Innehållsförteckning för Summer 2016 från Spin-Off

Among the busiest spinners I met were the recipients of our scholarships. Interweave has facilitated scholarships to attend our events, including the SOAR scholarship fund. Knitting Lab, which also became part of Yarn Fest, had its own scholarship fund, and we began a new one at the 2015 Yarn Fest. All of these have been funded through silent auctions held on-site. Earlier this year, a committee of Interweave staff and mentors pored over the applications from fiber artists hoping to attend. Choosing the eventual scholars was a challenge, but we were delighted to meet the talented women whose tuition was covered by generous donations from vendors, crafters, and mentors. The 2016 scholars were: Cari Corley, spinning; Rachel Franklin, knitting; Denise Renee Grace, weaving; Naomi Morrow, crochet; Alayne Peterson, multicraft; and…

LearnMore How to Spin Yarn to Knit video Kate Larson www.bit.ly/how-to-spin-to-knit Beginning Spinning on a Wheel video Kate Larson www.bit.ly/beginning-spinning Finishing Up: How to Wash, Block, Dry & Finish Handspun Yarns video Kate Larson www.bit.ly/finishing-up…

Lithuanian Knitting: Continuing Traditions BY DONNA DRUCHUNAS AND JUNE L. HALL Renowned knitter, teacher, and author Donna Druchunas finds her roots in the textile traditions of Lithuania. She and coauthor June L. Hall have spent years making annual pilgrimages to this land seated between Latvia, Russia, Poland, Belarus, and the Baltic Sea, forging a connection with their heritage. This volume is the result, rich with the stories and techniques painstakingly compiled by the authors and honoring Lithuania’s long history of handcrafts. Included are twenty-five patterns incorporating Lithuanian knitting techniques, stitch patterns, and motifs for mittens, socks, gloves, and wrist warmers. As Druchunas and Hall recount stories of their adventures and the wonderful people they encountered on their travels, they also guide you through traditional knitting construction techniques. Although rooted in…

Northwest Laos’s Luang Nam Tha Province, with a population of 150,000, is home to thirty-nine ethnic groups whose diverse traditions are rooted in animism and/or Buddhism. The mountainous jungle has poor soils and few resources; subsistence farming still occupies the time and effort of the vast majority. However, modern amenities—reliable electricity, cell phones, satellite television, road access, medical clinics, nationally supported schools—are reaching even the remotest villages. These communities are also gaining ready access in local markets to inexpensive factory-made clothing, housewares, tools, and food. For these communities and many others in the developing world, maintaining traditional identity while adopting modern conveniences requires a delicate, thoughtful balance. Success will require great leadership from their people as well as cultural and political respect from the “outside world.” I. The muddy path…

The Forbidden City in Beijing was the Chinese imperial palace for about five hundred years. It is a city indeed with hundreds of buildings and nearly ten thousand rooms. This scarf was inspired by mosaic tiles at the Hall of Supreme Harmony within the Forbidden City. The hexagonal tiles remind me of a common motif found in Shetland lace, which I adapted a bit for this project. I used a luscious, hand-dyed cashmere/Merino combed top to spin a laceweight singles yarn. I fulled the singles to add strength, calm the active twist, and allow the cashmere halo to bloom. SPINNING Some spinners find that luxury blends can be a bit challenging to spin into a consistent yarn. Typically, the trouble lies in the difference in staple lengths. In a cashmere/Merino…

To assemble the bobbin, first work an O-ring onto the copper tube. Dip one end of the tube in water, then lay down a thin layer of glue over the end. Dip the glued end in water again. Pass a large fender washer over the end of the tube and scoot the ring down to meet the washer. Place the two pieces on a flat surface with the copper tube flush with the washer. (Place the whole works on a paper towel so “leaking” glue won’t adhere the washer to your work surface.) Weight the washer-ring combo by placing extra washers on the copper tube. Allow the glue to set for several hours (or overnight). When the glue has cured, use a razor blade to scrape off the excess glue…

Have you ever tried spinning an exact copy of another yarn? Fine-tuning twist and grist can be a great way to hone your skills, but sometimes we need a nudge to work beyond our default yarns. The Vermont Sheep and Goat Association (VSGA) did just that with the 2015 Handspinning Challenge, a competition launched at the Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival last October. This fun test of fibery skill asked spinners to try replicating a three-ply sample yarn using 2 ounces of pin-drafted Vermont wool that was provided with the $10 entry kit. Each spinner’s handspun skein was due—plied, washed, and wound into a tidy skein—by mid-January. Nearly fifty spinners took up the challenge, and prizewinners were announced at the end of January at the Vermont Farm Show in Essex…

