A Chat with Sarah Resnick of Gist Yarn and Fiber

I don’t often have time to slow down and contemplate my weaving career and the events that have led me to becoming the editor ofHandwoven. However, I joined Sarah Resnick’s podcast to do just that. Thankfully, Sarah sent me an outline of the questions ahead of time; otherwise I don’t think I would have been able to form coherent answers on the spot. I don’t know how it is for you, but for me, when I am immersed in something, I sometimes forget how I got there. I certainly didn’t take up weaving with any intent of it becoming a career, and I never imagined that it would become such a huge part of my life and fill up such a huge amount of space in my home!

My path to becoming editor of Handwoven wasn’t straight, but there was a fairly steady progression that I wasn’t conscious of while I was experiencing it. When you listen to the podcast, you will hear about my journey, and I hope it helps you see the detours along your own path that might be taking you to places you aren’t expecting to go. We sometimes call them rabbit holes: obscure subjects you might be interested in that can lead you to some amazing places.

Sarah and I also talked about what it’s like to be the editor of Handwoven. For me, it is a responsibility as well as a gift, which I hope I was able to convey. It is a responsibility because I am shepherding a well-respected and loved magazine, and a gift because I have been able to learn new skills and meet some amazing weavers and fiber artists, all the while immersing myself in one of my very favorite subjects—weaving.

We talked about the history of Handwoven, how it was started by Linda Ligon at her kitchen table 40 years ago, and the transitions the magazine has gone through as new editors came on board. She asked me about the process of submitting an article or project to Handwoven and where to get information about that. We finished the interview with a few words of advice (which I probably have too many of) about sampling, using weaving software, and being adventurous when it comes to weaving.

It was fun for me to reflect on my experiences and to get to know Sarah a little. I hope you enjoy the podcast.

Weave well,

Susan