Deb Gerish


Welcome to Fantasy Island: Spinning Exotic Fibers

If there’s any better form of self-care than spinning exotic fibers, I have yet to discover it. My version of Fantasy Island holds a lot of spinning wheels.

Wool in the Kitchen: Handpainting Yarn with Food Coloring

I wanted a handspun sweater with dripping cables and subtle color transitions—that meant handpainting yarn with food coloring. Although this type of dyeing required a lot of time, it produced spectacular results.

How to Pet Your Sheep: Preparing Raw Fleece for Spinning

Today I present A Tale of Two Sheepies: the story of my first adventures with raw wool.

Closet Full of WHAT??: Spinning Bamboo & Dyeing Tencel

Although I’d spun bamboo before, it had been in small quantities. For this project, I spun about a pound of bamboo from the fold, making this slippery fiber much easier to manage.

Closet Full of Sheep: How to Build a Giant Yarn Stash for Less (HA!)

In the summer of 1996, I opened the door and welcomed temptation in. That was the first step toward building my giant yarn stash.

Closet Full of Sheep: Dyeing Lessons

Learn crucial dyeing lessons in this expert article that discusses best practices and how to avoid mistakes when dyeing fiber for spinning!

Closet Full of Sheep: My Spinning to Knit Stories

Years ago at a stressful period in my life, I thought a new spinning hobby could help me relax and create pretty things with wool.

Great Spinning Wheel Roundup 2018: Shopping Guide

Spinning wheels make yarn, but that’s not all they do.

Women’s Work, Part 3: Pottery Lessons & Textile Arts

Records from the distant past don't say much about women, yet every now and then we get fleeting glimpses of the history of textiles.