Jane Patrick’s Top 10 Weaving Tips
December 19, 2022Sample. This is my number one tip for achieving the idea you have in your mind. If you are changing the yarns used in a pattern, or are not using Read More »
Macramé in Weaving
November 15, 2022by Mackenzie Keller Macramé is an art form that uses knots to create patterns and textiles. The same knots used in macramé can be incorporated into your weaving projects. Multiple Read More »
Schacht Scrap
October 11, 2022by Sienna Bosch Here at Schacht, we are mindful of sustainability; conserving our materials as much as possible not only reduces our costs but also reduces our environmental impact. We Read More »
Meet Sienna Bosch, Content Developer and Education Specialist
March 15, 2022How did you get into weaving and fiber arts? I grew up surrounded by craft, but didn’t find weaving until college. My father is a woodturner, which shaped a lot Read More »
Colorado Weavers Day 2022
February 15, 2022You don’t have to weave in Colorado to attend virtual Colorado Weavers Day 2022 conference. For a little over a decade, Colorado Weavers Day has brought weavers together to celebrate Read More »
Save Your Sidekick Footmen!
November 15, 2021If you spin on a Sidekick, make sure you’re attaching the footmen in the proper holes. Each treadle has a metal footman tab, with two holes. When you fold your Sidekick Read More »
All the Strands Come Together: A Life in Fiber Arts
November 15, 2021Nora Schacht grew up making textiles and has launched her own dye kits to help other people enjoy the same crafts. This path was probably inevitable—since she’s the daughter of Read More »
Arras Tapestry Loom Reviews
October 19, 2021We love our Arras Tapestry Loom, and we’re not alone! See and hear what other weavers have to say about it. Video review from Felicia Lo Felicia Lo of SweetGeorgia Read More »
Spinning & Weaving Week 2021
September 15, 2021Spinning & Weaving Week is just around the corner, October 4 to October 10. Read about our upcoming events below and start planning how you’ll celebrate. Pattern Weaving Mini-Course Are Read More »
Schacht at SOAR 2021
August 23, 2021We are so excited to be a part of SOAR this year. Find us in our booth all weekend long, meet our staff members in your classes, join us for Read More »
Tie-Dyeing Away the Summertime Blues
August 16, 2021by Deb Gerish Schacht Spindle Company has discovered the best way to increase employee happiness while educating them in textile arts. It started with food—delicious company meals served at long Read More »
The World of Indigo
July 14, 2021by Judy Newland Indigo is a dye deeply embedded in cultures around the world. Indigo dyeing is both art and science and touches multiple disciplines, such as botany, chemistry, medicine, Read More »
The Story of the Schacht Sheep and Logo
June 15, 2021OUR LOGO (originally printed in our 50th Anniversary catalog) In 1971, Barry and his friend Burt Gold were touring Ireland by car when Barry spotted this group of sheep on Read More »
Why Knitters Will Love Weaving: Doubleweave & Double Knitting
May 14, 2021by Deb Gerish If you’re a knitter who’s weaving-curious, I’m about to offer exciting incentives to get a rigid heddle loom! If you know a knitter who’s weaving-curious, tell them Read More »
Madelyn van der Hoogt Reviews the SFL Trap
April 15, 2021Madelyn made a special request for a Standard Floor Loom Trap. We granted her request and sent her the very first trap we made. Here’s how she responded. I’ve had a Read More »
Long Draw Spin-along
February 22, 2021Welcome to the Long Draw Spin-along! As the Spin-along proceeds, you’ll find each lesson and video added to this page. Join the Facebook Group Join Here Materials 4 oz fiber Read More »
Beyond Your Default Spin-along Day 5
October 9, 2020Welcome to the final day of our spin-along! Today we’ll cover: Drafting Drafting involves attenuating fibers and adding twist. There are several drafting methods, but as with fiber prep, they Read More »
