Table of contents for Winter 2020 in Spin-Off

MADE IN VERMONT Producer of Heirloom Quality Spinning Tools, Enjoyed by Spinners Worldwide. Designed and Hand-built by Master Woodworker Thomas Golding and son Seth Golding. 1-800-710-1872 • 1-802-869-2095 fibertools@vermontel.net • www.GoldingFiberTools.com NEW! "Golding Glory" a medium size wheel, and the "Golding Gossamer" a mini size wheel. Designed and hand-built by Seth, they both offer the signature Golding spinning experience, but at a more affordable price than our full size wheels.…

Confession: I now own three spinning wheels. My husband, Mark, isn’t thrilled. He says it would be like him buying three table saws. But it’s not the same; I have an emotional attachment to my wheels. And anyway, what do I care how many table saws he has? Unlike him, I don’t judge. I bought my first wheel new, around 2004. Mark surprised me with the second one, an antique walking wheel. He thinks that because it’s very old—two hundred years, with its original blue paint—and it’s the most thoughtful Christmas gift he’s ever given me, I should be all set in the spinning wheel department. I thought I was, too. But in July, I attended a spin-in where I tried several antique wheels. One was so worn, its wooden…

I’m often asked, “Why are you weaving shoelaces?” and my answer is always, “Because I can.” But when asked, “Why are you weaving handspun silk shoelaces?” the answer is more involved. Sometimes you have a friend who is worthy of handspun silk shoelaces and who has boots so wonderful they scream for luxury laces. Also, I’ve never made handspun silk shoelaces, so why not give it a try? Silk is wonderful for tablet weaving because of its strength, and handspun yarns created with hand-dyed silk fiber provide a richness and depth of color you can’t get from dyed yarns. So, yes, it seems like a lot of time to spend on shoelaces, but these shoelaces will last longer than the shoes—I guarantee. As an added bonus, they will greet you…

Bison is the correct name for the largest native land mammal in North America. The term buffalo more correctly applies to the Asian water buffalo and the African Cape buffalo, which are scientifically distinct from the American bison. However, old habits die hard, and many people still refer to the American bison as “buffalo.” In fact, we have called them buffalo in the United States for almost two hundred years. Our family companies Buffalo Gold Premium Fiber and the Buffalo Wool Company are in keeping with this long tradition.…

When I began developing this issue of Spin Off more than a year ago, I never anticipated all the changes that would take place before I would see it on printed pages. Little did I know that the Into the Wild issue would be brought forth as Spin Off broke new ground and blazed new trails. On August 1, Spin Off, Handwoven, and PieceWork magazines settled into their new home at Long Thread Media. I’m eager and excited to see what the future holds for these publications and the community of makers they support! The heady question that flows through this annual natural fiber issue is, “What is wild?” In our spinner-centric world, does “wild” always mean fiber gleaned from nature? Not necessarily. What connects the work of the authors…

The John C. Campbell Folk School opened its doors in 1925. Over the years, the school and its community of makers have grown. Fiber artist and musician Martha Owen was first a student at the Folk School and then, about 35 years ago, became one of its teachers and then a resident artist in the late 1980s. We asked Martha to tell us what it’s like working at the well-known school. Spin Off (SO): How did you become a handspinner? Martha Owen (MO): My mother gave me a spinning wheel, which she had gotten from my great-aunt Sally. I was told it was of no family significance, meaning Aunt Sally bought it somewhere. Momma brought home the wheel, set it down in front of me, and said, “There, you always…

In 2007, I was spinning a lot of singles. At the time, I had accumulated a great deal of multicolored roving in my stash purchased on a wild shopping spree on Etsy and acquired from fiber clubs. Once I had amassed a large assortment of spun singles, I would wind my singles off into balls. I kept them displayed in a large bowl, trying out different combinations. From there, I tried plying different colors together as an experiment, duplicating colors and color schemes found in nature in my home country of Sweden. These skeins were the absolute leftovers, dark and moody with subtle changes in variegation. Having plied many skeins that were much happier and brighter in mood, I eyed these darker yarns and wondered what they would end up…

