True confession: I am not a designer or an artist. I make stuff from other people’s patterns. My training didn’t happen in art school; it comes from a few spinning classes, many books and articles about spinning, and tons of trial and error (mostly error). So when my boss asked me to host a spin-along […]
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Have you ever fallen in love with a braid of hand-dyed fiber and then wondered what on earth to do next? I have experienced this phenomenon more times than I can count. Part of my paralysis came from lack of knowledge, and that’s the easiest part to overcome. But I still lack confidence that my […]
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I was thrilled when the folks at Schacht asked me to participate in Schacht’s 50th anniversary fun with a blog post, and even more excited when I learned I’d be spinning a special anniversary colorway dyed by Felicia Lo of SweetGeorgia Yarns. I knew I would love it even before I’d seen it; I’m a […]
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In my previous post on double weave, I covered tips for setting up, weaving two separate layers, and switching layers. Today we’ll use these skills to create pockets and tubes. Typically, handweaving creates a flat object (a textile) that can be sewn into three-dimensional forms off the loom. But double weave offers a whole new […]
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I love weaving on a little loom. The small scale and portability allows me to do experimental weaving on the go. One concept that I had worked on in the past but hadn’t yet perfected was warp-wrapping, and with Earth Day and Arbor Day occurring in the same week, I couldn’t resist using this technique […]
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Double weave can be a very intimidating weave style to take on. Sometimes just the sheer volume of threads you need to wind and how to thread them through the heddles can seem overwhelming. This post covers a simple approach to winding and threading a double weave sample that can be adapted for a variety […]
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Schacht Spindle Company is pleased to announce the winners of the 2019 Tools for Schools Grant! The quality of the applicants was very impressive and we would like to thank all of the wonderful programs that applied. Although we couldn’t choose everyone, we believe that these applicants showed exemplary ideas and programs. The winners are: […]
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It finally happened, after at least a year or two of admiring punch needle, I gave in to the desire to try it out. I was hooked right away. I love the process and the final project that comes from punch needle! As I was teaching one of my weaving classes, and staring at the […]
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We have been having a great time celebrating our 50th anniversary this year! Each month we’ve been unveiling special edition 50th anniversary products, and this month is no different. We have 4 new branded products: Our denim hat with our embroidered Schacht sheep logo on the front, is a traditional baseball style hat. It sports […]
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While celebrating our 50th anniversary, we’d be remiss to not spend time talking about the employees who help make our products. We have around 45 employees here, with experience ranging from a couple of years to over 30! Our employees come from all over the world, and those diverse backgrounds keep our factory dynamic. Every […]
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It’s no secret that we are a bunch of book lovers here at Schacht. When we get publisher catalogs, or when our favorite authors send us press releases, we get pretty excited. We are always looking for the latest and greatest weaving and spinning books to join the ranks. We’re also pretty happy because as […]
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There is something downright magical about spinning your own yarn. Creating something out of nothing, and letting your inner-most yarn dreams come true in the process. In this post and accompanying video, we’ll teach you how to start spinning on a drop spindle. The Equipment The history of spinning is vast, and spans thousands of […]
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Late last spring at Schacht we received a multitude of yarns from several yarn companies intended for a unique piece for the summer TNNA fashion show – a woven vest with warp made up of rope all created on the Schacht Incredible Rope Machine. One day the package from Fairmount Fibers came with a marvelous […]
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When I think about winter and the Christmas season, I can’t help but feel a sense of joy and wonder. The possibilities of transformation, ancient magic, and folklore fill my head with delight. This is why I designed the Surprise Sugar Plum Fairy, and then a couple of years later I made the Surprise Snowman. This […]
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This yarn is deceptively soft. With stealth on its side, this spun tweed yarn has the appearance of some of its more rustic counterparts, but the 70% Merino/30% Cashmere blend makes this one of the softest tweeds ever! Vertical stripes are pleasing to wear and easy to weave. A very simple pick-up pattern adds surface […]
