An Important Update

This update is one rich with news and heavy with emotion. Nine Ten Publications co-founders Kate Atherley and Kim Werker have each written part of it. As you read you will discover that some things will be changing here at Digits & Threads, but before you begin to read we want you to know that the heart of our business and of the magazine is unchanged.

First, Kate:

With great regret, I must take a hiatus from my work at Nine Ten Publications and Digits & Threads. I have been dealing with a difficult elder-care situation for a number of years. This has been an enormously difficult time for me, and it has had a serious impact on my personal and professional life.

I’ve come to the difficult conclusion that I need to step back from my work for a while. I need time to focus on caring for my mother, and for myself.

I’m not leaving Nine Ten, and business will continue as usual; I believe in this project so much and very much want it to succeed. This business and the people in it—Kim, Michelle and Zoe—have been an important part of my life for nearly four years. This team, this work, and our members have been a huge support for me in difficult times. What we publish brings me such joy, and every month I look forward to our Studio Hours gatherings. But right now I need to conserve my energy.

After April, I won’t be at Studio Hours, and I will not be working or replying to email. Thank you to everyone for your support and kindness over the past years. I’ll miss you, and I’ll see you soon.

And Kim:

I was both surprised and unsurprised when Kate told me all of this last week. My heart has been aching for all she’s been having to navigate for so, so long, and running a business still in its startup phase is challenging even at the best of times.

So first, know that our relationship is strong. I understand and support Kate’s decision. I’m glad my friend is taking care of herself. So while we will not be meeting twice a week as we have since the summer of 2020, I’m sure we’ll be sharing ridiculous memes and generally staying in touch. I will check in on how her mom’s doing, and I’ll let her know how my kid’s baseball team is doing (he hit his second-ever home run over the long weekend).

And now to the business.

For a couple of years, we have operated as if the business has two divisions. Nine Ten is so small that these are not formal divisions, but Kate has worked on Digits & Threads editorial and I have worked on books. We met regularly, as I’ve said, and talked lots about both. Kate paid all our bills and I managed marketing and sales for the whole business.

There’s much to sort out over the coming weeks, but rest assured that Digits & Threads will continue. Our longtime copyeditor, and Founding Member, Michelle Woodvine has graciously agreed to step in on an interim basis. It’s still early days and we have much to sort out, but we’ll keep you informed. It’s likely there will be minor alterations to our publication schedule, and a transition between editors always brings change, hopefully of a sort you will very much enjoy.

For now, we will be taking a two-week break from publishing to get ourselves sorted. We have plenty of editorial already in the works, and we’re excited to establish workflows and tweak systems so they work with Michelle’s schedule and my ability to support her as I continue to work on books. Starting up again on April 24, look for new Digits & Threads articles and tutorials. [This date was originally, mistakenly, listed as April 17.]

Kim Werker (left) and Kate Atherley at the first event we participated in—Knit City Montreal—exactly two years ago today.

It is an extremely challenging time for all media; we have all seen magazines folding or contracting, Google and Meta are playing hardball with their algorithms, and ad sales are down. We have relied on the financial support of our members from the day we launched Digits & Threads, and we are determined to do everything we can not only to keep the magazine going, but to nurture and grow our community so that all involved are able to thrive.