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Coming this fall: The LadyBug  She’s…. cute easy to carry around friendly to entry-level spinners affordable a little unconventional a great spinner comfortable to treadle

Talk
The Editor Spouts off

Dear Weavers and Spinners,
   It’s spring. Tug and pull time. Gotta be (want to be) out in the garden; want to be at the loom, too. This year I have weaving deadlines, so the struggle is even greater. Here’s how I’m solving it. During the week, I’m up early, 5:00-ish, and work in my studio until 7:00 or so. Then I’m off to work at Schacht. Home in the evening around 5:30, I unwind for an hour or so in the garden. Then it’s a quick, light dinner before putting in an hour or two in the studio in the evening.
   You can’t do everything, so it is cooking dinner that isn’t happening right now—it's either leftovers, a soup out of the freezer, or scrambled eggs and toast. The important thing is to try to do what is important to you and to know you CAN’T DO IT ALL.
   Hoping this finds you fitting some weaving or spinning time into your spring schedule.
   Cheers,
  

Jane Patrick
P.S. Visit my blog at schachtspindle.com/blog/violetrose.html

Warping up a small frame loom, such as the Schacht Mini Loom, School Loom, or our Flip folding rigid heddle loom, makes this project easy to take with you. Fabric strips make a sturdy, absorbant, inexpensive mat that can be as wild or tame as you wish. Dive into your leftover fabric bin and choose the most garish, even ugly, prints. You’ll be surprised at what happens when fabric you rejected for other uses takes on a new, attractive life when cut into strips and woven.

		The Details Warp: 8/4 cotton carpet warp Weft: Fabric strips, 1/2” to 5/8”, depending on your warp sett Sett: 5-7 e.p.i. on a frame loom; 8 e.p.i on a rigid heddle loom Warp width: 4”
Striped Mat. This mat is a good illustration of how different printed fabric patterns weave up. Solid red fabric contrasts with a subtle print and a dynamic print to produce a visually lively mat.

square and finish as you began. Leave at least 4” (more if you are going to omit the hemstitching and tie knots) of warp unwoven before beginning the next coaster. Think variation. Try outrageous combinations. Experiment with pattern. It’s summer; have fun!
		Orange and Black Striped Mat. Two picks of orange and two picks of black are alternated for this mug rug. The 1/2” fabric strips are tightly packed to make a sturdy mat.

Hit and Miss Mat. An inlaid look is achieved by using a fabric with bright images on a solid black background. The white warp creates a pointillist effect against the black background.

Dear Tabby,

—Fulvia

Dear Fulvia,
   A Tahkli Spindle is a kind of supported spindle designed to be used on a surface such as a table top or your lap. Tahkli spindles have a long metal shaft that is bent at the top and a bottom whorl. (The “pear” on the Schacht Pear Tahkli functions as the whorl). A sharp point on the end of the shaft is used in a bowl or your lap.
   Tahkli spindles are specifically designed to spin short, fine fibers such as cotton or cashmere. Spinning progresses in the same way as on a spinning wheel or drop spindle: drafting and adding twist.

Step 1. Attach a leader to the spindle, such as a very fine wool singles.
Step 2. Join fiber to the leader.
Step 3. Place the tip of the spindle in a small bowl — mine is specially designed with a small dimple in the center to keep the spindle point in place. I have also used a tahkli spindle in my lap while wearing jeans. A piece of leather laid across your lap also works. The idea is to avoid poking yourself with the sharp point of the spindle and to use a smooth surface so that the spindle can spin freely.
Step 4. Hold the spindle loosely in your right hand (opposite for lefties). Spin the spindle clockwise with your other hand. Hold your right hand loosely around the spindle, keeping it upright.
Step 5. When quite a lot of twist has built up, stop the spindle from spinning and hold it firmly, while drafting with your left hand at about a 45 degree angle off the tip of the spindle.
Step 6. Draft as long as you have sufficient twist, or as long as you can reach, then wind onto the spindle in a counterclockwise direction. Begin building up a cone of spun yarn starting at the bottom of the shaft (or top of the “pear”).
Step 7. Repeat steps 3—6. Soon you will develop a rhythm that is soothing, almost meditative.

Have a question? Ask Tabby!

TNNA
May 31—June 4
Columbus, Ohio

If you own a yarn shop, TNNA (The National Needlearts Association) is where you want to go to buy yarn and equipment (like spinning and weaving equipment). Jane will be teaching two classes at TNNA: Weave a Scarf in a Day (all-day workshop) on Friday, June 1, and Knit One, Weave Too—Weaving for Knitters (focusing on easy ways to introduce weaving to knitters) on Sunday, June 3, 8:00—10:00 am.
   If you’re attending TNNA, please stop by our booth and say hi to Jane and Barry. We’ll feature all of our small looms, particularly our new Flip folding rigid heddle loom and our prototype folding table loom, the Lazy J. Look for our  spinning equipment—spindles and spinning wheels, including  the Ladybug, our new, lightweight wheel! We are so excited about our new products—and we think you’re going to love them, too. To find out about TNNA, visit www.tnna.org.
 

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