Here at Schacht, Spinzilla brings us together and provides an opportunity to teach employees how to spin (this year 6 new spinners joined the ranks). Different departments: production, assembly, shipping, and the front office enjoyed spinning together over lunch, breaks, and a Friday evening party. Spinzilla also connects us with Schacht alumni from all over […]
Read More
In our previous post, we taught you how to spin bulky yarn. In this blog post we’ll be using it to weave an autumnal-inspired wall hanging. With the textured wall hanging craze going strong, and the love of small looms increasing, we thought this would be the perfect project for our new Lilli Loom. […]
Read More
This year marks five years since I began spinning. Over the years I have progressed (as most spinners do) from spinning chunky and uneven yarns to finer and more consistent yarns. Recently, I wanted to spin some bulky yarn for a wall hanging. I realized that I needed to retrain myself on how to spin […]
Read More
It’s not every day that you are given the opportunity to spend a month in a foreign country. When the moment came for me to decide if I should go to Mexico with my wife for a month as she studies opera, I said yes! Since I knew that I would be away from my studio for […]
Read More
The funky home decor trend continues to pop up all over Instagram, Pinterest, Etsy – you name it! I couldn’t resist making one for my studio. Here’s how to make your very own fringed wall hanging with a selection of yarns and a Schacht School Loom. Equipment: Schacht School Loom 2 Pick up sticks Stick for […]
Read More
Zoom Loom Turkey Benjamin Krudwig Here’s a quick project you can weave up just in time for Thanksgiving. The project requires only 4 squares, so you could easily finish in time to include Mr. Tom for your Thanksgiving table décor. Or, if you’re feeling ambitious: weave one for every place setting—a take-home gift for all […]
Read More
Earlier this year, We e-mailed the team at Brooklyn Tweed to see if they wanted to participate in one of our collaborations for 2016. I was thrilled when I heard that Jared Flood, Founder and Creative Director of Brooklyn Tweed, wanted to see what we could do. Not only were they game for a collaboration, they […]
Read More
You’re at the fiber show, and you see a braid of fiber that has to come home with you. You get it home and look at it and realize you don’t know what to do with this beautifully dyed variegated fiber. You turn to recent videos by Jillian Moreno, 12 Ways to Spin Handpainted Top, […]
Read More
We know that many of you have been waiting for this day to come, and we are nearly there! The new Flatiron Spinning Wheels are starting to ship this week, and we couldn’t be more excited! Not only is the wheel itself unique in its construction and appearance, we have done something new with our […]
Read MoreJulia Sull – The Beginning is a Thrilling Place to Be! I’m a beginner weaver, drawn to the loom by a love of textiles and an eagerness to always keep learning. After years of working full-time in my local yarn shop, knitting continuously and obsessively, I’ve come to feel fluent with yarn and needles in […]
Read More
We’ve all been there; standing at a fiber show and staring at a wall of hand-dyed skeins of luxury yarn. They call to you, but your pocketbook screams in terror hoping that you don’t pull down enough for a sweater, and sighs a relief when you only pull down two skeins. A stunning speckled […]
Read More
As we head to Convergence 2016 in Milwaukee, we have been getting our show looms warped up and woven! We’ll be bringing some gorgeous fabrics with an Americana theme featured on our Baby Wolf, Wolf Pup, and Standard Floor Loom. Look for our posts to come for our other Convergence fabric designs, along with the drafts […]
Read More
Many of you may know Jane Patrick as our Creative Director here at Schacht, or as one of the friendly voices on our sales team when you call in. With many years of weaving knowledge and instruction under her belt, Jane has produced 4 books, 2 DVDs, and now brings her expertise to the […]
Read More
When I first approached Amanda from Classy Squid Fiber Company about doing a collaboration with her fiber, I had no idea that we would mesh so well! I immediately resonated with her bright colors, innovative blends, and artistic personality. Amanda’s style could be classified as eclectic and nerdy, but overall there is something in her […]
Read More
Every July the Tour de Fleece rolls around, and it never fails that we get a few phone calls around that time asking for repair parts or accessories for wheels. This year, we decided to help prepare you for this year’s “race” by publishing a handy guide. First: If you want to start this year’s […]
Read More
