Tabla de contenidos para Fall 2018 en Spin-Off

I still feel a little guilty about buying a second spinning wheel. I know to some spinners that sounds decadent, and for others it’s an absolutely amateur-level spinning-wheel collection. I didn’t need a second wheel, but having a portable, finely adjustable one in addition to my versatile, easy-care one has made my spinning life nicer. Some people love to say that you can spin yarn with nothing more than a spindle. Others go further and say you just need a rock and a stick; for the truly minimalist, there’s thigh-spinning. Although that’s technically true, I don’t personally know anyone who makes yarn on a stick or a body part as a regular practice. The right tool makes the job more pleasant, even if the job is just to enjoy your…

KNITTING GANSEYS: Techniques and Patterns for Traditional Sweaters, Revised and Updated by Beth Brown-Reinsel Knitting Ganseys has been an essential reference since its first publication 25 years ago. The new edition includes nine projects, but more significantly, it explores all of the elements that make ganseys a classic jumper (or sweater) design. Beginning with the sweater’s history and details about the characteristic gansey yarn’s worsted construction, the book discusses traditional cast-ons and progresses through the elements of construction that define the gansey. A separate eBook, Gansey Style Accessories, includes six patterns for hats, socks, mitts, and a scarf. Blue Ash, Ohio: Interweave, 2018. Hardbound and eBook, $29.99. ISBN: 978-1-63250-6160. www.interweave.com. NATURAL DYEING WITH PLANTS: Glorious Colors from Roots, Leaves & Flowers by Franziska Ebner and Romana Hasenöhrl Compared to natural…

We will never know how the hat ended up in the latrine, but we can be thankful that it did, because the organic ooze that surrounded the textile preserved it. The well-preserved hat has allowed us to open a small window on life in the French colony of Louisbourg in the middle of the eighteenth century, when the hat was lost in the communal privy. The latrine was a five-holer in the hospital, the hat was a handspun, handknitted cap, and the rest is history. The French colony of Louisbourg was established on Isle Royale (Cape Breton), Canada, in 1713 for France to control the productive cod fisheries of the surrounding ocean and to serve as a center of commerce. Over the next 45 years, an impressive, well-fortified colony developed,…

Over 30 years of making spinning wheels, Schacht Spindle Company has learned that spinners often spend more time with their spinning wheels than their best human friends. That’s why Schacht takes such care in designing wheels that are beautiful, comfortable, and stunning performers. Here are some of the reasons that make Schacht wheels such good companions. ♦ The Matchless Responsive, versatile, comfortable, the Matchless Spinning Wheel combines contemporary styling with an integrated blend of design and function. Like you want a good friend to be, the Matchless is stalwart and reliable. ♦ The Ladybug If you’re new to something, you always want to find a friendly face in the crowd. That’s just what the Ladybug aims to be: easy to use, easy to get to know, fun to be with.…

If you will be working with fiber equipment that has sharp, pointy ends, it would behoove you to get a tetanus shot. Adults should receive the tetanus booster every ten years. Tetanus bacteria are commonly present in soil, dust, and manure, all the things that woolly animals are exposed to. Tetanus bacteria can infect a person through a tiny scratch but are more likely to cause an infection through a puncture wound created by metal such as the sharp ends of fiber-processing tools. The risk for puncture wounds is one of the greatest dangers when using processing tools. If you do experience a puncture wound, this is how to care for it properly to avoid infection: 1 Wash the area of the puncture with soap and water. 2 If it…

Many of us begin spinning to make yarn we can’t buy in the big-box stores. There is a curiosity in the fiber arts; regardless of age, skill level, or purpose, we want to understand how yarn behaves in our knitted, woven, or crocheted projects. In the last few years, my curiosity has led me to bast fibers and the process it takes to prepare them for spinning. When we think of bast fibers, the same few usually come to mind: flax, nettle, jute, and hemp. In reality, there is a world of fibrous plants to explore, and each has its own unique properties for those willing to experiment. I had the pleasure of taking a flax class with Stephenie Gaustad several years ago, which is where my journey with bast…

With a history in industrial-scale wool supply and a current audience in artisans, descriptions of R.H. Lindsay’s products include terms that handspinners don’t find anywhere else. The website offers a Wool Glossary with basic terms, and here are some unusual phrases you might also encounter. Tasman Comeback: Comeback is a term for a sheep with three-fourths of its genetics from one breed and onefourth of another. After crossing a Merino sheep with a different breed, the offspring is crossed again with a Merino; that resulting sheep is considered a “comeback” because it has come back toward Merino. “Tasman” refers to Tasmania, a state in Australia that is home to many sheep, including those who grow the wool sold by R.H. Lindsay. Primitive Wool S/C: Primitive wool refers to unimproved breeds,…

