Winter might be my favorite season—snowmen, cuddling up with a book and some hot chocolate, lots of time with family and friends, and, of course, holiday gift making! The Winter 2009 issue of Spin-Off is on its way to mailboxes and newsstands right...

Somehow I have never seen Demolition Man, even though cheesy futuristic sci-fi and/or post-apocalyptic movies are totally my thing. It was on tv last night and there was a part that made me laugh so hard I thought I had to share it. (Although it's...

I did my first spinning on a handspindle. Like many spinners, after I got my feet wet I moved up to a wheel, and there I remained for a long time. I felt that while the spindle was a fun first step, it was just a stepping stone on the way to wheel spinning...

I'm writing to you this week from the middle of a beautiful Oregon forest. The Spin-Off Autumn Retreat (SOAR) is well underway, and as usual it is a sight to behold. The beautiful Sunriver Resort has been taken over by 300 spinners, weavers, and felters...

Unemployment in Elkhart, Indiana, reached nearly 20 percent in March, and a new group was formed to use knitting as a way of relieving some of the built-up stress. The Yarn Overcomers (YO) are providing relief, one stitch at a time, by meeting in the...

“Wooly, Warped Women and Material Men” is the theme for the 2009 Wisconsin Spin-In held October 20 to November 1, 2009, in West Bend. Classes, vendors, giveaways, and an ongoing spinning circle are part of this two-day event that appeals to...

The Green Market Bag Challenge is the latest group project for the Spindle and Dyepot Guild (Wisconsin) . Members may use any material and any method they want to create the bag, but entries will be judged on “how green is your bag?” Points...

About twenty-two years ago, sitting in my college dorm room, I opened a care package from my Aunt Debby and found an amazing book—a collection of small handspun and handknit hats, scarves, mittens, and socks called, Homespun, Handknit. Published...