Tasar (tussah) There are many types of tasar silk, and it is the most common wild silk available to spinners. Two main types are tropical tasar and oak tasar. Antheraea mylitta is a tropical tasar silkworm that eats a variety of plants. China’s major production of tussah silk comes from Antheraea pernyi, an oak tasar silkworm whose silk colors can vary from a soft honey color to a deep tan. Peduncle This fiber is harvested from the stems of wild tropical tasar cocoons, which the silkworms spin first to attach themselves to tree branches before beginning to spin the main cocoons. The silk is strong but soft and lustrous, with a beautiful gunmetal, not-quite-black color. Muga Originating from the Indian state of Assam, the semidomesticated silkworm Antheraea assamensis produces a…

Polushawl (polushalok in Russian) indicates a smaller version of an Orenburg warm shawl, called a “half-warm shawl.” It can be in the shape of a triangle, a rectangle, or square. This project was the genesis of a collaboration of three women in Orenburg, Russia: Valentina, Tatiana, and me. My younger sister, Tatiana, suggested that I design a lighter, less bulky version of a classic Orenburg warm shawl, one that could be worn comfortably under a heavy winter coat but large enough to cover the shoulders and front, extend to just below the waistline, and reach the third knuckle of the hand. Valentina, younger sister of Orenburg lace-knitting legend Olga A. Fedorova, created a newer, more modern version of the classic Orenburg warm shawl. Using thicker yarn but with the classic…

Editor’s Note: For thousands of years, bison herds thrived in North America, playing a vital role in the landscape and in the lives of indigenous peoples. In the nineteenth century, bison populations were decimated, dropping from the millions to the hundreds. Here are a few resources if you would like to learn more about this complex and difficult chapter of history and modern efforts to recover bison populations in North America. InterTribal Buffalo Council, www.itbcbuffalonation.org Locke, Harvey, ed. The Last of the Buffalo Return to the Wild. Banff, Alberta: Summerthought Publishing, 2016. White, P.J., Rick L. Wallen, and David E. Hallac, eds. Yellowstone Bison: Conserving an American Icon in Modern Society. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming: Yellowstone Association, 2015.…

Marginal fleeces can have a host of conditions. Some spinners avoid these fleece flaws altogether. Other spinners, like myself, look closer to see what combination of problems a fleece has and the degree of damage before passing on an imperfect fleece. 1. VM (vegetable matter) Plant matter that is caught in the fleece.2. Cotting Felting within the fleece that occurs on the sheep.3. Matted tips Lock tips that are very dirty or are beginning to felt.4. Muddy tips Lock tips that have soil mixed with wool grease.5. Burrs Seedpods with Velcro-like surfaces that are embedded in the fleece.6. Poop tags (also known as dung tags or dags) Parts of the fleece from around the sheep’s tail; self-explanatory.7. Tender tips Lock tips with exposure to sun and rain that can become…

Although milkweed is essential for monarch butterflies, it can be deadly for sheep and other pasture grazers. In the United States, there are 76 milkweed species identified by the USDA, but not all species are equally toxic. The plants, whether fresh or dried, contain cardiac glycosides that can cause an electrolyte imbalance in the heart muscle. Only 1 to 2 ounces of leaf material could be lethal to an average-sized sheep. Because of its bitter taste, most grazers avoid the plant; however, poisoning can occur when hungry animals have inadequate pasture. My local veterinarian, Dr. Justin Cunfer, stated that in nine years of practice he has never had an animal issue with milkweed poisoning, but he also confirmed the importance of sufficient forage and good pasture management.…

Sarah Buchanan earned her bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While collecting milkweed seeds as part of prairie restoration work in Wisconsin, she became entranced with the leftover floss, prompting her to explore possible uses for it. Initially, she hired a local spinner to experiment with the fibers, but then Sarah essentially fell down the fiber rabbit hole when she learned to spin. In combining her love of fibers and her passion for conservation, her business, Buchanan Fiber Company, was born. Her Etsy shop offers a range of hand-dyed fibers, some of which are blended with milkweed floss. When dyeing milkweed floss, Sarah uses fiber-reactive dyes. Because of its inherent nature to resist water, she makes sure the floss is wetted throughout the process.…

