Amy's Blog

Why you haven't heard for me in a bit

2009-11-18T03:14:00Z

I've been working on a very special project. Meet Sarah Helen Moore, born September 25, 2009. Hannah adores her little sister and can't kiss her enough. A friend made matching hats for the girls and a blanket for Sarah....(read more)

The All New Homespun, Handknit book

2009-09-23T14:26:00Z

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 the year I graduated from high school, this collection reflected the spinning community at the time and the designs—classics as they are—are still relevant today. I can't tell you how many times I've opened the book since then to...(read more)

Does this sound familiar?

2009-09-16T14:57:00Z

For years, you've had a secret, inexplicable yearning to make yarn—a subconscious desire that you've resisted, rationalized away, and pushed to the back of your mind. Things have happened, though, that make this resisting harder. Perhaps a good knitting friend has confessed a desire to learn how to spin, or maybe you just happened to attend a Sheep and Wool Festival and couldn't tear yourself away from the spinning demonstrations that seemed to be occurring behind every barnyard...(read more)

It’s Fall, Already!

2009-09-09T16:05:00Z

I'm surprised by the crispness in the air in the mornings and the smatterings of autumn leaves on walkways. Fall sneaked up on me, and I really have no excuse since I work on the Fall issue all summer long, but there it is. Can you believe that the Fall 2009 issue of Spin-Off is already winging its way toward your mailbox? I've been telling anyone who'll listen how excited I am about this issue—it is a special one. In it, we took up the mantle of the International Year of Natural...(read more)

Navajo-plying with Sarah Anderson

2009-08-12T14:21:00Z

A note from Amy: I first met Sarah Anderson virtually through a submission to Spin-Off magazine where she introduced me to her wrap-and-roll spinning technique; she spun a lively, buoyant yarn using a spindle and a spinning wheel simultaneously. You can see Sarah's videos of this technique here and here . Soon the article was published in the Spring 2008 issue of Spin-Off , and Sarah was scheduled to teach at SOAR (Spin-Off Autumn Retreat) 2008. I had a chance to peek into her workshop and retreat...(read more)

What It Takes to Make a Calendar

2009-07-29T13:42:00Z

When our publisher, John Bolton, suggested that we make a 2010 calendar for Spin-Off in the tradition of Quilting Arts Magazine 's annual calendars, Stefanie Berganini, Linda Ligon, and I were enthusiastic about the suggestion and full of ideas. Linda thought we should have a haiku contest about spinning, Stefanie was eager to lend her skills as a graphic designer to the project, and I was imagining all the little bits of spinning and fiber and tools that we'd need to gather to create lovely...(read more)

Color in Spinning

2009-07-15T16:10:00Z

*Click the links to see lots more photos!* I've been working on a baby blanket for my sister's baby since last autumn, and in May my sister Julia gave birth to a little girl. The blanket is domino-knitted from my Navajo-plied handspun yarn. The thing is that while this blanket is lovely, soft, squashy, and warm-it definitely is boyish. I was certain (as was my sister) that she was going to have her third boy with this pregnancy. So when this little girl surprised us all, Julia had to decide...(read more)

Inspired by Nature

2009-06-17T16:02:00Z

If you’re a Spin-Off subscriber, you should just now be receiving your Summer 2009 issue of Spin-Off . I hope it has made its way to your mailbox. I (and the rest of the Spin-Off team) sure had fun working on this issue. There are several knitted patterns that should make good portable summer projects, an intense weaving project for tiny handspun silk yarns, some great information about sheep breeds, as well as how-to articles on spinning medium yarns and basics such as pre-drafting and Z-...(read more)

Spinner's Companion and Calls for Entries

2009-06-10T14:00:00Z

Two months ago I put out a challenge to spinners everywhere to enter our “ All Wrapped Up in Natural Fiber ” contest to create a scarf made with natural fiber and perhaps even with fiber they raised themselves. You’d be amazed at what arrived in our office! We had a great response and you’ll be able to see the results of the contest in the Fall 2009 issue of Spin-Off . As I was going through the submissions, I was really impressed at how well everyone followed our guidelines...(read more)

Call for Submissions--Button-Up Neckwarmers!

2009-05-29T18:56:00Z

Button-Up Neck Warmer Call for Submissions In the Handspun Gallery of the Spring 2010 issue of Spin-Off, we’d like to showcase your versions of the Button-Up Neck Warmer that was published in the Summer 2009 issue of Spin-Off. We invite you to submit your scarves by November 9, 2009. See the attached pdf for details....(read more)

Star Athena's Quant Pattern

2009-05-29T18:53:00Z

Star Athena first published her Quant pattern in the Winter 2007 issue of Knitty.com . Many spinners fell in love with this entrelac pattern that uses about 2 ounces and about 200 yards of yarn. It is a great pattern for showing off hand-dyed fiber and handspun yarn....(read more)

Write a haiku for Spin-Off!

2009-05-22T20:41:00Z

Are you the kind of spinner who always has a little rhyme going on your head? Here's an opportunity for you to share your talents with your peers. We're putting together a 2010 Spin-Off calendar and thought that we'd like to have a wonderful, imaginative, evocative haiku to go with each month of the year. Submission guidelines are attached below (see the link that says "File Attachment"?)....(read more)

Spin-Off Presents: Spin Your Socks

2009-05-20T18:11:00Z

Spinning for socks is one of my favorite things to do. I love that you can spin up the yarn for socks in a couple of evenings after work, or better yet, on a quiet Saturday with a couple of Jane Austen movies as company. And that the knitting can be carried around in your bag and worked on during meetings, in the dentist’s waiting room, or at a softball game. I love the challenge of socks—and for me that mostly means getting the second one done, but turning the heel is pretty fun, too...(read more)

Spin-Off Index 2004-2008

2009-05-14T20:34:00Z

We've posted the updated Spin-Off Index 2004-2008 ! Enjoy!...(read more)

Dilbert cartoon

2009-05-13T17:24:00Z

(Please visit the site to view this media)This is too funny not to share with all of you--a Dilbert cartoon about spider silk. It is especially funny in light of an article by Judith MacKenzie McCuin that will appear in the Summer issue of Spin-Off (that just went to press last week and is now at the printer's being printed)--Judith sent me a clipping of the cartoon....(read more)