Camaj Fiber Arts Soffsilk Sampler infuses your spinning with Technicolor bursts of 100% mulberry silk cloud. Each bag is teeming with at least four saturated colors. Elevate your carded prep and blend it into dazzling batts. $21/4 oz. Camaj Fiber Arts, (801) 440-0214; info@camajfiberarts.com; www.camajfiberarts.com. Shiny, sumptuous silk is paired with long, luxurious suri alpaca in Treenway Silks’ new 50% Bombyx Silk/50% Suri Alpaca Sliver. Yarn spun with this magnificent fiber combination is destined to become something special with lots of drape and next-to-skin softness. $17.50/50 g (1.8 oz). Treenway Silks, 2060 Miller Ct., Lakewood, CO 80215. (303) 233-7455; info@treenwaysilks.com; www.treenwaysilks.com. Louet’s Cultivated Silk Noils are short fibers discarded during silk preparation. Averaging less than 1" in fiber length, this clean, undyed combed silk is ready to spin. Easy to…

I started my love affair with the fiber arts as a knitter. I’d always admired projects knit in handspun yarn, but would tell myself that with so many beautiful commercially produced yarns, I didn’t need to make my own. That all changed on a trip to New Zealand in 2007. I happened upon the Christchurch Spinners and Weavers Guild Shop, where the members graciously invited me to a meeting and set me up with a wheel and some wool. I was hooked. I found Schacht shortly after my trip. I knew I wanted a wheel that was modern, beautiful, and would help me create the yarn I knew I could spin. Once I saw a Matchless, I fell in love. When I sat down to spin on one, I knew…

PUTTING FIBERS TO THE TEST The first thing I did was assemble a group of fibers to try: yak top, silk top, alpaca roving, wool roving, an assembly of punis made from mixed fibers including wool, silk, alpaca, mohair, and angora, and a package of Merino/silk punis. I wanted to make a good test of things, and so I included different preparations. The first fiber I tried to spin on the charkha was silk top (Figure 1). I pulled off a hand’s width of top, folded it in half, and made a little “beak” (Figure 1a) to spin from the fold, which is my usual method of spinning silk. It worked beautifully; the silk drafted from the fold easily in a long-draw draft (Figure 1b). (Spinning on the charkha is…

I had moved to Japan after graduating from college, and like most recent graduates, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. After years of dabbling in wood-block printing and photography, I met some artists who were working with natural dyes. They in turn opened my eyes to the tradition of indigo in Japan, and I soon realized that all of my interests— in growing things, in working with my hands, and in creating something I could truly believe in—converged in this historical dye and its elaborate process. Indigo-bearing plants are found throughout the world, and each culture developed its own method of processing the plants to extract or concentrate the dye based on the environment and climate. The natural indigo most Americans are familiar with…

Pelt FIBER Karakul fleece; 3 yd organza or fine nylon netting. NOTIONS About 1 dozen large safety pins; spray bottle with hot, soapy water; additional soap; old window screen (drying rack). NEEDLES 36-gauge felting needles and needle holder. FINISHED SIZE Depends upon fleece; rug shown measures about 42" x 30". The first step in creating this rug is to obtain a complete fleece, preferably shorn as one whole piece, but reassembling pieces like a patchwork quilt can also work. On a large work surface, skirt the fleece by removing any undesirable wool (Figure 1). With the cut (shorn) side of the fleece facing up, sandwich the skirted fleece between two layers of organza (Figure 2). (This will create an irregular-shaped rug. If you desire a round or square rug, create…

With a direct-drive flyer and scotch tension, the variable speed Ashford e-Spinner is easy to handle—perfect for spinners on the go. The quiet direct-drive flyer has a variable speed from 0 to 1,200 rpm, making it suitable for all skill levels. $750. Ashford Handicrafts, 415 West St., Ashburton, Mid Canterbury 7700, New Zealand. +64 3-308 9087; www.ashford.co.nz. Unites States Distributor: Foxglove Fiberarts Supply, 8040 NE Day Rd. W, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110. (206) 780-2747; www.foxglovefiber.com. Canadian Distributor: Harmonique Fibre Arts Supply, (250) 294-4411; www.harmonique.ca. Hansen Crafts has recently released the second version of its electric spinner, the miniSpinner V2. With the push of a button, you can turn the miniSpinner on or off and control the direction and the remote switch behavior. The spinner is backward compatible—all original accessories work…

