New Adventures in Knitting . . . Daily

Kathleen Cubley — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Three years ago, when Interweave asked me to be editor of Knitting Daily, they gave me a phenomenal opportunity to learn from and share with knitters from all over the globe. My job as editor was to help build a vibrant online community; but it wasn't long before I discovered that I was merely the cheerleader—YOU were the ones actually making Knitting Daily a wonderful place for knitters to call home. And what an amazing home you've built!

Along the way, you've been great teachers; together we have learned things about life and yarn and knitting and laughter that have enriched our knitting as well as this larger craft we call life.

So methinks it's time to see what happens next! And one thing that happens next is that starting today, I’m stepping aside as your editor and moving into a new role here—which means that we all get a new editor! We’re in good hands—"Oh, the places we'll go!" with Kathleen as our guide.

This might seem like goodbye...but it's not! Remember I said I was moving into something new? So many of you have told me that you love the wee short tidbits next to my photo that I’m going to expand "What's on Sandi's Needles?" into a regular knitting blog. Every week, I'll be sharing my own knitting adventures with you right here on Knitting Daily, alongside other new knitting blogs that we’re adding to the site. I hope you'll stop by, leave a comment, and then go and explore all the other great things Knitting Daily has to offer—things that you helped to bring to life.

Much gratitude and many blessings to all of you—and a warm welcome to Kathleen!

Sandi Wiseheart

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Hello Knitting Daily Community!

I’m thrilled to be here with you, exploring the wealth of resources and products Interweave has to offer, as well as the Knitting Daily Community. I’ll be writing to you from my home office in Spokane, Washington.

I’ll bet you’re asking, “What exactly are your knitting creds to be the editor of Knitting Daily?” Well, I’ve been a member of Knitting Daily since the beginning, eagerly opening emails every day, just like you! I’ve learned so much from Sandi and Interweave’s great resources; Knitting Daily has increased my confidence and my passion for knitting. I’ve also been in publishing for twenty years, as an editor and a production manager, so combining my professional interests with my passion for knitting is really a dream come true.

I’ve always been crafty. I learned at my mom’s elbow as she knitted, embroidered, and macraméd her way through the 70s; sewed, serged, and painted in the 80s; and paper-crafted in the 90s and 2000s. Cross stitch became my favorite craft and I as moved from silly sayings and characters to intricate samplers and art deco designs, I thought I’d be cross stitching forever. Enter knitting. . .

When my mom’s best friend, Pat Harris, opened up a knit shop in Hendersonville, Tennessee, she came to Seattle—where I was living at the time—to visit the yarn shops (there are a ton of them in Seattle—if you haven’t done a yarn crawl there, get to it).

I’d been curious about knitting, and Pat said she’d teach me the basics. She spent an afternoon with my sister and me teaching us to knit and purl, and I took to it pretty naturally. I continued on my own, with one of my first reference guides, The Knitter’s Companion, at my side. I tried different stitch patterns, yarn, and needle sizes and types. I wasn’t knitting anything in particular, I was just knitting. I loved the repetitive nature of stockinette stitch as much as I enjoyed the challenge of a stitch pattern. After a few weeks I decided to knit a baby sweater, so I went to my LYS and bought yarn and needles. The rest is history, especially for my cross-stitch projects.

I’m now an avid sweater knitter (you’ve all knit the Central Park Hoodie, right?), taking breaks every now and then for a pair of socks or a felted project. I also teach knitting classes at my Spokane LYS, A Grand Yarn.

I’m addicted to all things knitting, including magazines, books, and online magazines, patterns, and blogs. I’m so excited to become part of the online knitting world, taking over the reins so deftly handled by Sandi. I look forward to becoming a big part of your community, bringing you new techniques, projects, author introductions, tips and tricks, videos, knit-a-longs, insider’s info about new products—basically, a host of information to increase your confidence and enhance the joy of knitting.

Here’s to new adventures ahead!

Kathleen Cubley

Knitting Daily : new editor

New Adventures in Knitting . . . Daily