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| This cozy throw appeared in the 1979 issue, but it looks like something Handwoven might publish today |
This past weekend I spent quite a bit of time packing in preparation of my upcoming move to the Land of Enchantment. I’d already packed my loom and my yarn and all the associated supplies, but I had yet to pack my back issues of Handwoven.
At this point I have just about every issue with just a few gaps here and there that I’m hoping will eventually be filled. In other words, I had A LOT of magazines to pack.
I sat on the floor surrounded by packing boxes, giant rolls of tape, giant black markers, and nearly 35 years of Handwovens. As I carefully packed my precious collection I couldn’t help thumbing through an issue or ten. I’m always amazed at how versatile even the oldest issues of Handwoven really are. Looking through the first issue, published back in 1979, I kept thinking, “I’d make that. I might change the colors, but I’d make that.” In fact, the warm wraps and cozy throws looked so nice that chilly Colorado morning I couldn’t help but stick in a few sticky notes so I would remember the projects once I unpack in a couple weeks.
It’s sometimes hard to know what projects and patterns will pass the test of time and survive fleeting trendiness. As we all well know, fashion is often cyclical and while the ponchos featured throughout the early issues of Handwoven were very much passé for a time (well, for passé for those who don’t appreciate how nice it is to essentially wear a blanket on a cold day), but then all of a sudden they were once again everywhere, as if they had never left.
What’s wonderful about much of Handwoven, though, is that it is so very classic. I think I can say without fear that twill towels will always be popular among weavers and in kitchens everywhere. Cozy scarves of alpaca and other soft wools will always be happily worn in the winter and elegant silk scarves will be shown off year round. Color palettes might change, but the patterns, designs, and fibers weavers love often stay the same.
As I flipped through these issues (you know, for moving reasons) I felt proud of my role in the long history of Handwoven. I’ve been so proud of every issue I’ve helped produce, and I’m always excited to see what happens next. We soon go to press on our cotton themed issue, and I’m so excited to share these projects with all of you. It’s always amazing to see what happens when we put out such a simple theme like cotton or twill or designing with color. Weavers take these themes and twist them around to create some truly spectacular pieces.
Pinwheels Redux Napkins from Handwoven May/June 2014
This past year I had my first ever project published in Handwoven. I can’t help but wonder (and hope) that someday, in the future, a weaver somewhere will thumb through the issue in some form or another, see my project, and say, “I’d make that. I might change the colors, but I’d make that.”