I was delighted to read about Pat Maley [“I Am a Spinner,” Spin Off, Summer 2018] and her ability to combine her spinning and ham-radio skills. I am KC8SZH, which is a general class licensee, and I am also a spinner and a machine knitter. I recently retired from a career in information technology. I have not been very active on the ham bands since moving to Michigan ten years ago, but since retiring, I have been considering what it would take to recharge all my batteries and fire up my Ten-Tec and Windows 3.2 PC once again. I became a spinner after I got my first knitting machine because I thought I would run out of yarn. Silly me. I did not know then that if you begin to…

The S10 Concept spinning wheel is a fully modular system that allows you to build your dream wheel from the ground up. It is the only spinning wheel on the market that has the capability to work with both Irish and Scotch tension heads. If you like to spin with Scotch tension and ply with Irish tension, you only need to exchange the mother-of-all with flyer and bobbin. This is a workhorse wheel that can spin laceweight one day and art yarn the next. And it can handle all your spinning and plying, from laceweights to bulkies. Like all Louët wheels, this wheel is whisper-quiet and will last for decades. (Some S10s are still in use at over 40 years old!) Ease of use for the handspinner is the number-one…

This pattern was developed after close examination of the artifact “latrine” hat excavated at the Fortress of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, Canada. When washing the fleece for the handspun version of this hat, I tried to keep some of the lanolin. The original hat would likely have been spun in the grease because the lanolin would help the hat maintain a level of waterproofing. Slightly tighter twist in plying might have helped the water stay on the surface of the hat and prevented much from soaking in. Because the hat would have been worn by men who worked outdoors, the waterproof qualities would have certainly made a difference. MATERIALS Fiber 2¾ (3¼, 4) oz Cotswold fleece, hand combed. Yarn 2-ply; 225 (265, 320) yd; 1,300 ypp; 11 wpi; sportweight. Needles U.S.…

ARIZONA Fiber Creek 1046 Willow Creek Rd., Suite 123 Prescott, AZ 86301 We carry Schacht and Ashford but have excess to others. Our pricing is based on manufacturers’ retail pricing. We teach spinning and carry many different fibers. Free help available most times. info@fibercreekprescott.com www.fibercreekprescott.com Tempe Yarn & Fiber 1415 East University Dr. #A102 Tempe, AZ 85281 Your shop for Ashford, Kromski, and Schacht wheels; accessories; spinning classes; and over 20 breeds of locally grown wool in natural and hand-dyed colors.” (480) 557-9166 www.tempeyarn.com COLORODO Blazing Star Ranch 3424 S. Broadway (inside Anderson’s Vacuums) Englewood, CO 80113 We have Spinolution, Kromski, Majacraft, Schacht, Louet, and Ashford Spinning wheels and off er spinning and weaving classes. Lots of roving including our home grown alpaca! (303) 514-8780 www.blazingstarranch.com MAINE Halcyon Yarn 12…

If you’ve looked at large shawl or wrap designs during the past couple of years, you might have noticed an increase in the popularity of the hap—the blanket-sized utilitarian wrap worn by the women of the Shetland Islands and the Northern Scottish Isles beginning about 150 years ago. The hap is recognizable by its plain garter-stitch center, old shell (“auld” shell) lace border variations, and simple peaked edging. This brings us to a source of some debate: What, exactly, is it? Specifically, if a hap is a wrap, can’t we just call it a shawl? Many do, especially today, but a hap is also so much more. “A hap is a garment which anyone can use to wrap up warmly [in]—that’s the definition of the word,” says native Shetland spinner,…

Let your fears of weaving with handspun be a thing of the past. Science fiction strongly influences my weaving, and Star Wars is a perennial favorite. Exploring the exhibition Dressing a Galaxy at the Denver Art Museum in 2017, I was surprised to see so much silk in the simplest of Jedi robes. The Future Fossil Scarf is a nod to my rebellious and destructive dark side. If you lack a dark side, you can always skip the deconstruction. Either way, ask yourself, “What will the significance of my weaving be in the future?” Spinning Notes • This Merino/yak top from Spunky Eclectic is a joy to spin with a long draw. Do not strip or split the top; opt to fluff and attenuate it instead. Hold the fiber a…

There are both optimists and pessimists about the future of wool, and few know better how to read the fiber forecast than Phil Lindsay of the R.H. Lindsay Wool Company. With the understanding that comes from lifelong experience in the wool business, Phil has kept his grandfather’s company relevant and is poised to ride a slowly growing wave of interest in American wool. As spinners, we like to think of spinning as our happy place. We have a romance with wool and everything it conjures when we remember how that wool came into our hands: the adorable sheep; the pink-cheeked shepherds and their happy dogs striding over distant moors or local pastures; shearing parties and wool fests; spinning groups and national conferences; internet shop updates and the good mail days…