Pillow Sampler Weave-along Day 5
October 9, 2020Welcome to the final day of our weave-along! Today we’ll cover: Weft Floats Materials & equipment: weft yarn—Stephanie used worsted-weight. Novelty yarns work really well with this technique. shuttle pick-up Read More »
Pillow Sampler Weave-along Day 4
October 8, 2020Welcome to Day 4 of the weave-along! Today we’ll cover: Plainweave with Embroidery Materials & equipment: weft yarn to coordinate with warp—Stephanie used worsted-weight shuttle tapestry needle yarn for embroidery—Stephanie Read More »
Beyond Your Default Spin-along Day 4
October 8, 2020Welcome to Day 4 of the Spin-along! Today we’ll cover: Fiber Prep Fiber gets prepared in different ways for handspinning. Once you understand these differences, whether you’re buying commercially prepared Read More »
Pillow Sampler Weave-along Day 3
October 7, 2020Welcome to Day 3 of the Weave-along! Today we’ll cover: Warp Floats Materials & equipment: weft yarn—Stephanie chose a worsted-weight yarn with fairly even color that contrasts with the warp Read More »
Beyond Your Default Spin-along Day 3
October 7, 2020Welcome to Day 3 of the Spin-along! Today we’ll cover: ratios Ratios indicate how fast the flyer rotates in relation to the drive wheel. They’re expressed as X:1, where X Read More »
Beyond Your Default Spin-along Day 2
October 6, 2020Welcome to Day 2 of the Spin-along! Today we’ll be focusing on tension. You know that when you spin at your wheel, you turn fiber into yarn and then let Read More »
Pillow Sampler Weave-along Day 2
October 6, 2020Welcome to Day 2 of the Weave-along! Today we’ll cover: Loops Materials & equipment: weft yarn(s)—Stephanie combined a worsted-weight yarn and a textured bouclé yarn shuttle a long spacer for Read More »
Pillow Sampler Weave-along Day 1
October 5, 2020Welcome to Day 1 of the Weave-along! Today we’ll cover: Clasped Weft Materials & equipment: 2 shuttles 2 colors of weft yarn about half the weight of the rest of Read More »
Beyond Your Default Spin-along Day 1
October 5, 2020Welcome to the Spin-Along! Are you tired of spinning the same kind of yarn all the time, but don’t know how to change things up? Can you spin adequately but Read More »
Weaving with Kids: Before & During the Pandemic
August 26, 2020I had the pleasure of interviewing Lisa Sikorski, the Director of Youth Programs at the Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn, New York. We first talked before the pandemic and then revisited Read More »
2020 Tools for Schools Grant Recipients
June 11, 2020This year we received 39 applications for our Tools for Schools Grant, from which we selected 2 winners. It was an incredible group of applicants. We were so pleased to Read More »
Spring Quarantine Spin Along Week 1
June 8, 2020We want to see what you’re doing to get through and make some virtual community along the way. Use fiber you have or purchase the beautiful fiber Deb uses in Read More »
Spring Quarantine Spin Along Week 2
June 8, 2020In this post, Deb uses an MSB braid of Colorful Colorado Spring. You can read her first post here. It goes by several names: chain plying, Navajo plying, and all Read More »
Spring Quarantine Spin Along Week 3
June 8, 2020Welcome back, Spin-along friends. You can read blog post #1 here and post #2 here. As Deb has been spinning up a storm with our Colorful Colorado Spring braids, she has been passing them off Read More »
Spring Quarantine Spin Along Week 4
June 8, 2020Welcome back, Spin-along friends. If you haven’t already signed up, do it here. You’ll find blog post #1 here, post #2 here, and post #3 here. We know that chain plying works a Read More »
Spring Quarantine Spin Along Week 5
June 8, 2020Designing Knits with Handspun Yarn Spin Along Friends, although we planned to end our spin along on April 30th, we will be extending for a finale post next week. Along Read More »
