Innehållsförteckning för Summer 2015 från Spin-Off

I can’t remember where I learned most of what I think I know about spinning. Some came from spinning classes, it’s true, but other ideas came from online forums, chats around the fireside with other spinners, attentive (or not) readings of Spin.Off, bloggers, and probably some other places I can’t think of. In school, I learned to footnote and cite and show my work, but in spinning, a lot of ideas seem to be passed from spinner to spinner in a giant game of telephone. (I often hear people begin a sentence, “Well, Judith says . . .” Yet it doesn’t seem possible that every one of those statements could have come from one person. Judith MacKenzie says many wise and true things, but I wonder if sometimes she’d echo…

The Cowichan sweater is a distinctive symbol of the Northwest Coast. With characteristic designs knitted from raw handspun wool, these sweaters are linked to the native tribes of British Columbia. Olsen has lived in Tsartlip First Nation, near Victoria, British Columbia, for most of her life and has long friendships with some of the Coast Salish women who create Cowichan sweaters. As such, her thorough account of the sweater’s history has a great deal of depth, and the fact that this book was published with the support of Canada’s Council for the Arts says much of the subject’s historical importance. Part knitting history, part cultural ethnography, Olsen’s compelling chronicle of this cultural icon parallels that of the Coast Salish people. It’s a story of tradition, colonialism, poverty, cultural appropriation, innovation,…

Get the Kit! www.bit.ly/lobster potscarf Although some may think of mixing handspun and commercial yarn as cheating, I think of it as a creative way to use all my resources. Don’t let the heat deter you from summer spinning. A wool/flax blend is ideal for summer, even if the thought of wool makes you sweat. Combine a lobstercolored handspun with commercial stainless steel yarn for a cool scarf. SPINNING The most satisfying part of designing with yarn is experimenting with different fibers and concepts. This project uses a 60/40 blend of Merino and flax. Adding Merino to any blend is like adding bacon: it just makes it better. Merino, being soft and long-stapled, and flax, having body and length, pair up as perfect partners. They are a surprising pair, and…

This handy technique was developed by Andean spinners long before ball-winders were invented. It’s a great way to ply samples or leftovers, such as the little bit of yarn that is inevitably left over when you ply from two bobbins. Follow the drawings step by step and you’ll soon get the knack of it. Ed Franquemont shares these notes on the technique: "Andean people spin regularly, and often, but not always, have a project in mind for the yarn on the spindle. Indigenous Andean cloth is always made of two-ply yarn, since ’all things need their mate,’ an idea that reflects more about their philosophy of dualism than the strength of their yarn. People fill two spindles with yarn, and then wind off both to make a ball of doubled…

The Practical Spinner’s Guide: Rare Luxury Fibers JUDITH MACKENZIE INTERWEAVE/F+W, $27.99 www.bit.ly/rare-luxury-fibers-book Handspinners have blended fibers for thousands of years, and I count myself lucky to have seen some astonishing fiber blends. I’ve seen blanket fragments, hundreds of years old, spun from dog hair, cedar bark, and kingfisher down; fabric from China made with silk, gold, and swansdown; wild rabbit an d yucca yarns from Arizona; and even an encased yarn made with woolly mammoth fiber and sinew. As spinners, we are, and always have been, endlessly creative and innovative designers, seeing endless possibilities for both function and beauty in the world around us. WHY BLEND? Blending offers us a chance to extend the amount of precious fiber that we have—it also gives us a way to change the characteristics…

Sometimes I wonder how I ever became a spinner. My first drop-spindle class was a disaster! I was all thumbs; not only could I not keep the spindle turning, but my yarn was an overtwisted, lumpy, bumpy tangle. As sad as the first yarn was, though, I was intrigued. Because I couldn’t spin on a spindle, the only rational thing to do was to get a wheel. Now I could make even more overtwisted, highly textured yarn—faster. What was I thinking? I joined a spinning group, and one of the kind members showed me how to use my brake band. What a difference that little tension knob made! I was finally able to spin yarn that wasn’t rope. But the lumps and bumps continued to frustrate me. Then I learned…

