Perhaps it’s because I never completely grew up, but I still view my life in terms of semesters. For me, fall is the beginning of the year, a time to make friends, get excited by new ideas and hunker down to do a ton of work. Being part of the fashion world reaffirms these feelings: Fall/Winter trends determine what we wear for 75 percent of the year and are the main influence on the following summer’s styles.

Besides being a member of the fashion community, I am also a knitter. My goal with every Spring/Summer issue is to provide a spectrum of designs that can be knitted up quickly, so we can all look fab come the dog days (see, among our many VEVV patterns, Cathy Carron’s yellow-rific stunner and Dawn Leeseman’s blue V neck). Summer is the time we all have a little extra breathing room to take on more serious projects. Our wedding-fashion story “The White Way” (click here for a preview) exemplifies these types of projects. Whether you’re a brideto- be or intend to be so, cast on for Michele Rose Orne’s Moonlight Garden coat. I’m knitting mine in a glamorous diva red. Speaking of divas, and only in the nicest way possible, I am beside myself with happiness to introduce VK readers to Rebecca Taylor, one of my heroes in the fashion industry. Her dress (click here to view) is just an inkling of what is coming in future issues.

As a knitter, I get excited every time a new type of fiber hits the LYS shelves; in recent years that has meant a wide range of eco-friendly yarns. Take a look at our Natural Selection section (click here for the patterns) and our fashion story “Ecologic” (click here for a preview) for seasonless projects that are good for both the environment and your wardrobe.

It’s been my honor to act as editor in chief of this magazine for the past year. It’s thrilling to log on to various websites and see how many of the patterns I “midwifed” have struck a chord in the wide world of knitting. By the time this issue hits the newsstands, New York’s Fashion Week will be over, and the staff of VK will be busy preparing for Spring/Summer 2009. I’m sorry to say that I will not be part of that planning. My “physical” love affair with VK has come to a surprising and heartbreaking end. Still, I can’t wait to get the Fall issue, hold it in my hands, see how projects I assigned were photographed, saving those I don’t have time to knit now for a long summer’s day.

I encourage you to value your issues of VK the way I’ve valued, and will continue to value, mine. Thank you to all the designers, writers and, especially, the staff at VK for helping to make this year my dream job.