Spring Quarantine Spin Along Projects
June 8, 2020Complete project instructions and special tips for Deb’s Dessert Wax Bowl and Water Lily Cushions, designed during the Spring Quarantine Spin-along of 2020. Dessert Wax Bowl Finished size: approximately 3″ high Read More »
Explore Tapestry Weave-along PDF
May 8, 2020Follow along with our weave-along! Even though the weave-along is done, you can download the PDF and complete the lessons. This is a great series for a beginner and there Read More »
Dye Plants in the Schacht Gardens
May 7, 2020by Carrie Miller Our employee garden plots are one of the many perks at Schacht and we are so excited that it is finally planting season. Each spring, several of Read More »
Hawlemont Elementary Weaving Program
April 11, 2020In 2019, we offered our first annual Schacht Tools for Schools Grant. Two applicants were awarded equipment grants. I had the pleasure of talking with Jean from Hawlemont Elementary School, Read More »
Permission to Create
March 11, 2020“I believe we all enjoy watching ourselves and others transform, because everyone wants that. When you’re not growing, you’re stagnant. That’s not living.”—The Year of Knots, p. 133 Schacht’s staff Read More »
Developing the Arras Tapestry Loom: An Interview with Rebecca Mezoff
March 11, 2020SSC: Rebecca, thanks so much for joining us to discuss the process of developing the Arras Tapestry Loom. One of the most important aspects of working out the design of Read More »
For the Love of the Loom
September 11, 2019by Liz Gipson I am a loom lover. I love all looms—frame, inkle, backstrap, tapestry, pin, table, and floor looms in all their various forms (dobby, jack, countermarche, counterbalance, Read More »
Weaving a Summer Job at Schacht
August 25, 2019by Sienna Bosch In the summer of 2019, I was lucky enough to get an internship at Schacht Spindle Company, which allowed me to warp and weave on a Read More »
Weaver Profile: Stephanie Flynn Sokolov
August 13, 2019As part of our Barry’s Jubilee weave along, we thought it would be great to get to know Stephanie Flynn Sokolov a little better, and to get into her process. Read More »
Barry’s Jubilee Weave Along #2
August 12, 2019Barry’s Jubilee Weave Along – Warping the Skwoosh Scarf I’ve always loved the Skwoosh scarf that my co-author Stephanie Flynn Sokolov designed for our book Woven Scarves. I used her Read More »
Barry’s Jubilee Weave Along #1
August 11, 2019Get Ready to Weave! Summer is for weaving—especially on these hot, hot days when it’s just too much to be out of doors. Come inside and join us for our Read More »
Spinner Profile: Felicia Lo
June 11, 2019Many thanks to Interweave for sharing this sneak peek from Felicia Lo’s new book, Dyeing to Spin and Knit. We’re thrilled to share this discussion of how staple length affects color. Read More »
Boulder Fiber Fest 2019
June 11, 2019The Boulder Public Library, BLDG 61, and Schacht Spindle Company have teamed up for a fabulous Fiber Fest on August 10, 2019. You’re warmly invited to this exciting day of Read More »
Announcing the 2019 Tools for Schools Grant Recipients
April 11, 2019Schacht Spindle Company is pleased to announce the winners of the 2019 Tools for Schools Grant! The quality of the applicants was very impressive and we would like to thank Read More »
Dyeing Barry’s Jubliee
January 27, 2019By Felicia Lo What can you say about a company that is so instrumental and ingrained in the crafts that you love? My entire experience of spinning and weaving would Read More »
Schacht Holiday Gift Guide
November 12, 2018The holidays are right around the corner, and it seems like time is speeding along. Have you left your wish list posted on the front of the fridge for your Read More »
The Mighty Wolf Appears on The Big Bang Theory
June 11, 2018See the Mighty Wolf in episode 3 of The Big Bang Theory which aired in October of 2007. Sheldon weaves a poncho on our Mighty Wolf—and wears it too.
