Hello, and welcome to Spin-Off's new and improved home on the web! We've been working on this new site for quite a while, and we hope you like it!

I'm feeling a lot of pressure while I sit here trying to write my first blog post - I'm not going to be witty or smart enough and no one will like me! I've been tediously loading pdf files onto this site for the past several hours and my brain is somewhat fried and past the point of being creative - so I suppose I'll just start by introducing myself.

I'm Stefanie Berganini, a nerdy twenty-something who likes cats, crafting, video games, and trying to cook. I've been the Assistant Editor of Spin-Off for almost exactly one year (I can't decide if it seems like I've been here much much longer than that, or if the time has flown by - is it possible to feel both at once?) I started my career at Interweave during the fall of 2007 as the intern at Fiberarts magazine. I had taken a few fibers classes during my time at Colorado State University and was a dabbler in the fields of weaving, dyeing, screenprinting, and knitting/crochet. Spinning was the next area that I wanted to try and on the last day of my internship I was given a CD spindle kit and a little bit of fluff. That first bit of yarn must have been pretty darn amazing because a few months later I was hired as the Assistant Editor here at Spin-Off. I'm also the Assistant Editor of Stitch, our new sewing magazine, and the co-coordinator of the Spin-Off Autumn Retreat (Interweavers are very good at wearing multiple hats).

In case you're curious, this is what I look like:

I would consider myself about an advanced beginner when it comes to spinning - or maybe one foot in the advanced beginner camp and one foot in the intermediate camp. I'm currently spinning up 8 ounces of super soft cranberry colored merino, and someday I hope to make a vest out of it - we shall see.

My favorite thing about spinning (besides that it's fun) is the idea that I have the knowledge to make an item completely from start to finish. There are so many crappy mass-produced items in our lives - I like knowing that I could make myself a hat or a bag or a pair of mittens, in the exact color and shape that I want, completely from scratch. Plus, if you can make all the yarn you want then you don't ever have to be stuck in an awkward situation like this.

So, if you are still reading, welcome to my blog and thanks for sticking around - see you next time!