Monday 29 March 2010

Behind the scenes...

I have reached the point where I need to declare a blog holiday, though I'm sure regular readers have spotted a slowing up in posts and detected a lack of weaving time.

I'm not short of things I want to make and write about, and there's pile of books by my desk that I was going to review. Top of the pile however was the wonderful true live adventures of Christopher Aslan Alexander, described in his book "A Carpet Ride to Khiva" and Cally's review tells you some of the reasons I love this book (but she didn't mention the amazing descriptions of rearing silk moths, the tales of hunting out knowledgeable dyers willing to share their skills, tracking down ingredients for the dyebaths, accounts of how looms were built and the weaving.)

The reason for the holiday is the project I'm working on in the new office space I mentioned in my last post: I am setting up a business to publish and edit a new bi-monthly British / European magazine for handspinners.

new magazine title

Obviously this draws on my ongoing curiosity and interest in creating yarns and textiles and love of passing on what I learn. I'm also bringing to it business admin. and legal skills, experience of working as an NCTJ trained local newspaper journalist, and work in marketing and public relations, plus I have always enjoyed photography, drawing, and writing.

I have previous of experience of magazine layout and editing and graphic design for print. I started out on the university student newspaper which we designed and laid out on an Apple Mac back in the mid-1980s, later produced all kinds of publicity materials, newsletters, magazines, advertising copy and for 5 years I've produced the pretty membership cards issued to members of the Online Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers which some of my blog friends possess.

I look forward to getting back to weaving and blogging once the magazine is established.

Meanwhile, I will be officially starting my business soon after Easter and putting up a website with more details of the magazine (I'll post a link here when it's done). You can now contact me at my new email address: editor [at] yarnmaker [dot] co [dot] uk

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

THAT'S exciting! We'll let you take a break as long as you have a good excuse like this!

Trapunto said...

It looks like I'm the first one to give you my congratulations.

So: Congratulations!

This sounds so perfect for you, Dot! And not just your past job experiences, but your aesthetic and your magic fixer-upper touch with wheels and equipment. What a resource this magazine will be!

Amelia of Ask The Bellwether said...

What great news :) I look forward to the new magazine.

ladyoftheloom said...

Wow! I am looking forward to it already! Best wishes Dot!
Alice

Caroline M said...

How very exciting, for you and for us.

Anonymous said...

You're a wonderful writer, Dot, and I wish you all the best!

Eva

Meg said...

I like the name! And your email is working? Yay!

Will miss you on the blog, but it all sounds so exciting!

Peg in South Carolina said...

If you created an online, downloadable version, we Americans could easily subscribe to this as well........
I now subscribe to a computer magazine this way and I really like it. I like it better, in fact, than the print version.

Guzzisue said...

so looking forward to the magazine!! may see you at wonderwool?

Laritza said...

Wonderful news! I wish you well.

Dave Daniels said...

Congratulations on the new venture! I think your timing is right. Looking forward to seeing it.

Helen said...

Congratulations Dorothy I am really looking forward to the magazine.

Margreet said...

Dorothy, that is great news. Congratulations!

Barbara Blundell said...

Look forward to seeing the new venture !

Valerie said...

Dot,

I'm considering purchasing a used Norjaana loom. I notice that you own one. May I ask you about this via email?

I'm at vmusselm at hotmail dot com

Thanks so much in advance.

Dorothy said...

Thanks for the comments and support, I'm missing my weaving and my blog, but enjoying planning the magazine, it's coming together bit by bit. I'm so glad to be doing this, I've been wanting to read a British spinning magazine since I started spinning. Sometimes the best way to get what you want is to be the person who makes it happen!