Product Review: Flatiron Spinning Wheel
June 12, 2017By Beth Smith I was one of the lucky few to have had an opportunity to see and try the Schacht Flatiron several times during its development. Honestly, even the Read More »
Weaver Profile: Yarnworker
June 11, 2017Our friend, rigid heddle enthusiast, and former Schacht-ite has just had her second rigid heddle book, Handwoven Home, published by Interweave. We asked Liz to share her weaving history and Read More »
Handmaking, Weaving, Community: How One Thing Leads to Another
June 11, 2017We asked fellow Coloradan Sarah Neubert to write about her making experiences and the importance of community. She also shares how her passions led to creating The Weaving Kind, an Read More »
Behind the Scenes at Schacht: The Harvest
June 11, 2017Today brings the unofficial start to fall: the kids are back in school and the growing season is winding down. Each spring, Schacht employees have an opportunity to choose a Read More »
2017 Spinzilla Recap
June 11, 2017Here 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, Read More »
Remembering Rick Reeves
February 26, 2017Born Estherville, Iowa, September 7, 1936 Departed Plainfield, Iowa, February 21, 2017 If you ever attended SOAR or a spinning conference, you more than likely met Rick Reeves demonstrating Read More »
Spinner Profile: Debbie Drake
August 12, 2016Debbie Drake – The Call of the Fiber When I was a young woman, my grandmother taught me to tat and I became proficient and passionate about it over the Read More »
Weaver Profile: Julia Sull
August 12, 2016Julia 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 Read More »
Weaver Profile: Julia Weaver
July 12, 2016Julia Weaver – Healing Trauma Through the Gift of Weaving I began to weave in the midst of a painful coming-of-age experience. Instinct led me to pick up yarn and Read More »
Spinner Profile: Olga Jamieson
June 12, 2016Spinning on the Schacht Reeves in the Highlands of Scotland I am of Russian nationality and met my husband in Scotland some five years ago. We live in Loch Read More »
Weaver Profile: Nancy Stein Nowak
June 12, 2016Nancy was one of our grand prize winners for the Personal Stories Contest, and you can see her story in the Spring 2016 issue of Handwoven. We are sure you Read More »
Spinner Profile: Amanda Migoski
June 12, 2016Fiber therapy My Ladybug spinning wheel didn’t save my life, but it did help save my sanity. In the fall of 2014, I was about to start my 23rd year Read More »
Weaver Profile: America Smith
June 12, 2016“Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, arriba, abajo . . . “ When I took a job teaching English to 400 students whose first language was Spanish, I made a commitment Read More »
Weaver Profile: Pamela Harwood
June 12, 2016Weaving Aboard a Boat I began my textile journey as a knitter. My first project was a scarf for my husband. While I found knitting hats and sweaters to Read More »
Weaver Profile: Birgit Greer
June 12, 2016It’s all my daughter’s fault! I began spinning many years ago when my daughter gave me a fleece from her Future Farmers of America summer project. The fiber was way Read More »
Weaver Profile: Pam Howard
June 12, 2016Pam Howard – Resident Weaver and Keeper of Looms In 1967, my mother gave me my first loom, a rigid heddle. A home economics teacher who had learned to weave Read More »
Weaver Profile: Debbie Heilig
June 12, 2016Debbie Heilig – The Cricket Loom – A “Gateway” Loom After more than twenty-five years of being in business, ten years of attending college as an adult, and raising Read More »
Weaver/Spinner Profile: Dr. Bev Felten
March 15, 2016Handspun, 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 Read More »
Weaver Profile: Ann Slind
March 13, 2016From 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 Read More »
Spinner Profile: Allison Thistlewood
March 13, 2016Spinning—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 Read More »
Weaver Profile: Kyle Kunnecke
March 13, 2016Kyle was one of our grand prize winners for the Personal Stories Contest, you can see his story in the Spring 2016 issue of Spin-Off. Kyle has released the free Read More »
Personal Stories Contest Winner Announcement
October 13, 2015We 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 Read More »
Personal Stories Contest
September 14, 2015Everyone has a story and we want to hear yours! Tell us what inspires you to spin or weave, what got you started and what keeps you going. We also Read More »
Connecting with Traditional Textile Makers
June 15, 2015Today we want to highlight textile good works around the globe that you can help support through your purchase of hand-crafted products for your holiday gift giving. We’re including a Read More »
Spinner Interview: Beth Smith
June 14, 2015Recently I had the pleasure to sit down with Beth Smith, the author of The Spinner’s Book of Fleece, and ask her a bunch of questions. Beth Smith is an Read More »
Take a Class with Jane!