ARIZONA ALPACA FIBERS OF ARIZONA—BENSON www.alpacafibers.com Large assortment of Luxury Alpaca yarns in natural and hand dyed colors. Alpaca Fleeces, rovings and hand carded bats. 15900 S. Empire Rd. (520) 586-3920 FIBER CREEK—PRESCOTT www.fibercreekprescott.com Weaving, Spinning, Knitting, Crochet, Felting, and other Fiberarts. Yarns, Equipment and Supplies. The yarn shop that has it all, we are here to help and please! info@FiberCreekPrescott.com 1406 Willow Creek Rd #123 (928) 717-1774 CALIFORNIA MACEDO’S MINI ACRE—TURLOCK www.macedosminiacre.com ALPACA! Fleece, roving, batts, felt or yarn - natural or dyed colors. Hats, scarves or socks also available! Classes too. 11175 Golf Link Rd. (209) 648-2384 IDAHO KNIT-N-CROCHET—COEUR D’ ALENE www.knit-n-crochet.com Friendly service and inviting atmosphere. Come in and see, or shop online, our large selection of yarn, needles, and accessories. 600 W. Kathleen Ave. #30 (208)…

BOOKS & VIDEO BEST INFO ABOUT ALPACA FIBER from Chris Switzer, new 4th edition with 52 pages, updates & changes, 8 samples, new natural dyeing section & more projects. Spinning Alpaca, Llama, Camel, & Paco-Vicuña – $16 + $3 shipping ($5 to Canada – US funds). Chris Switzer, 1236 Glacier View Ln., Estes Park, CO 80517. 1 oz. Paco-Vicuña included with order. EVENTS AUTUMN FIBER FESTIVAL—Ashland, OH, October 13, 2018, 9am—5pm. Ashland County Fairgrounds. Local fiber producers, craftsmen, and artists will be brought together to sell their wares, demonstrate their skills, and educate the visiting public about natural fibers and their importance to our community and culture. Fiber animals on display. www.autumnfiberfestival.com FARM DAYS AT MACEDO’S MINI ACRE, Turlock, CA. September 29-30, 2018. Celebrate the origin of fiber with our…

What began with 1,373,175 yards (enough to reach from New York to Chicago) in 2013 has taken on epic proportions as the 2018 Spinzilla approaches. This “Monster of a Spinning Week!” has crushed expectations, with more yards spun, spinners committed, and funds raised each year. In the sixth Spinzilla, the monster may face its biggest challenge yet, but planners hope that the latest sequel will spin its way to a triumphant conclusion. Built on the creativity and dedication of a group of volunteers, the first four Spinzillas grew in popularity—and complexity—each year. In October 2017, when The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA) transitioned to new professional management shortly before the fifth Spinzilla, it became clear how fully the event had relied on the behind-the-scenes efforts of its volunteer core. Challenges in…

Rebecca Blair designed a Hap Shawl for Interweave Knits Holiday 2018 (www.interweave.com) based on a garter-stitch bias-knitted square center and using commercial yarn. For this handspun version, Sara Greer used hand-prepared batts of fine Shetland wool from Whispering Pines in four natural colors. She converted the center square into a triangle, worked the bold three-color zigzagging border on the short sides, and added the pointed edging on all three sides. Worked in DK weight, the commercial-yarn version is more like a light shawl than this warmer and quicker-to-knit handspun version. The versatility of the hap makes the same basic shape lovely in a range of weights, and the flexible design can be adapted to any size. MATERIALS Fiber 24 oz natural gray Shetland batts and 2 oz each natural dark…

Last spring, I volunteered to do some knitting for Knitting in the Early Modern Era (KEME), a research project seeking to replicate the fabric of sixteenth-century caps. Jane Malcolm-Davies, a Marie Skłodowska Curie Fellow at the Centre for Textile Research at the University of Copenhagen, shared a pattern and asked knitters to knit and full the knitted pieces.1 We received very specific directions for fulling: we were to alternate between rubbing/agitating our knitted pieces in warm, soapy water and pounding our knitted pieces for about an hour. Having felted some knitted fabric in the washing machine, I wondered if I could do this instead to save myself some work. Jane explained, “The crucial difference between felting and fulling is that felting is a process carried out with loose fibres and…

Tell us about your day job. I am a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and for the past 33 years, I have worked as a governmental accountant and auditor. My work revolves around monitoring grant activity to ensure that state and federal funds are spent properly by our grantees. How did you become a spinner? About 20 years ago, our five-year-old son decided that he wanted to join our local Junior Fife and Drum Corps. Through our involvement with the drum corps, we met other people who participated in living history, specifically Revolutionary War reenacting. In 2004, we joined Ye Olde Lebanon Towne Militia (www.lebanonmilita.com). Since I’m not one to sit in camp and twiddle my thumbs while my guys were out in the field going “Bang!,” I started knitting in…