Spinning at TNNA

Amy, Kate and I attended The National Needlework Association convention in Cleveland, Ohio a few weeks ago. This is the wholesale show where knitting shops go to buy for the fall season. I’m always on the lookout for spinning things. This year there seemed to be a little less spinning than in the past, but the show was smaller overall.       Of course, Schacht was there in full force, celebrating their 50th anniversary. I need to buy the 50th anniversary shuttle before they are all sold out! Ashford was there too. I saw lots of demos of their newer e-spinner. I’ve tried it and it’s ...

WWW: Maureen Rose of Taylor’s Buttons; Dangerously Close to Weaving exhibit; Super/Natural: Textiles of the Andes Exhibit

Nazca Fragment, Andes
Meet Maureen Rose the woman who runs London’s oldest button shop, Taylor’s Buttons (London, UK). “Every button tells a story and I have no idea how many there are in the shop. Some are more than 100 years old, but most I make to order. You send me the fabric – velvet, leather or whatever – and I’ll make you whatever you want. We used to do only small orders for tailors: two fronts and eight cuff buttons for a suit. Nowadays I do them by the hundred.” Photo of Maureen Rose by Sarah Ainslie Dangerously Close to Weaving Is a Proud Celebration of Textile Art The all-women exhibition is on ...

Knittyspin First Fall 2019: Combos Cross Pollinated

Have you been spinning combos after reading my Knittyspin Column? Which combo intrigues you right now, combo spin or combo draft? I’m just happy to finally see the difference between the two up close and swatched! Of course, as soon as I finished swatching the two combos I wanted to know what yarn and cloth would look like if I combined one-ply of combo spun yarn and one-ply of combo drafted yarn.         Luckily, I had leftover singles on both bobbins. I plied them together and knit a swatch. It’s exactly a combination of the two yarns. There are speckles of color from the combo ...

WWW: some Craftivism links from the archives

The Feminist Power of Embroidery by E. Tammy Kim (Dec 29, 2018) The Politics of Knitting by Shannon Okey (Holiday 2018) Stitch by stitch, a brief history of knitting and activism by Corinne Segal (Apr 23, 2017) The Wartime Spies Who Used Knitting as an Espionage Tool Grandma was just making a sweater. Or was she? by Natalie Zarrelli (Jun 01, 2017) Many books have been written on the subject, here are a few: Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years – Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times by Elizabeth Wayland Barbert (1995) Knitting for good : a guide to creating personal, social & political change, ...

Knittyspin First Fall 2019: Bremen Library Bag

  When the Bremen Library Bag came ins as a submission for First Fall Knittyspin, I knew I would publish it. The Bremen Town Musicians was one of my favorite folk tales when I was little, I even have a set of stuffed animals that stack. Then I read the pattern. The fibers used in the bag are all were all gifted to the designer, Stefanie Johnson, which gives the bag instant happy thoughts every time she uses it. The spinning and the construction are so smart. She uses black alpaca spun worsted for strength and smoothness. It also showcases the multicolored yarn. The multicolored fiber is a batt, that she plied to ...

WWW: where was that sweater knit; evolving tapestry; pattern sale

Woven item: Diedrick Brackens, unicorn kente, 2018.
That Iceland wool sweater may have been knit in China. Photo: Egill Bjarnason / AP (Via Clara Parkes) These Artists Are Changing our Expectations of What Tapestry Can Be Photo: Diedrick Brackens, unicorn kente, 2018. Donna Druchunas (Our Knitting Roots Columnist) is having her semi-annual sale. All her single patterns on Ravelry are only $1 through the end of the month. No coupon needed!

Getting Ready for Tour de Fleece

This year I won’t be spinning for the Tour de Fleece. I’ll be be between teaching gigs, unpacking and repacking. I will be spinning, but not at a TdF level or with much focus. I love the massive amount of spinning, or just focused spinning I can do in three weeks. I like to not stress about it, including not watching actual bike racing. Some years I spin pounds, some (most) years I spin a skein of yarn. Last year I spun one skein of thick-ish sock yarn for a pair of shorty socks. I am always happy with what I get done, and I always learn something.     Here are some suggestions for a smooth and ...

www: saving an ancient craft, micro knitting, good moths

Zamarada Moth (Zamarada scintillans) knit by Max Alexander
Weaver Porfirio Gutierrez, has returned to Mexico to protect his Zapotec weaving heritage. You can learn more about Porfirio at his website, porfiriogutierrez.com Pictured: Porfirio Gutierrez weaves a textile with a traditional Zapotec design using a nine-thread-count-per-inch comb loom. Photo by Javier Lazo Gutierrez. “Saving an Ancient Craft: Porfirio Gutierrez Returns Home” by Justin Mugits. National Museum of the American Indian, Spring 2019 / Vol. 20, No. 1 Many knitters fear moths, artist Max Alexander has embraced them, by knitting their likeness. This article from a few years ago resurfaced and is ...

Clara & Her Wool Pillow

Do you follow Clara Parkes on Instagram? She is a font of knowledge for all things wool, and lately, all ways wool as used in everyday objects. It’s from her that I learned about All Birds shoes, which I love. I’ve never worn a silkier feeling pair of shoes. Did you know there are wool coffins? I guess we can take it with us! I also find them beautiful. She wants everyone to use wool as much as they can. The more we use wool in the US or anywhere in the world, the more we need sheep. She wants people beyond spinners, knitters and all the fiber folk to discover how amazing and versatile wool is. An ...

WWW: Hudson Valley Yarn Crawl; Acts of Making; Knit in Public Day

photo of fabric on lap with hands threading a sewing needle
The Hudson Valley Yarn Crawl (New York/Connecticut) begins June 8th. The Hudson Valley Yarn Trail supports local yarn shops, wool farms and fiber artists throughout the Hudson Valley Region. Tomorrow, Thursday, June 6th, Nest, is launching its 25 Acts of Making Project. This project encourages people to unplug from their screens and reconnect with the act of making things by hand. World Wide Knit in Public Day is this Saturday June 8th!
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