IN THIS RUBY ANNIVERSARY EDITION of Handwoven—
an issue dedicated to the people and projects of Handwo-
vens past—I’d like to take a moment to talk about, and
thank, the assistant and associate editors of old. For those
not familiar with the hierarchy of magazines, the terms
assistant editor and associate editor are mostly interchange-
able (at least at Interweave), and these people are a bit like
the fi rst mates on a ship. Th ese editors stand behind the
captain (the head editor) as they help navigate each issue,
keeping it on course and schedule, and defuse emergencies
as needed. As an associate editor myself, I may be a bit
biased, but the truth is we help keep this magazine going.
I’m not here to talk about how the job of assistant editor
is thankless or that we lack respect. Th e truth is we get
thanked quite oft en, and in fact, the skills and connections
we gain in this job oft en set us up for success beyond
Handwoven. I want to celebrate and showcase the accom-
plishments of my amazing predecessors. You might not
realize it, but many of our assistant editors are now house-
hold names in the fi ber world.
Handwoven Editors Emeriti Jane Patrick and Jean
Scorgie started out as assistant editors before taking over
the magazine. No doubt their years behind the scenes
helped them prepare for taking the lead. Ann Budd might
be more familiar as the former managing editor of Inter-
weave Knits and as the author of many knitting books, but
she also got her start in the publishing world as the
assistant editor of Handwoven.
Speaking of books, several former assistant editors are
also authors of beloved weaving books. Barbara Liebler
wrote the sadly out-of-print Hands On Weaving, and Pattie
Graver (who also has a project in this issue) wrote the
brilliant Next Steps in Weaving. Anyone who loves rigid-
heddle weaving has probably heard of former Assistant
Editor Liz Gipson and her many books and videos.
Not all assistant editors went on to become publishing
powerhouses; some moved to other jobs within Inter-
weave—Dale Pettigrew went on to run the Spin-Off
Autumn Retreat, while Suzanne DeAtley became vice
president of HR. Others such as Doree Pitkin and Dawn
Hamilton continued creating works of fi ber art.
Personally, I have no plans to leave my post at Handwoven
any time soon. From my very fi rst issue (the “Fashion” issue,
September/October 2011) to today, I’ve learned more than I
could have ever imagined about weaving and writing. Each
issue is a new journey full of adventure, and frankly,
I can’t wait to see where we head next.Remembering the Assistant Editor
CHRISTINA GARTON
72 | HANDWOVEN http://www.interweave.com
ENDNOTES