Q. I overspin everything! I use a double-drive wheel, and I've tried all three of its whorls and both short draw and long draw. How can I stop myself from adding so much twist? —Catherine V. A. It is common for the first yarns spun on the wheel—and even the first few years of yarns— to be overtwisted. My first yarns were dreadful, ropy, tight bundles of twist. They were horrible to knit. In fact, I chose not to even use the first yarn I made. (I did use the second.) It took a couple of years, a few classes, and considerable contemplation of the mechanics of the wheel for me to start making yarn with less twist that I actually enjoyed knitting. The most important thing to remember when…

One of the softest, warmest fibers on the planet, alpaca can be prepared and spun using countless methods. The characteristics of the fleece affect how the yarn is spun as well as the finished product. Each has its place in the textile world, and as handspinners, we have the opportunity to use each individual fleece to its best ability. SELECTING A QUALITY FLEECE Fleeces should be well skirted before they are offered for sale. Locks from the outer edge of the blanket should have been removed along with excessive vegetation and second cuts. Good fleece-harvesting practices by the producer will provide you with a fleece that is clean and has uniform fiber length and micron count. I have fallen in love with a fleece and purchased it only to find…

• Suit the fiber to the tool. The ideal fibers for spinning on the charkha have a short staple length . . . with the exception of silk. Ask yourself: Is this the best tool for the product I want to make? Just because I can spin a fiber on the charkha, does it mean that I should? Fibers that are not suited to spinning on the charkha will make for a tedious spinning experience and may make the end product less than stellar. • Adjust the twist to the fiber. I found that all the fibers I tried required less twist than I am accustomed to putting into my cotton yarns. The charkha inserts twist extremely efficiently, so take the time when you begin spinning a new fiber to…

ARIZONA Flag Wool and Fiber Festival—Flagstaff June 3, 4, 5, 2016 (928) 774-6272 flagwool@yahoo.com www.flagwool.com Northern Arizona’s Flag Wool & Fiber Festival: exhibits, competitions, artisan vendors, workshops, demonstrations, shearing, keynote: weaver and author, Joanne Tallarovic CALIFORNIA Farm Days at Macedo’s Mini Acre—Turlock September 26-27, 2016 (209) 648-2384 http://www.macedosminiacre.com Celebrate the origin of fiber with our herd of over 70 alpaca! Alpaca yarn, fleece, rovings or batts for spinning. Alpaca gifts and clothing. We can’t wait to meet you! Natural Fiber Fair—Arcata September 10-11, 2016 (707) 599-2729 www.naturalfiberfair.com At the Arcata Community Center. Vendor hall, fleece market, workshops, free demonstrations, fiber circle gathering space, food and fun! Saori Studio Los Angeles —Sherman Oaks (310) 488-1425 www.saoristudioLA.com #saoristudiola SAORI weaving in Los Angeles. Free yourself. Weave thyself! Walk in beauty. SAORI classes,…

Editor’s note: The original Ojo de Dios Shawl appeared in Interweave Knits, Winter 2014. The original yarn is a commercial selfstriping worsted-weight singles, and the shawl seemed tailor-made for handspun. We asked Sara Greer to reimagine the shawl for us. I used the bulky flyer with standard bobbins, the only way I could get the wheel to go slow enough to avoid overtwisting the yarn. I really had to concentrate in the beginning to treadle slowly enough. Some of the best advice I have been given is, “Make the wheel do the work for you.” Change to an ideal ratio for your yarn grist so that you don’t have to work so hard treadling. My bulky flyer has a 4.5:1 ratio; my standard is 8.5:1; and my lace flyer has…

Handspinners take “do it yourself” to a whole new level. It’s not unusual to dream about making our own spinning equipment, from simple accessories such as a wpi gauge to more advanced items such as spindles or even wheels. Handspinners who are woodworkers or have access to woodworkers, will almost certainly wonder how far they can combine the two. Most commercial manufacturers got their start in this manner, no matter how long they’ve been around. However, three trends from the technology world open up even more possibilities for DIYers: Ravelry has helped handspinners and vendors connect with each other in new ways. Crowdfunding provides entrepreneurs with start-up money to begin production. The opensource movement that first emerged in computer programming has implications for fiber artists. If you’ve thought of these…

While on vacation, I won an antique Pennsylvania flax wheel at auction. It came with a single bobbin, and the whorl end of the bobbin was broken, causing the drive band to jump off the bobbin. At our vacation spot, I also had a Craigslist find from a previous visit that was without a true flyer and bobbin. A spool had been mounted on a rod to provide the decorative illusion of a working wheel. I’d been unsuccessful in finding a suitable replacement flyer and bobbin, but the flyer from this new wheel could do double duty. I fashioned new leather bearings for the earlier wheel, and it was a successful replacement. With two wheels sharing the flyer, it was even more important to have several working bobbins. Away from…