Innehållsförteckning för Winter 2019 från Spin-Off

The first article I published in Spin Off, “Spinning Locally: Finding Local Sources for Sustainably Produced Fiber,” was in the Winter 2007 issue. I had been a SOAR (Spin Off Autumn Retreat) scholar the previous year, and editor Amy Clarke Moore suggested I write for the magazine. Since that time, I’ve written quite a few articles, patterns, and blog posts about many topics: cotton and cashmere to flick carding and fulled singles yarns. Spin Off editor emerita Anne Merrow began working on this Grassroots issue more than a year ago. As a life-long shepherd, I jumped at the chance to write an article about the literal grassroots under our sheep’s feet. What I didn’t know as I wrote that article was that I would be the editor of the issue…

Fiber preparation made easy Blending Board Create beautiful rolags for spinning or felting. Large 12" x 12" carding area - 108 point card cloth. Rotating and adjustable keel. Wild Carder Go wild! Portable and light. 4" width with extra long 72 point cloth. Drum Carder Prepare large quantities of fiber with ease. Card or blend a 2oz batt. 8" carding width. Fine 120 or 72 point cloth. Wide Carder Prepare large quantities of fiber with ease. Card or blend a 4oz batt. 12" width. 72 point cloth. Ashford Alpaca Merino • 30% Alpaca 70% Merino• Sumptuous, soft, warm - spins like a dream!• 21.5 micron baby alpaca blended with our fine 22 micron merino• Available in 7 heather colorways and white• Perfect for all your fiber crafts Ashford Silk Merino…

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Brother Aiden, an improbably cool young monk with a YouTube channel and an Instagram boasting almost 5,500 followers (@knittingmonk), makes monastic life look surprisingly hip and modern. Holy Cross Monastery in New York’s Hudson Valley doesn’t raise fiber, but Brother Aiden has certainly become one of the best-known figures in monastic fiber arts. It’s easy to forget while scrolling through his artfully shot and carefully curated photos that the Christian monastic tradition is hundreds of years old. Animal husbandry, fiber production, and fabrication of goods both for use within and for sale outside of the monastery have been an integral part of that tradition for much of its history.…

Four years ago, I walked into my first fiber festival, Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene, Oregon. I vividly remember entering through the front doors, signing up for my first class, and running madly through the marketplace before class started. I had knitted off and on for years but had started handspinning only a month or two before and was completely hooked. I was excited to learn as much as possible. I called my husband on a lunch break, almost in tears, and told him how I had “found my people.” I may have even gone home with a sheep that year. Now, as the owner of Ewethful Fiber Farm and Mill, I still have a vivid memory of those feelings, and they are what I strive to pass on to…

The original fleece-stuffed mittens came from Labrador and Newfoundland in eastern Canada. Small pieces of unspun sheep’s wool were twisted and then worked in every few stitches to create a fleecy lining. Although the original mittens were probably worked in natural sheep colors, Jennifer L. Appleby knitted her version of these warm and waterproof mittens in deep jewel-toned yarns. The colorful fleece thrums pop on the right side to make a rainbow lice pattern. Spinning Notes In my quest for a quick, easy project for winter, this slightly rustic yarn presented itself as a candidate for mittens. The yarn was already spun from a mixed wool batt, pulled into chunks and drafted against twist for a woolen-style yarn. The ultrasoft organic Merino top used for thrums provides a contrast with…

CALIFORNIA VISTA ARTS FIBER FIESTA October 5-6, 2019 ANTIQUE GAS & STEAM ENGINE MUSEUM Vista, CA www.vistafiberartsfiesta.com vistafiberartsfiesta@gmail.com (858) 335-2004 A gathering of fiber artists: weavers, spinners, felters, knitters. Yarn and fiber, including raw wool, roving, exotic fibers, handspun yarn, hand dyed and hand painted yarns. Admission free, $5 parking. COLORADO INTERMOUNTAIN WEAVERS CONFERENCE July 25–28, 2019 FORT LEWIS COLLEGE Durango, CO www.intermountainweavers.org registration@intermountainweavers.org Great workshops, vendors and people. SALIDA FIBER FESTIVAL September 7-8, 2019 RIVERSIDE PARK Salida, CO www.salidafiberfestival.com Experience one of Colorado's most beautiful festivals, along the banks of the scenic Arkansas River. Boasting Colorado's largest historic district, first designated creative district, and top tourism and outdoor enthusiast destination, Salida is also home to a vibrant fiber arts culture. IDAHO TRAILING OF THE SHEEP FESTIVAL October 9-13, 2019…

