Spin Off · No. 2
Spin Off Fall 2019
Desert Island Tools
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Spin Off · No. 2
Desert Island Tools
Patterns, stories, and extras printed in Spin Off Fall 2019.
Take your blending board skills to the next level with a few easy-to-find accessories.
Curious about spinning short-stapled fibers such as cotton? Consider the charkha!
After three summers of dyeing, researching, and experimenting with different parts of buckthorn shrubs, I was able to achieve a surprising range of colors on wool.
How do different fibers spin on various types of spindles?
These spindles vary in size and shape across the world, depending greatly on what type of fiber and yarn they were made to spin.
My preferred low-whorl spindle is the plainest possible—no hook or spiral at the tip to secure the yarn, no special or fancy wood, just a plain, workaday tool.
Most spinners don’t give their chairs a second thought, but if you have developed new pains while spinning or your old aches and pains are getting worse, don’t blame your wheel first; it could be your chair or posture.
Former geophysicist, researcher, and technology developer Walt Turpening has developed basic measurements to help us sit comfortably at our wheels.
Twined knitting, a Swedish technique that requires two working yarns that are twisted together after each stitch, makes a sturdy fabric with very little elasticity.
Twined knitting makes a sturdy fabric that will last forever, especially if you use a fiber that has an outercoat for strength and undercoat for softness and warmth.
I fell in love with indigo textiles while living in Japan, where this unique dye—the only colorfast natural blue dye—was used for centuries to color everything from humble diapers and undergarments to ornate bedding covers and ceremonial robes.
Using a diz allowed me to visually assess how the accent colors would swirl with the base color before I even got to the spinning wheel.
Not only does this device work well, but it is easy and cheap to make. It can be easily adapted to the supplies at hand while you are traveling or fine-tuned for different spindles at home.
Megi Burcl’s Beacon Shawl is made in separate sections rather than using an intarsia technique.
Twist direction can be used to highlight or strengthen a special technique. As spinners, we can create a wide spectrum of qualities just by making changes in twist.
Discover new books on sheep shearing, natural dyes, and textile photography.
Marine Geophysicist
While speed is relative in the world of fiber prep, blending boards and drumcarders will do their jobs more quickly than handcards or combs.
If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one fiber tool, what would it be?
Lisa Fliss said her favorite part of this project was seeing the colors combine, both during spinning and knitting.
Inspired by a popular children’s book, Stefanie set out to create her own shimmering, colorful cowl using one of her favorite spinning tools—a recently acquired drumcarder.
Indexed from Spin Off Fall 2019, in page order.