June 12, 2015Jane Patrick, our Creative Director, author, and teacher, will be found this summer at several conferences, as well as this fall at Mendocino Art Center. Summer conferences are not only Read More »
Simple Woven Garments
May 14, 2015It’s here! The book we have all been waiting for, “Simple Woven Garments” by Jane Patrick and Sara Goldenberg is off the press! From a classic capelet to an ode Read More »
Deb Brandon Describes Spinzilla
November 15, 2014Long Distance Relationship Schacht and I have a long distance relationship. We see each other no more than two or three times a year, yet, our ties are still close, Read More »
Spinzilla 2014 Final Tally
November 15, 2014Benjamin has spent the better part of a two days measuring the yarn, and fielding e-mails from our “off-site” spinners. We are finally ready to announce our final yardage for Read More »
Spinner/Weaver Profile: Melissa Ludden Hankens
November 15, 2014Greetings from Salem, Massachusetts, where Halloween is in full swing! I represented Team Schacht Spindle in Spinzilla 2014 out here on the East Coast, and I was thrilled to Read More »
Electronic Textiles Event
November 15, 2014with Prof. Barbara Layne, Studio subTela, Concordia University, Montreal We break our normal posting style to announce a local event. We are excited to sponsor this event, as it expands Read More »
Spinzilla- Why We Spin
November 10, 2014Top row left to right: Maria, Kou, Gail, James, Benjamin, Barry, Deb F., Denise, Stephanie, Betty, Beege, Judy, Cindy. Bottom row left to right: Brianna, Paul, Donna, Kate, Pam, Jane, Read More »
Spinner Profile: Laura Neel
November 7, 2014Why you are doing Spinzilla? I’m doing Spinzilla this year as a way to kick-start my spinning. It’s had to take a real back seat to my knitting and online activities in Read More »
Spinzilla 2014
June 15, 2014The second annual Spinzilla is right around the corner–one month from Saturday to be exact. Before we get into the fun and the fury of Spinzilla, its good to remember why Read More »
Handwoven Celebrates 35 Years
May 15, 2014It hardly seems possible to many of us, but Handwoven is celebrating its 35th year of publication. When we received our office copies last week, we were all pleasantly surprised to Read More »
A Guide to Schacht Spinning Wheels
June 15, 2013by Denise Renee Grace This post is about how each wheel performs from Denise’s perspective. For a list of specifications and additional information, check out our website! With a personal account Read More »
Peruvian Textiles at the Avenir Museum
April 1, 2013Here I am with Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez before her lecture. “Weaving Lives: Transforming Textile Traditions in the Peruvian Highlands” opened Thursday, February 21st at the Avenir Museum in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Read More »
Travel Report: Textiles in Iceland
October 16, 2012A yarn-bombed tree outside the Asmundur Sveinssson Museum. Iceland is a place that’s near and dear to my heart. I love the land and the sea that surrounds it, its Read More »
Road Trip to Taos Wool Festival
June 16, 2012We’re off to Taos to teach at the Wool Festival. Here’s my traveling companion, Sara Goldenberg White with all of our teaching stuff packed in my Prius. Taos here we Read More »
Schacht BBQ and Shuttle Race
August 1, 2011Mercedes (assembly) with her winning entry in the design category. Waiting for the race.That’s Miguel on the right (production, he’s the one who turns all your bobbins!). Peter (production lead) Read More »
Schacht Wins the Business Innovation Award
July 1, 2011At TNNA, Schacht won The National Needlearts Association BIA award in the wholesale category for our Cricket Loom and Cricket Program. We are just thrilled to have our cute-as-a-bug Read More »
Schacht Loves Rigid Heddle Weaving
August 17, 2010Liz Gipson here for Jane who is off riding her bike in Quebec to celebrate the release of her new book, The Weaver’s Idea Book: Creative Cloth on the Read More »