Thousands of non-native invasive plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, and disease-causing pathogens are infesting millions of acres of lands and waters across the nation. These invaders cause massive disruptions in ecosystem function, reduce biodiversity, and degrade ecosystem health in our nation’s forests, prairies, mountains, wetlands, rivers, and oceans. Invasive species not only affect the health of the nation’s forests and rangelands but also the health and survival of wildlife, livestock, fish, and humans. The financial impact from invasive species infestations in the United States has been estimated at $138 billion per year in total economic damages and associated control costs. —U.S. Forest Service…

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 ALPACA DIRECT—HAYDEN www.AlpacaDirect.com Huge selection of luxury yarn, roving, and knitting supplies. Classes and support. 1016 W. Hayden Ave. (208) 209-7079 (888) 306-0111 ILLINOIS WOOL, WARP & WHEEL—RICHMOND www.woolwarpandwheel.com We…

Our most useful tools For spinners, weavers and knitters alike. Skein yarn quickly and easily, keeping it tangle free and easy to manage while washing, soaking, dying and drying. Niddy Noddy Sampler 36" skein. Niddy Noddy 60" skein. Niddy Noddy Jumbo Hold huge 79" skeins up to 2.2lb with the super Jumbo Niddy Noddy. Skeiner 2 Holds over 3lb of yarn. With adjustable, lock-in pegs you can make or hold a variety of skein lengths up to 79". Adjustable tension guides to suit a wide range of yarn from fine to bulky art yarns. Winding is smooth and effortless. Tension Lazy Kate Control your bobbins when plying with the adjustable brake tension. Smooth stainless steel yarn guide to prevent your yarn from tangling. ARKANSAS Red Scottie Fibers 51 Spring St.…

I really enjoyed reading about the discovery and analysis of the latrine hat. I would not have wanted to be the man who went home without it and had to face the person who spent so much time making it! Maybe the reason it was still there was because he didn’t tell her how it got lost, because she would have told him to go back and get it! Betsy Alspach South Easton, Massachusetts I always read Spin Off cover to cover. I got stuck at the wonderful article about the latrine hat in the Fall issue—maybe it’s because I love history or because I live in northern Minnesota and spend a lot of time in the bog. I try to limit the time in the latrine, though. Ha! Today…

Indie dyer Michele Diprima’s color sense grabs your attention—her colorways get noticed! Whether it’s her vivid millspun yarns or saturated spinning fiber, these hand-dyeds spark joy in crafters, which is exactly what spinning has done for Michele from the very beginning. Michele’s journey into handspinning began with the need to heal her broken heart over the loss of her grandmother soon after she moved to Boulder, Colorado. The tonic of twist entered her life through a class she took with well-known spinning teacher Maggie Casey at Maggie’s shop Shuttles, Spindles & Skeins. Making yarn provided Michele with the medicine she needed to recover. Through spinning, she became enchanted by combining colors in unexpected ways. Her husband encouraged her to take the next step and start dyeing. Michele jumped in and…

Perhaps most charming of all is Mother Katherine’s account of her regular attendance at Rhinebeck (officially the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival), a locus of fiber arts in the United States. “We bring a ewe to Rhinebeck to appear as the poster girl for Romney sheep in the Breed Barn,” she says. “She knows the word ‘Rhinebeck,’ knows when it’s nearly time and begins to nag me, ‘Are we going?’ The Rhinebeck people stand with their mouths open when she unloads at the fairgrounds.”…

Having started spinning only in order to knit, I am now fascinated by the history of spinning, handspun yarns, and the fabrics woven from them. Combining these interests with a penchant for museum collections and research can lead to some fascinating adventures. During a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, I came across a small swatch of woolen fabric labeled cassimere that I had to learn more about and try to re-create for myself. BEFORE THE AGE OF STEAM I am deeply curious about the English tradition of spinning and the fabrics that predate the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century. Eric Kerridge’s important book Textile Manufactures in Early Modern England describes, or at least lists, an astonishing number of fabrics produced when the English woolen…