Too much twist? Make sure you are using your slowest ratio, and if so, treadle slower. Many experienced spinners core spin fiber over any sections of core thread that have built up excess twist; it does not create a problem. Too little twist? Adjust your wheel to a faster ratio. For a smaller adjustment, try treadling a little faster. Take-up problems? If the yarn is not pulling onto the bobbin, add tension. Still no take-up? Check your flyer guides. If they are narrow or hooked, they may grab onto textures or bulkier yarns. Orifice problems? The size and type of your orifice may limit the type of core-spun yarns that you can spin on your wheel. If you have a narrow orifice, you won’t be able to fit bulkier textures…

Tips for trying this in your own backyard: • The retting water and “gunk” that used to be the outer plant bark has a swampy smell, and the smell may linger. I don’t find it to be too strong, though, and the odor is greatly diminished after a generous wash with soap and water. If it bothers you, try scrubbing again with more soap and water, but for me, the smell was always gone by the next day, so patience may be equally rewarding.• Wear old clothes! The retting residue produces copious greenish-brown stains—think grass-stain paint.• Use the right tool for the job. From investing in hackles for processing this fiber to repurposing an old underbed storage bin for a retting tub, you can identify the job you want your…

Raising Animals for Fiber: Producing Wool from Sheep, Goats, Alpacas, and Rabbits in Your Backyard By Chris McLaughlin Many handspinners fantasize about raising their own fiber animals. If you’ve decided to take the leap from dream to reality or just want to know more about what goes into the production of your favorite spinning fiber, crack open a copy of Chris McLaughlin’s new book. McLaughlin writes for those new to fiber farming and focuses on the four main fiber-producing livestock animals most popular in the United States: sheep, goats, alpacas, and Angora rabbits. For each one, she gives tips for finding good breeders, an overview of the basic characteristics of the species, costs of housing and caring for your livestock, and a list of common vocabulary terms associated with fiber…

Even when the sun starts returning after the Winter Solstice, there are still months of frosty weather to come—mornings of scraping ice and shoveling snow, afternoons of stiff typing, nights of fumbling the housekeys with frozen fingers. Spin Off is continuing our recent tradition of a spring knitalong, this time with a mitt-along! Not just for knitting, this two-month event welcomes spinners to crochet, weave, tat, or create any kind of warm handcovering your heart desires. For chilly fingers while typing, try Jane’s Half Gloves. For maximum thermal advantage, try Thrummed Fleece-Stuffed Mittens. And if you like a challenge, how about Josefin Waltin’s twined Heartwarming Mitts? Why mittens? Besides keeping your hands warm at this time of year, they’re an achievable challenge for most spinners…but they do have a few…

Pattern and designer Pinecliff Shawl by Silvia Silva. Ingrid test-knitted the pattern for the designer. Fiber/preparation About 300 grams (10.6 ounces) of hand-dyed roving and sliver, which was generally spun from the whole width with no splitting or predrafting. The singles were quite compact, and the yarn was firmly plied to make it bouncy. Wheel/spindle Kromski Sonata, scotch tension Ratio 14:1 and 6.7:1 Drafting method Short-forward draw Singles direction Z-twist Yarn 2-ply; 1,079 ypp; 9 to 10 wpi Yarn classification/weight Worsted weight Yardage Used 547 yards Needles U.S. size 8 (5 mm) Finished size About 99" wide after blocking…

1. Use a precise scale. Choose a scale, such as a digital food scale, that will provide the greatest precision for weighing fibers. 2. Choose easy proportions. Using numbers that are easily divisible is helpful for weighing. For example, for this project, I created an 80/20 blend as well as a 60/40 blend. To yield fiber with an 80:20 ratio, weigh 0.8 ounce of animal fiber and 0.2 ounce of wild silk individually for a total of 1 ounce. 3. Know the limitations of fiber tools. Handcards, blending boards, and drumcarders each have a different capacity for holding fibers. After weighing fibers for blending, you may need to divide the fibers into smaller bundles depending on the tool used for blending. The smaller the bundles, the less accurate the blend…