When it comes to fiber, I do not follow rules— at least, not until I have tried something and learned why the rule is necessary. This can cause disasters, but it also allows me to learn and experiment, and in the end, I have fun and learn more than if I blindly followed the rules. As a new weaver, I encountered many rules as I looked for information. I broke many of them and had both successes and failures. MYTH 1: WEAVING WITH HANDSPUN IS TOO HARD. The first thing I was told, when I let my friends know that I was learning to weave, was that I should use commercial cotton yarn because weaving with handspun is difficult. I dismissed this out of hand; I was not going to…

What is your primary occupation? I am a knitting designer, author, blog writer, and teacher. How did you become a spinner? I had been interested in spinning for many years but only from afar. I admired handspun yarns and how much fun it looked to make your own yarn. Finally, when I had a brief break in my knitting work, I took the plunge. About four years ago, I purchased my first wheel. After I got my wheel, I took a quick hour-long beginning spinning class at a local yarn shop, and I have been spinning ever since. I am not a technical spinner at all. I do it for fun and relaxation and creativity. No worries about measurements—just let the yarn be what it is. Tell us about your…

Spinning is often the gateway drug into a world of other fibery pursuits, and many spinners eventually find themselves interested in weaving. If you’ve developed the weaving itch, a rigid-heddle loom is an approachable way to get your feet wet before making a large investment in equipment. This second edition of the book has been updated from its original 2008 version. Notable changes include a new section on direct warping—which promises to be faster and easier than the original instructions—as well as projects designed to make use of the same warp. The book’s 17 projects range from accessories to home dec items, including scarves, placemats, bags, and more. Yarn requirements for each project make it easy to plan handspun substitutions, and plentiful photos and illustrations will guide your work. Techniques…

Our video studio plays host to a huge variety of instructors—weavers, beaders, knitters, quilters, and more— but of course our favorite guests are spinners. In February, we had the pleasure of welcoming Judith to film a series of videos on color, fleece, and spindles. Here are a few highlights. +LearnMore Spinning Primitive Breeds Video Judith MacKenzie www.bit.ly/spinning-primitive-breeds-video The Spinner’s Guide to Color Theory Video Judith MacKenzie www.bit.ly/the-spinners-guide-tocolor-theory-video…

The mistakes I made as a new spinner were many. I didn’t know enough about spinning to be able to call them learning experiences. Only now, with years of spinning behind me, can I see more clearly what those first fumbling mistakes taught me. Spinning looks easy. Spinning is not easy. It takes sustained practice, and once we can make something like yarn, we find that’s just the beginning. There is so much to learn about spinning, fiber, sheep, and how to put it all together into a finished product you will be happy with. Spinning is an endless pursuit of knowledge and of skill, a lifetime endeavor . . . and luckily, we will always have more to learn. To embrace those earliest lessons (and for the benefit of…

After the well-received Rustic Modern Crochet, Yumiko Alexander is back with a collection of simple yet eye-catching knitted projects. Alexander lived in Japan until her late twenties, and it shows in the aesthetic of her projects. The designs are organic and textured while still feeling clean and modern. The natural world is a clear influence, with leaf, flower, and shell motifs woven into many of the 23 projects. Many of the designs do not include shaping, making the book approachable for beginners. Though the construction of most projects is simple, you’ll find asymmetry, layered fabrics, entrelac, designs that resemble crochet, and more to pique your interest. Projects include shawls, scarves, hats, vests, wristwarmers, and more, many with a surprising degree of versatility. Simple construction means that scarves could easily become…

Check your local retailer for these necessities. If you have new product information you would like to see included in Get This!, please contact us at spinoff@interweave.com. Abstract Fiber’s 60% yak, 20% Merino, and 20% silk top offers a luminous, soft sheen that highlights the company’s rich dyework. It is the perfect fiber for a little something to make you feel fancy. Shown in the Iris colorway. $30/4 oz. Abstract Fiber, 3676 SE Martins St., Portland, OR 97202. (503) 703-1120; www.abstractfiber.com. With Almost Alien’s Modular Drop Spindle Kits, you choose from three whorl sizes, three hook styles, and top or bottom whorl—all in one spindle. Kits include three bobbins that lock over the shaft so you can change projects and save what you were spinning for later. Components attach with…