• Common Medicinal Herbs of the Ozarks: History, Folklore and Uses. Bob Liebert, 1987. County Courier, Buffalo, Missouri.• Selected Weeds of the United States. Agricultural Research Service, 1970. Agriculture Handbook No. 366, U.S. Department of Agriculture.• Weeds of the North Central States. K.P. Buchholtz et al., January 1976 reprint of the revised edition of 1960. University of Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station Circular 718.• Weeds of the Southern United States. James F. Miller et al., no date. Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.• Weeds of the West, eleventh edition. Tom D. Whitson et al., 2012. Western Society of Weed Science, Pioneer of Jackson Hole, Laramie, Wyoming.• Wild Plants and Native Peoples of the Four Corners. William W. Dunmire and Gail D. Tierney, 1997. Museum of New Mexico…

WHAT IS A PODCAST? A podcast is a piece of digital media, either audio or video, that is available on the internet for downloading. Typically, podcasts are produced in an open-ended series, and subscribers receive the episodes automatically on their digital devices. Most audio podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts or other aggregators. Video podcasts are available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other aggregators. Fiber podcasts sometimes provide tutorials or information, whereas others are about fiber artists sharing their current projects. In June 2013, my fourth child was born. I was a stay-at-home mom but being an extrovert often made that lifestyle difficult. Most of my friends who had children went back to work; I longed for a community. I had always been creative, enjoyed knitting, and often read blogs…

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 – $12 + $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 23rd ANNUAL STEPHENSON COUNTY FIBER ART FAIR, Saturday, April 13, 2019. Held in Cedarville, IL: workshops, demonstrations, and vendors offering fiber plus finished yarn, dyes, books, and equipment. Also supplies for spinning, weaving, knitting, felting, dyeing, tatting and crochet. (815) 541-0897 or www.scfiberartfair.com for further information. 10th ANNUAL KENTUCKY SHEEP AND FIBER FESTIVAL. May 18-19, 2019, Masterson Station Park, Lexington, KY. A natural, all things fiber, local food…

Spin large amounts of yarn quickly and effortlessly Our e-Spinner 3 is small, light and super portable. • Quiet but powerful 12 volt DC 2.0 amp 70watt motor• Convenient spinning and plying with sliding hook flyer, frictionless yarn guides, ⅝" orifice and reducer bush.• Comes with a padded carry bag, on/off foot switch, three 8oz capacity bobins and a tensioned lazy kate• Quick and easy bobbin change with snap-in flyer bearings• Weighs only 4.4lb• Compact 10¼" x 5½" x 8½" size• Smooth lacquer finish Optional extras: 12 volt car cord enables you to use it in your car, caravan, RV or boat. Welcome to Ashford Wheels & Looms YouTube Tutorial Channel! To make learning easier, we have been busy making clear, easy-to-follow educational videos. See the complete range in our…

JOY OF GIVING HipStrings offers a bold way to store up to five pounds of scoured fleece. Their canvas storage bag with drawstring sports a “warning” to all Nosy Nellies who might dare enter. Each bag is crafted from heavy-duty cotton canvas and screenprinted in-house. It’s the must-have bag of the shearing season! 18" x 25½". $25. HipStrings, 3812 William Flinn Highway, Building 4, 2nd Floor, Allison Park, PA 15101. www.hipstrings.com. This tool calls to mind Portlandia’s iconic comedy sketch “Put a bird on it!” Far Out Farm’s sliding-whorl distaff draws its inspiration from the creator’s antique Roman distaffs (see Spin Off Fall 2018). This 3D-printed replica feels modern in the hands of today’s spindle spinner. Shown unfinished, $25, and finished, $50. Jane and Kim Caulfield, Far Out Farm, Cornersville,…

Most spinners like to know where their fiber comes from. We see that our beautiful dyed combed top is labeled Shetland, and off we go to learn more about Shetland sheep. But even if we know our fleece came from a Shetland sheep called Millie who lives in Oregon, there is still more to the story. Millie needed a lot of help to grow her bountiful fleece. Sheep eat a wide range of plants, and the plants depend upon the incredible unseen work that is happening beneath the soil surface. Soil is teeming with life, and a common adage among soil scientists is that a handful of healthy soil contains more life forms than there are people on earth. The shepherd, like the conductor of an orchestra, tries to harmonize…