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This is the perfect project to practice your pick-up skills. While honeycomb is suited to many applications, this fabric is intended for a pillow. Toned down a bit by the weft, this design picks up just enough of the sparkle to show off the honeycomb weave structure. Overview of Weave: This pillow is woven in […]
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We love working with Blue Sky Fibers, so when they debuted their new Eco-Cashmere and Woolstok Jumbo, we knew we had to weave with it. I came up with this fun, textured scarf that combines two very different sizes of yarn. Our variable dent reed made it all possible Equipment: 10″ Cricket Loom Weave […]
Read MoreAfter my last post on spinning fractal yarn, I wasn’t quite happy with the idea. The premise of the technique is sound, but it isn’t truly a fractal in the mathematical or scientific sense of the word. A fractal is a pattern that is self-similar, and repeats itself in different scales. Image from a thermodynamics […]
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Dear Tabby, I’m a new spinner and I am getting extremely frustrated when I sit down to spin!! My yarn is all squiggly and is getting kinked up. What is happening?!? Help! – Wound-up Wanda Hi Wanda, This a common problem for new and experienced spinners alike! The cause of this problem is that […]
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After a few weeks of record heat in September, October has brought with it a real bout of fall weather. We are loving the cooler temps where we can bundle up in our woolen goods and spend cozy evenings inside making things. To celebrate this changing of the seasons, here are a few of our […]
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When we decided to bring back yarn company collaborations for 2018, I immediately put Voolenvine Yarns on my list. Three years ago, I worked with her yarns in the Density Plaid Wrap. I loved the doubled threads that created the crammed/spaced plaid effect, however the speckled nature of the yarn didn’t highlight this difference in […]
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Bags are always fun to make and this one is just right for fall. Take your Zoom Loom with you and before you know it, you’ll have 13 squares woven and ready to assemble. Because you want your bag to be a dense fabric, be sure to use a wool yarn that will full (not […]
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To print the page, use “command + p” or “Ctrl + p” Printable worksheet PDF
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We love color and weave and this project for a lightweight blanket is a good place to start trying out 8-shaft weaving. We used the characteristic, dark, light threading, but changed the dark colors as we threaded across the warp (see warp color order chart). Weaving tip: Weave the pattern to square and maintain a […]
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I can’t think of a better summer project than a handspun, handwoven, and handstitched lavender sachet. All of the pieces are small and portable; you don’t need much yarn, and the finished product is one of those can’t-quit-squishing-it projects. I spun my yarn, some on my Sidekick and some on a spindle, while I traveled. […]
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Whether you’re a yarn-store owner with slow-moving stock, a yarn addict, or just someone who wants to bust their stash; we’ve got 5 easy projects that will knock that pile of yarn down. Zoom Loom Holiday Flower Lights This project was first introduced as a way to dress up holiday lights. EJ, one of our […]
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What will this yarn look like when I weave with it? As a weaving instructor, I get this question every time I teach. While it is a great question, it’s one that’s hard to answer because each yarn is so different. A few years ago, we did a yarn study with the Zoom Loom, but […]
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“Creative, innovative, exciting, and new, all come together in this wonderful woven rope vest from designer Benjamin Collyn Krudwig and Schacht Spindle Company.” – Barry Klein of Trendsetter Yarns. These were the words uttered during the Summer TNNA (The National Needle Arts) fashion show in Cleveland as the Fringed Woven Rope Vest adorned the runway […]
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June is right around the corner, and for many folks that means school is out, and the kids are home. We’ve gathered a few of our favorite projects that you can do with the young ones in your life! Make a Jump Rope In this project, we upcycled fabric strips and used the Incredible Rope […]
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Storage bobbins make my yarn better. I’ve been using storage bobbins and a bobbin winder for years, but only recently realized how indispensable they have become to my spinning. Having storage bobbins and a bobbin winder makes it so easy to rewind my bobbins. I used to tell spinners that they would get around to […]
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