Long before sunrise one morning, I headed for London, my small car packed with every wheel I possess, plus wool combs, flax hackles, distaffs, spindles, and tahklis. I arrived at the Victoria and Albert Museum Clothworkers’ Centre for the Study and Conservation of Textiles and Fashion, and I was very grateful to find that my parking spot was next to the freight elevator. By the time everyone had gathered with fibers and equipment, including a great wheel, charkha, my nineteenth-century flax wheel, and various modern wheels, the room had filled with people, and the adventure began. Professor John Styles of the University of Hertfordshire is researching every aspect of handspinning in England. His European Union–funded project, “Spinning in the Era of the Spinning Wheel, 1400–1800,” examines the technology and its…

I saw someone telling a new spinner just last week on Facebook: “I’ve been spinning for 30 years and believe me, once you start spinning fine, it’s very difficult to spin a fat yarn ever again.” Rubbish, I say! From the time I started spinning, oh those many years ago, I have listened over and over as experienced spinners told newer spinners to appreciate that first thick yarn, because once you spin thin yarn, it’s almost impossible to go back to spinning thick. At first I believed them, but I didn’t care, because I love knitting lace, and so I was going to spin thin yarn regardless of the consequences. But as I continued my practice of spinning, I learned that I could, in fact, spin thin and thick and…

Editor’s note: The legal status of growing fiber hemp varies by state, and it may be prohibited in your area. Consult your local law enforcement agency before embarking on any hemp-growing activities. The following is intended for educational purposes and to deepen your understanding of spinning, not as an endorsement of private hemp cultivation. Any legal consequences are entirely your own. Spinning purchased hemp fiber is not prohibited anywhere to the best of our knowledge. Thanks to Dr. Daniela Vergara of the University of Colorado at Boulder for her expert read of this article. Hemp is generally accepted worldwide as a valuable agricultural product and fiber source, and we currently see a public, scientific, and governmental acceptance of industrial hemp. This remarkable fiber is also experiencing a rebirth of interest…

When I demonstrate spinning on a spindle in public, people often ask how much slower or faster it is than spinning on a spinning wheel. I often give the familiar response: Compared to spindling, wheels are “faster by the hour, slower by the day.” Is this true? If measuring scientifically, I’d say it depends! There are too many variables for good measurement. If a spinner is equally skilled with both a spinning wheel and a spindle, one could perhaps work to measure this. Most spinning wheels will produce more yarn than a spindle if the same spinner uses a spinning wheel with exactly the same fiber, for the same number of hours, with all equipment in order and no interruptions. Life gets in the way of this sort of productivity.…

After I received the challenge fibers, it took a long time to decide what I wanted to do—so many choices! The blue of the Fiber Optic gradient reminded me of a lovely little wildflower called blue-eyed grass. That led me to decide to weave a scarf to convey the look of blue flowers nestled in green grass, the way that the real blue-eyed grass flowers often grow. I decided to use the Fiber Optic gradient as stripes in the warp, which left the Lucky Cat muga silk/wool as the weft. I divided the gradient into the three colors: grass green, pale silvery lavender, and blue-violet. I spun each color separately with a short forward draw, making a smooth two-ply yarn. I spun the muga silk/wool the same way. While spinning…

The colors of Merino/silk that arrived were far from my usual comfort zone. At first, I could not think of how I could possibly use them: they were so foreign to what I might choose to work with for myself. I kept ruminating on how to use the braids: Spin separately and ply together? Strip each length of top and ply the yarns to themselves? Leave them as singles? Weave? Knit? I was stumped, and I let the braids rest on my studio table while I thought. As I passed them daily, I liked the colors better and better. I decided they reminded me of beach colors: sand, waves, and shore plants, so I set out to devise a pattern that said “beach” to me. I wanted to keep the…

Knitting Abbreviations * *—repeat all instructions between beg—begin(ning) BO—bind off CC—contrast color cn—cable needle CO—cast on dec—decrease dpn—double-pointed needle(s) inc—increase k—knit k1f&b—knit into front and back of stitch k2tog—knit 2 together k3tog—knit 3 together kwise—knitwise M1—make 1 by picking up running thread between 2 stitches front to back, place on left needle and knit into back of loop M1L—work same as M1 M1R—make 1 by picking up running thread between 2 stitches back to front, place on left needle and knit into front of loop MC—main color p—purl pm—place marker p2sso—pass 2 slipped stitches over p2tog—purl 2 together pwise—purlwise rem—remain(ing) rep—repeat rnd(s)—round(s) RS—right side sl—slip sl 1, k2tog, psso—slip 1 stitch knitwise, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over the knit 2 together sl 2, p1, p2sso—with yarn in front,…