're inviting our readers and forum users to join those of us who blog regularly to the SFX website. At the moment this will be a volunteer scheme: we're not recruiting journalists - this is about giving our articulate readers and forum users the chance to...Read More

What‘s in issue 113 of 3D World: in stores in the UK now To order a copy online, click the cover thumbnail below Click the thumbnail to order your copy online IN THE MAGAZINE Seize the future 25 top artists, researchers and...Read More

As I mentioned last month, one of the first upgrades I intended to make to the ‘Busa, was a change of tyres. The Suzuki’s previous owner, Giles, used the bike as his only form of transport. As a result, he sensibly attached some very sensible touring...Read More

Despite the need to leave the Dunstall all wrapped up in the corner until I’ve finished my GS550 resto, I can’t help but have a little tinker every now and then. The bike didn’t come with any keys though, so the first item on the shopping list needed to...Read More

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What are you doing on the 22 March 2009? I'll tell you, you're coming to the Stitch & Craft Show in London! The show kicks off on Thursday 19 March and runs right up until Sunday 22 which is the official Scrapbooking Day. Whatever day you come you'll be able to take part in free make & takes, peruse the Best of British Scrapbooking gallery and indulge in a spot of shopping, but if you come along on Sunday you'll also be able to meet the team. The show is run by us with our sister craft titles so if you know a knitter, stitcher or card-maker bring them along too!

The venue is Olympia 2 in London. If you've not been before I can tell you it's super-easy to get there by public transport. The hall is spread over two levels with loads of different areas to explore. The first thing you'll see are crafty retailers selling all manner of things and once you've ventured upstairs (if you can bring yourself to leave the tempting ribbon stall behind!) you'll find the Future Publishing stand, even more retailers, the workshops, free make & takes and loads more.

You can buy your tickets now, as well as book a place on a workshop, join in the pre-show chat and get all the details of what's on day-by-day over at our dedicated website: www.stitchandcraft.co.uk

Win tickets!
We've got ten pairs of tickets to giveaway (not 20 pairs, as I incorrectly stated in the magazine) so you can a friend can enjoy a crafty day out! All the details, including the all-important keyword, can be found on p12 of the February issue of ScrapBook inspirations.

To be in with a chance of winning click on http://www.futurecomps.co.uk/sbk49 and enter the keyword you'll find on page 12 of the February issue. The deadline for entries is 5 February 2009. Good luck!

The February issue of Simply Knitting hits shops nationwide today and we're really excited because it's our 50th!


Click for a larger image.

Can you believe Simply Knitting is 50 issues old? We can hardly credit it, but it's totally true! To celebrate, we look back at the first 50 issues – and bring you a fab new one!

We've got not one but four tops for you to knit for yourself. They're the perfect indulgence after all that holiday knitting. Choose from an elegant embroidered tunic, a comfy copper cardigan or the smart green jacket shown on the cover.

The fourth top is a cosy Fair Isle jumper in chunky yarn – and it's extra special because there's a coordinating version to knit for little girls. It's a lovely way to make a mum and daughter outfit which you'll both love to wear, together or separately.

And that's not all. We've got a lovely cabled cushion to brighten up your sofa and lover's gloves – perfect for holding hands on a romantic winter walk! We've also got a selection of quick gifts to knit and crochet.

To celebrate our 50th issue, Alan Dart has designed us a special treat. She's called Simply, and yep, she's knitting! We hope you love her as much as we do.



Your free gift: exclusive needle roll. Our pretty needle roll is perfect for keeping your pins neat whether you're out and about or at home on the sofa. Sort your needles by size to make it easy to find the ones you need, or wrap up all the needles you'll use for your next project and carry them safely along on holiday or to your knitting night.



Other great things to look out for in issue 50 include:   

• The Knitted Landscape: scarves for statues, caps for cairns and more besides.
• Designers talk about their favourite moments from our first 50 issues.
• How one knitter is helping an African community.
  

And don't miss any of your usual favourites: we've got hot new yarns, great products and all the latest knitting news as we put new books, patterns and yarns through their paces.

Issue 73 of Your Family Tree is on sale now! In the latest issue of Britain's favourite genealogical title we help you find your ancestors missing from parish records by looking at nonconformist documents. There is also a guide to records of slavery, how to find parish records online and discover your relatives who fought against France in the Napoleonic Wars.
 
             

Missing from the parish – Find your absent pre-1837 ancestors in records of nonconformists

Records of slavery – Track down the victims and perpetrators of the vile slave trade

Get started with wills – Find the best sites to help you trace your ancestors before civil registration

Fighting Napoleon – How the British Army battled Napoleon, and advice on tracing your family's heroes


Plus... get started with photographs, your baker ancestors, our guide to Stoke & Trent, win a five years subscription to The Genealogist and much, much more!

Pick up your copy of Your Family Tree Issue 73 today, or subscribe online by clicking here and entering the code W033.

If you missed the SFX calendar free with issue 177 (it featured sci-fi villains and was bagged with copies of the Christmas 2008 issue) then you might like to print out this alternative. It's a PDF calendar featuring classic pulp sci-fi magazine covers of...Read More

Our chums on Total Film link to the latest behind-the-scenes video from the set of Watchmen. Director Zack Snyder explains a bit about the world and characters, with a few new clips... Watchmen Exclusive Meanwhile, Watchmen's release might...Read More

Welcome to 2009, folks. All of us on SFX wish you a happy New Year! Don't let the worsening economic climate get you down, think of all the great sci-fi stuff that's happening in the next 12 months. Big movies (Watchmen, Star Trek, Wolverine, Harry Potter...Read More