Jane Receives the first copy of “A Weaver’s Idea Book”
July 14, 2010Jane Patrick jumps for joy upon receiving her new book, “A Weaver’s Idea Book” OMG! So much excitement today here at Schacht Spindle when I received my advanced author copy Read More »
The Weaver’s School: A Good Place to Be
June 17, 2010Madelyn van der Hoogt with her dog Huck, Suzie Liles (next to Madelyn) and the their Weaving II class, June 2010. I’m just back from a trip to the beautiful Read More »
Jane’s 10 Commandments for Happier Weaving
October 17, 2009We’ve given our offices here at Schacht an uplift: new carpet and paint–and that of course, leads to general cleaning and organizing. It’s amazing what forgotten things you find in Read More »
On Craft
June 17, 2009by Jane Patrick In the August/September 2009 issue of American Craft, Glenn Adamson, kicks off a new column entitled, “Considering”. In it, he discusses that in the current state of Read More »
To Be of Use-A Handweaver’s Reflection
June 17, 2009by Jane Patrick I’m a do-er and it seems to me that most weavers and spinners–craftspeople–are do-ers, too. We take charge; we get things done. We are involved in the Read More »
Schacht 40th Anniversary
June 17, 2009Our Production Manager, Cindy Lair and our Technical Manager Filip Sokol constructed this exact giant (8 foot tall) replica of Schacht’s first spindle. Thanks to Judy and Maggie of Shuttle, Read More »
Join the Cricket Club
June 17, 2009Because of the tremendous interest in our Cricket loom, our very own Melissa has started a Cricket Club on Ravelry. This is the place to share your enthusiasm for rigid Read More »
The Story of A Weaver’s Book of 8-Shaft Patterns
December 15, 2008In 1988, when I was working as an editor at Interweave Press, I had an idea that there really should be a pattern book for eight shafts, similar to Marguerite Read More »
Peter Collingwood: Weaver, Artist, Author, Textile Explorer
November 15, 2008Peter Collingwood: 1922-2008 There are few who have contributed so much to our knowledge of handweaving. We have Peter Collingwood to thank for his inquisitive mind, his through explorations of Read More »
Convergence 2008: It’s about the People
July 17, 2008People: the best part of being at Convergence in Tampa. I loved seeing old friends, meeting new people, and talking to Schacht dealers. Mostly, though, I relished the familiarity of Read More »
Oaxaca Travel Report
June 17, 2008Here’s my long awaited Oaxaca report. I had wanted to make installments while there, but had difficulties in getting my pictures to upload. A Bit of Background The state of Read More »
Encouragement for the Weaver
June 15, 2008You can use just about any pliable material to weave baskets. Here, I’ve folded strips of funny papers for a colorful low-cost, recycled-materials vessel. This basket appears in my book Read More »
The Tipping Point
June 9, 2008by Jane Patrick My second weaving, woven at the home ec school in Iceland where I first saw a loom and knew weaving was something I must do. You could Read More »
Jane’s Map Basket Appears in Craft Magazine
January 17, 2008In case you haven’t seen “Craft:” magazine, take a look at it your local newsstand. Published by O’Reilly, “Craft:” is a craft magazine with a twist. In it you’ll find Read More »
The Ladybug Design Team
July 17, 2007You may have seen and heard about the Ladybug Spinning Wheel we’re working on. She’s getting quite the buzz out there, and we’re really excited about how the wheel is developing. Read More »
Midwest Weavers Conference 2007
June 17, 2007by Jane Patrick As a Nebraska girl, it DID feel like I was returning to my roots when I traveled with colleague Betsy Blumenthal to Blair, Nebraska (just north of Read More »
Remembering Carol Strickler
June 17, 2007Today I am preparing for the inkle weaving class I’ll be teaching at Midwest Weavers Conference in Omaha next week. I know spaces are still available, so if you’re a Read More »
