The Year of the
Standard Floor Loom
We’re declaring 2008 the year of the Standard Floor Loom. Barry and Dan Schacht put the finishing touches on this loom, their first floor loom, the night before Convergence ‘78 in Fort Collins, Colorado! The first looms were 36” and 42” weaving widths. In 1983, they added 4 more inches of weaving width to make the 42” loom a 46” weaving width.

The Standard Floor loom is built of either maple or cherry, is available in 8-shafts or our 4-now-4-later model, and still comes in 36” and 46” weaving widths. You can also choose a high castle or low castle. Over the years, weavers have appreciated this loom’s efficient design. The underslung jack mechanism raises the shafts and the jacks pivot from two points equidistant from the center and lift the shafts by pushing up on the center point. We employ a parallel lamm system which gives these looms a light treadling action.

The tie-up system is quick and easy to use. Premeasured nylon tie-up cords hang from the lamms and are attached to a treadle by sliding the appropriate cords into the treadle slot.

Other features include: a friction brake, a back beam that folds to the castle, removable back and breast beams, and an adjustable open-sided beater. And the really good news is that our looms arrive on your doorstep fully assembled! You only need to put on the heddles and the tie-up and apron cords.

Available accessories are: a loom bench that can be assembled slanted or straight, sectional warp beam, double back beam, and raddle.

To learn more about our Standard Floor Loom, visit our website at www.schachtspindle.com.

Life at Schacht:
In the Garden
It’s April in Colorado. We long for spring, but are thwarted by snow and cold. We know that snow is good for us (living in a semi-arid climate as we do), and that this is a time we rely on for a significant amount of our moisture. But that doesn’t stop us from wishing the snow were rain…

Each summer Schacht employees can choose to have a small plot of land where they can garden along a strip of ground that used to be grass. This year we have ten gardeners who will be growing everything from pumpkins to sweet peas. Here’s what the garden looks like today. Check back in our summer issue to see how our garden has grown.
 

Newsletter in PDF Format



 
Inkle Weaving
The inkle loom is a great loom to use to introduce weaving to children. All you need is the loom, a belt shuttle, string heddles (which you can make), and yarn. Pearl cotton is readily available, weaves up into beautiful bands, and comes in loads of colors. I’ve taught inkle weaving to 10-year-olds who successfully warped the inkle loom and wove bands of their own design. Just showing kids some of the simple ways to create patterns is enough to get them started. I guarantee that they will impress you with their skill and enthusiasm.

This inkle band will be featured in our upcoming ad in Living Crafts magazine. The pattern is provided below.

  2x   5x   4x   2x   5x 2x
H* R   R   R   R   M   O   M   M   O   M   R   R   R   R
O*   R   G   R   R   M   M   L   M   M   M   R   G   R  
 
H* = Threaded in heddle
O* = Open thread
We used 5/2 pearl cotton in the following colors:
Ruby Glint = R
Moss Green = G
Mead = M
Orchid = O
Lilac = L
Spinning Wheel
Bobbin Winner
Congratulations to Barbara Tucker, the winner of our first drawing for a free spinning wheel bobbin! Barbara purchased her Ladybug Spinning Wheel from Mary Geier/Oak Mountain Handcrafts in Toney, AL and promptly sent us her warranty card. We’ll be drawing another winner in the next few months, so everyone should be encouraged to return their Ladybug warranty cards. Here’s a lovely photo of Barbara at her local guild meeting spinning a wool/silk blend. Happy spinning, Barbara!
Visit us this summer...
At TNNA in Columbus, Ohio
June 5-9.
Jane Patrick will be teaching her ‘Weave a Scarf in a Day’ class as well as a general overview workshop on how to add weaving to a knitting shop. We’ll be introducing some new products (more on this in our summer issue—right now it’s too early to spoil the surprise), so if you’re in Columbus for TNNA, stop by our booth to chat.

At Convergence in Tampa, Florida, June 22 - June 28.
We’ll be kicking off our 40th year celebration at Convergence. We’ll have surprises and prizes, and don’t forget to ask for Barry Schacht so you can congratulate him on his efforts on behalf of weavers and spinners all these years. To learn more about Convergence, visit www.weavespindye.org.

And if your travels bring you to Boulder this summer, give us a call ahead of time to schedule a visit.

Schacht Spindle Co. Office