The flat-packed Schacht The Flatiron Spinning Wheel rises from a flat-packed box much like Boulder’s iconic Flatirons tilted up from a once horizontal position. Sit down and feel the majesty of this rock-solid wheel. The elegant design of the formed maple, apple-ply body calls upon the same drama that makes the Flatirons so striking. This […]
Read More
When Krysten from Gherkin’s Bucket showed me the new colorway she dyed up for this collaboration, I was floored! The stunning blues, greens, greys, and browns are a perfect way to celebrate the coming of spring. When I started planning this project, I knew I wanted to spin a thick and thin single, then ply […]
Read More
Spinning—It’s Better than Sex! When I first got back into knitting, I ended up getting fanatically into it. My friend who owned my LYS said, “Now we’ll just have to get you spinning!” to which I replied, “No way! Never gonna happen!” You’d think I’d know by now to “never say never.” One day while […]
Read More
For our fiber collaboration this month, I had the pleasure of working with Into the Whirled (bio below). This month, I wanted to try my hand at spinning beaded yarn. There are a few ways to spin beads into yarn, but I think I might have chosen the most involved (but most secure) method. The inspiration for my […]
Read More
We’ve all seen them on Pinterest, and they seem to be cropping up in all of the home decor magazines this spring. Some people saw these (made these!) the first time they came around in the early 1970’s. (fyi: I was not one of them.) The trend I am talking about is free-form woven wall hangings […]
Read MoreHandspun, handwoven, dog-hair rugs support dog-related charity organizations Elements to enrich our lives are all around us, but we often fail to recognize them. It is that recognition that led me to spin dog hair−and to the Schacht Matchless Spinning Wheel. Being a dog breeder and a conformation judge, I began to think about […]
Read More
From Saskatchewan, Canada, to the Culture and Crafts of West Africa “Little did I know that when I learned to weave, it would take me to Africa! I first tried weaving in 8th Grade art class and enjoyed it. Many years later, my husband Lawrence and I witnessed a floor loom set up in someone’s […]
Read More
For this project, I was inspired by the icy blues seen in the deep mid-winter season around dusk and twilight. Cold clear nights with freshly fallen snow makes you want to curl up in something warm and cozy. This wrap is that “something warm and cozy”. A sock yarn with a high twist adds loftiness and squish […]
Read More
For our December yarn company collaboration, we worked with Blue Sky Alpacas for a very special and luxurious scarf woven on our 15″ Cricket Loom. Since Blue Sky Alpacas offers both yarns and fiber, I decided to use both in a project. For this fashionable cowl, I took my inspiration from a traditional knitting technique called thrumming. […]
Read More
Skill Level: Beginner Tools: Zoom Loom Weaving Needle Tapestry Needle Felting Needle Crochet Hook Optional Tools: Incredible Rope Machine Knitting Needles Materials: Sport Weight Wool Yarn in: Plum, Gray/Beige, and Green Wool Roving or Leftover Yarn Mohair Locks Squares: 4- Plum 1- Grey/Beige 2- Green Optional: Beads Embroidery Floss Weaving: Weave 7 squares in the […]
Read MoreWhen the snow starts to fly, the urge to weave follows shortly thereafter. Whether you have a Standard Floor Loom or Zoom Loom, we have a collection of cozy projects to get you started. Here, too are some recommendations for gifts to add to your holiday gift-giving list–whether for yourself or your favorite weaver. Cherry […]
Read More
I was thrilled When I had the chance to work with Kristin Lehrer from Voolenvine Yarns on a project! I have been following Kristin for some time through her video podcast on YouTube. I have admired the beauty of her hand-dyed yarns in each episode. She specializes in variegated colors, each a different recipe. Working with variegated […]
Read MoreWe want to thank you all so much for giving us the opportunity to consider your stories for our 2016 ad campaign. We had over 49 entries, and all of them showed us what a rich and vibrant community surrounds us. We were teary eyed by some stories, tickled by others, and deeply impressed with how […]
Read MoreHere at Schacht Spindle Company, we are no strangers to using handspun yarn in our projects. For many of us in the office, we rarely buy yarn, because our handspun stash grows so quickly. Events like the Tour de Fleece and Spinzilla give us an opportunity to really boost our stash of handspun, but sometimes […]
Read MorePreparing for our third year of Spinzilla, we have learned some things that helped keep the stress down during the week of full-speed ahead spinning. 1. Prep Prior to the week – This can’t be stressed enough. For many of us, we work a job, have families and still need to spin a bunch of yardage. […]
Read More