BLUEFACED LEICESTER UNION www.bflsheep.com info@bflsheep.com (740) 623-0324 Bluefaced Leicester BFLis long, lustrous, luxurious. Visit our website for a current list of breeders across the US and Canada. NATIONAL ROMELDALE—CVM CONSERVANCY INC. “Shepherding for the fiber artist. Shepherding for the future.” www.nationalcvmconservancy.org info@nationalcvmconservancy.org (570) 490-4759 Romeldale—CVM Sheep Critically endangered, Romeldale—CVM sheep offer fine fleece in a range of natural colors and patterns. Visit our website to learn more and find a local breeder and fiber farmer. NORTH AMERICAN WENSLEYDALE SHEEP ASSOCIATION www.wensleydalesheep.org info@wensleydalesheep.org (518) 380-2726 Wensleydale Support a rare breed and buy directly from the source. NAWSA breeders of registered Wensleydales are listed on our website, www.wensleydalesheep.org. Outstanding sheep provide outstanding fiber. SURI NETWORK www.surinetwork.org office@surinetwork.org (970) 586-5876 Estes Park, CO Suri Alpaca A National Breed Association, the Suri Network represents…

Dakota Carding & Wool, a mill located in northeastern South Dakota, produces colorful fibers and small-batch yarns. Although owner Kelly Knispel’s products are known far and wide, her focus is on creating local products. Kelly plays many roles in her busy life: owner and operator of a custom carding mill; shepherd; wool shearer; plant-based dyer; educator; handspinner; farmer; organizer; wool, yarn, and knitwear vendor; wife; and mother. What knits all these jobs together are Kelly’s pure love of sheep’s wool and her commitment to sharing that passion with others. Through her work in wool, Kelly dedicates her life to the care of the natural resources surrounding her in the Great Plains and Midwestern states. “I can sell you anything from a lamb chop, to yarn, to spinning fiber,” Kelly proudly…

This hat was originally published in Interweave Knits Summer 2014 and is featured in the book 100 Knits (Interweave, 2018). A four-stitch cable moves every other round, crossing over the end of the round to create a seamless, spiraling pattern. For her handspun version, Elizabeth chose to spin a fine two-ply yarn from a semisolid pencil roving. MATERIALS Fiber 4 oz Fiber Optic Yarns Foot Notes Unspun pencil roving, 80% Merino/20% nylon in Pumpkin Spice. Yarn 2-ply; 736 yd (405 yd used); 2,944 ypp; 16 wpi; fingering weight. Original pattern Cascade Yarns Heritage Silk (85% Merino wool/15% silk; 437 yd [400 m]/3½ oz [100 g]), #5681 limestone, 1 hank. Needles Size 3 (3.25 mm): 16" circular (cir) and set of double-pointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the…

In June of 2016, I traveled from Colorado to Rochester, Minnesota, for my first fiber retreat: the Zombie Knitpocalypse. During a spinning class, I sat next to Sarah and Dan, who were brainstorming how they would spin some yellow and gray Merino fiber. I commented how pretty the fiber was, as gray and yellow is one of my favorite color combinations. I later found that braid and an identical one sitting on my spinning chair while my new friends sat nearby with big smiles on their faces. They had decided the fiber would be best used by someone who already loved the color combination, and I was grateful. Spinning Notes The superwash treatment and a relatively short-staple Merino wool made the combed top incredibly easy to draft. I wanted to…

Tell us about your day job. I protect the public’s health as an Environmental Health Sanitarian, or health inspector. The most familiar parts of my job to the public are inspecting restaurants and grocery stores, but I work in many other programs: providing education to consumers and facilities on topics such as private water wells, septic systems, body art, indoor tanning, housing and nuisance complaints, radon/indoor air quality, vector control, and health promotion. I enjoy the variety in my work and try to be prepared for whatever might come across my desk. How did you become a spinner? I have been fascinated by spinning wheels since seeing Rumpelstiltskin spin straw into gold in a movie. On family vacations, we would check out living-history events, and I would watch people knit,…