The South American vicuña is a protected species and cannot be imported into the United States. So, how was the North American paco-vicuña developed? The Colorado-based Switzer family, who initiated the development of the North American PV, states that the breed was established “by identifying the various traits of vicuña in alpaca and selecting the alpacas with [those] traits. These alpaca (paco-vicuña) can be bred together to amplify the vicuña traits, such as low micron count, bib [markings], and color, and produce a superior paco-vicuña. “The same can be done for the desired traits we want for the paco-vicuña from the alpaca, such as fast-growing fiber and calm demeanor. The key is to recognize the alpacas that have these special traits and breed them together to magnify the qualities we…

Orenburg spinners use a different spindle for each handcarded rolag they spin. The wooden spindles, lathed or carved by hand, are made of lightweight wood. Their shape is particular to the region. They are made in one piece and include a tiny low whorl with tapered ends and a fat body. Orenburg-style spindles range from 10 to 15 inches in length and are less than 1 inch in diameter. The whorl and spindle circumferences are usually about the same. The shorter, more delicate spindles are used for spinning singles and the larger versions for plying. To learn more about using supported spindles in the Orenburg tradition, check out Galina’s video Spinning Gossamer Threads: The Yarns of Orenburg, available at www.shop.longthreadmedia.com.…

Two innovators in the current resurgence of bison down are important to note. Duane Lammers was the first in recent history to amalgamate enough bison fiber to have it commercially scoured, dehaired, spun, and woven into this beautiful cloth. Bison populations were decimated in the late 1800s (see page 57), and there wasn’t a sufficient commercial supply of bison down available until about 1995, when the relatively new North American Bison Cooperative in New Rockford, North Dakota, ramped up commercial bison meat production to over several thousand head per year. Duane was then able to have access to a sufficient quantity of bison fiber for commercial processing. Ruth Huffman of American Buffalo Designs Company was the first to work toward commercial application of bison fiber into usable products in modern…

I am always on the lookout for unusual fiber blends. At a fiber festival a few years back, I came across a carded roving that was a lovely dark brown blend of Huacaya alpaca and Babydoll Southdown wool. These two fibers are quite different from one another. Huacaya alpaca is soft and silky, not particularly elastic, has a reasonable staple length, and felts and shrinks quite easily. Babydoll Southdown wool, on the other hand, is not overly soft, is amazingly elastic, has a short staple length, and is resistant to felting and shrinking. Both fibers are warm, especially the alpaca. This was an unusual combination that I was compelled to try, and I wanted to spin it for socks. I’ve tried knitting socks out of alpaca before. The pair I…

In a micro-condo, I have to get strategic when scouring fleece. I measure portions of about 2 ounces of a greasy fleece (or 3½ ounces of a not-so-greasy fleece) and place them in plastic storage boxes. With the contents of each box measured and ready to go, it is easier to manage the fleece processing. Before the fleece hits the scouring water, I give it a final shake. This will release more VM and second cuts. The more that falls out now, the less I have to tackle when I get to the prep stage. It is easier to remove VM and short cuts from a fleece that is not heavy in wool grease. I prefer Unicorn Power Scour because I find that it cleans fleece in minimal time. A…

• Extreme care should always be taken when handling milkweed. Many people report mild to severe allergic skin reactions from the sticky milky-white sap. Eye contact with the sap is even more dangerous and could result in corneal endothelial toxicity, with symptoms such as blurred vision, light sensitivity, and pain. It is recommended that you wear gloves while handling the live plant and always wash hands thoroughly afterward. • When handling the dried seedpods, it is advisable to work in an unventilated room because the slightest air current can catch the fibers and set them adrift. Be sure to keep any loose fiber away from your face and be careful to not inhale any of the fine seed down.…