One of the fun things about being editor of Handwoven is coming up with the editorial calendar for the upcoming year. It is also one of the hardest things. With a general framework in hand, I try to determine what themes will make five interesting issues that will resonate with a lot of other weavers, most of whom I don’t know. It’s a challenge that humbles me in some ways while inspiring me in others.
Seeing the Grand Prismatic Spring last September in Yellowstone National Park inspired me to purchase yarns in that colorway. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
As I work on the calendar, I make a list of projects and articles I would like to see for each theme in order to be sure that they each have depth and breadth. During the year, as proposals come in, I check my lists to see how I did in anticipating interests. It’s a process that both works in the current year and stimulates ideas for the upcoming year, with an added bonus of sometimes sparking my own weaving ideas.
Handwoven Editorial Calendar 2020:
January/February 2020 – “A Sense of Place”
Yarns have the power to transport us; whether it’s a trip to our favorite local yarn store, a special skein picked up while on vacation, or a yarn so intertwined with its place of origin that we can’t think of one without the other. Send us projects based upon your favorite yarns and suppliers and tell us why you love them.
March/April – “Flora/Fauna”
This year, our spring issue is not about inspiration from culture but, instead, about inspiration from nature, specifically plants and animals. Send us your projects and articles about weaving that imitates or evokes the flora and fauna of this great planet.
Proposals for projects and articles due: CLOSED
Submissions due: 8/16/2019
This butterfly’s coloration would make a beautiful palette. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
May/June – “Playing with Drafts”
Sometimes it’s by chance that our weaving plans change, and other times it’s by intent. Whatever the reason, we want to see projects that “flip the script” and demonstrate how changing one or several elements of a plan or draft can completely or subtly change the look of a project.
Proposals for projects and articles due: 8/23/2019 Submissions due: 10/25/2019
September/October – “Thoroughly Modern Weaving”
Many people, and not just us, think that weaving is growing in popularity. We’re not sure if it’s due to great new yarns, new equipment, technical weaving innovations, or the DIY community’s embrace of the craft Send us your projects and articles that reflect your take on thoroughly modern weaving.
Proposals for projects and articles due: 10/18/2019 Submissions due: 01/09/2020
Maybe this factory loom doesn’t look very modern but it is interesting! Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
November/December – “Dynamic Duos”
Remember the scarf you carefully wove, only to take it off the loom and find that the back was prettier than the front? Or the runner you didn’t want to hem so you could use both sides? This is your chance to celebrate two-sided weaving. Send us your projects that are equally interesting on front and back or articles about those types of designs and how to use them.
Proposals for projects and articles due: 1/3/2020 Submissions due: 3/6/2020
We are interested in your input, projects, and articles about weaving. Please review the Editorial Calendar and send us your proposals. Even if your proposal doesn’t perfectly fit in an issue’s theme, please don’t be discouraged—good weaving and good writing can always be made to fit! And if you like, go ahead and make lists of what you would like to see in each issue; it might spark an idea for your own weaving.
Mail to: Handwoven (Issue Months) 2020
Editorial USPS address: Long Thread Media PO Box 2579 Loveland CO 80539
Editorial physical address: Long Thread Media 446 E 29th St Box 2579 Loveland CO 80538
Email: [email protected]
Weave well,
Susan