Handwoven

from the editor

ONE THING I LEARNED IN THE PAST YEAR is that meetings called early Monday mornings aren’t ones you want to go to. On Monday, March 11, 2019, we found out that the day before, F+W Media, the parent company of Handwoven’s publisher, Interweave, had declared bankruptcy, Chapter 11 to be specific. I’m all for new experiences, but feeling as if I was on the brink of losing my job and thinking I might be the editor to shutter Handwoven wasn’t one that I was looking for. Intellectually, I understood the logic of bankruptcy, but the reality on the ground was a feeling of responsibility for a havoc I hadn’t created. My gut reaction was to turn up the music in my headphones and push the uncertainty to the back of the…

future themes

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 A Sense of Place Yarns have the power to transport us. They evoke the memory of a trip to our favorite local yarn store or a special skein picked up while on vacation, or a yarn may be so intertwined with its place of origin that we can’t think of one without the other. This issue is full of projects based on favorite yarns and suppliers, by the weavers who love them. MARCH/APRIL 2020 Flora/Fauna This year, our spring issue is not about inspiration from culture but, instead, about inspiration from nature, specifically plants and animals. This issue will immerse you in projects and articles about weaving that imitates or embraces the flora and fauna of this great planet. MAY/JUNE 2020 Draft Play Sometimes, it’s by chance that our weaving plans change, and other times, it’s…

handwoven

EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Anne Merrow EDITOR Susan E. Horton ASSOCIATE EDITOR Christina Garton MANAGING EDITOR Elizabeth Prose TECHNICAL EDITORS Rona Aspholm, Deanna Deeds, Anita Osterhaug, Angela K. Schneider, Susan Wilson, Bettie Zakon-Anderson COPY EDITOR Katie Bright PROOFREADER Nancy Arndt CREATIVE DESIGN Kit Kinseth PHOTOGRAPHY Matt Graves, Harper Point Photography STYLING Ann Sabin Swanson HAIR AND MAKEUP Beauty on Location FOUNDERS Linda Ligon, Anne Merrow, John Bolton MEDIA SALES DIRECTOR Sommer Street Associates DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Haydn Strauss…

letters

A SALUTE TO WEAVING TEACHERS Members of the Contemporary Handweavers of Houston (CHH) celebrating their 70th anniversary in 2019 salute the teachers of CHH for their exemplary and inspiring teaching of fiber-related artwork. The teachers are the “warp, weft, and selvedge” of the guild, which makes CHH a great “temple” for learning fiber art. We give them our sincere thanks. More information about the guild can be found at www.weavehouston.org. HANDWOVEN ON VACATION A while ago, we asked readers to send us photos of themselves on vacation with Handwoven. Here is just one of our favorites! Not only do I take Handwoven on most vacations, I usually take a loom as well. My 27-inch Louet Jane loom and my inkle loom are both well traveled. This year in June, the Jane went camping at…

what’s happening

Handwoven’s New Home THE EDITORS OF HANDWOVEN are happy to announce the magazine’s sale to Long Thread Media LLC, a new company formed by Interweave and Handwoven founder Linda Ligon, longtime Interweave editor Anne Merrow, and former Interweave general manager John Bolton. Along with Handwoven, Long Thread Media will be publishing Handwoven’s special issue Easy Weaving with Little Looms as well as its sister publications Spin Off and PieceWork. “Looking at these rich, niche crafts, we knew that they needed a very personal approach in order to thrive today and in the future,” says Merrow. “Spinners, weavers, and traditional textile buffs count on authentic community and solid technical information. Linda and I know them; we are them.” Ligon, who was the original editor of Handwoven, is currently director and publisher of Thrums Books,…

the weaver’s surprise

Tom Knisely Tom Knisely’s newest book features rugs, but it’s not a rug-weaving book. In fact, it’s not a weaving book in the traditional sense. Instead, The Weaver’s Surprise is a charming children’s story about a friendly weaver, a family of mice, and the way weaving connects them all. Tom’s trademark warmth as well as the love and joy he has for weaving are apparent on each and every page, in no small part because of the beautiful illustrations of Megan Lloyd. Upon first reading the book, I was utterly delighted, but I knew that to truly evaluate it, I needed the opinion of an expert: my two-year-old son, Henry. As I began reading the book, he immediately commented on the “little mousies” and pointed out the loom. As we read, he…