January 2022 Newsletter

Spinning an Alpaca Gradient

by Mother of Purl
motherofpurl.net

This yarn was spun on the Schacht Sidekick.

Sometimes the fiber tells us what yarn it wants to make, and sometimes we plan a spin from start to finish. When some local alpaca fiber came my way, I was inspired by the shades of natural colors. Maybe for the first time ever, I consciously figured out what I wanted in my handspun yarn. I wanted to make a gradient yarn progressing from light to dark, in a bulky weight, for a knitted trivet that would be nicely padded and could take the heat from hot dishes. Once I nailed down these choices, it was easy to plan my fiber prep and spinning.

Download the PDF for this tutorial.

Semi-Annual Call for Project Submissions

If you’re reading these words, you’re on our monthly newsletter list, which always includes free weaving projects, technique tutorials, and/or articles on the fiber arts community. Have you ever wondered where all this stuff comes from—how a design idea becomes a project other people can make, or how someone can explain a spinning technique in words and photos? Have you ever wanted to design a project or teach a technique yourself?

Did you just answer “YES!” to any of these questions? Then keep reading, because we’re calling for your design and technique ideas! Here’s a quick overview:

• You submit your idea for an original project or technique tutorial.
• If we accept your proposal, we offer $200 for you to write up the project or technique.
• We prepare your project/tutorial for publication. Our staff includes experienced fiber artists, teachers, tech editors, and instructional designers. If you’ve never written project instructions before, or tried to explain a spinning technique in words, we’ll have plenty of suggestions!
• We publish your project/tutorial in our newsletter—you can link back to the web page from your website and social media. Tell all your friends, family, and followers that you’re famous! (They probably know already, but now it will be official.)

See some recent newsletters here, here, and here!

Our call is open now through February 15, 2022.

Learn more and apply.

4th Annual Schacht Tools for Schools Grant

The deadline for our equipment grant is March 1st, 2022. If you or someone you know would like to apply, it’s time to start your application!

Previous grant recipients have been expanding or creating fiber arts programs in their schools. It is such a joy to see these programs blossom.

Grant Recipients by Year:
2019
The Monforton School in Bozeman, Montana
Hawlemont Regional Public School, Massachusetts—read about their awesome weaving program here!

2020
The Shaker Museum at Mount Lebanon, New York
Washington Elementary School, North Dakota

2021
The Art Garage, Colorado
Cape Horn-Skye Elementary & Canyon Creek Middle School, Washington

Learn more and apply.

New Online Course Launch

We just launched our newest course yesterday and it is very popular! All of our kits (sold separately from the course) are sold out. We’ll let you know when we have more back in stock.

Purchase the course.

If you haven’t had a chance to preview this course, take 30 seconds now!

Course Description

Discover the beauty of warp-faced fabric. In our Inkle weaving course, Sienna Bosch will teach you everything from warping the loom to developing your own designs. You’ll get started with warping, then weaving plain weave, and finally you’ll jump into pick-up patterns. You’ll even get to design your own pick-up patterns. You’ll end up with a set of keychains that will make great gifts or can be added to your handwoven collection.

What You’ll Learn

• Warping & Weaving: Learn to warp an inkle loom with texsolv or string heddles. Practice warping with several colors and weave a versatile plain weave keychain.
• Pick-Up Patterns: Explore the possibilities of pick-up patterns in inkle weaving. Try some already designed patterns and learn to create your own designs.
• Designing and Finishing: Learn the techniques to create a set of keychains. And take it to the next step as you learn about designing your own future inkle patterns.

What You’ll Need

• Inkle loom
• Belt shuttle
• 5/2 pearl cotton (included in kit)
• Keychain hooks (included in kit)
• Scissors
• Tapestry needle
• Sewing needle and sewing thread

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