I was first introduced to Patrick Green in 1978. I wanted a way to prepare fibers faster than I could with handcards. My local yarn store provided me with a solution: a drumcarder from Canada made by a man named Patrick Green. A production carder went home with me, and I fell in love with the process of drumcarding.
Fast-forward a few years, and my path crossed Patrick’s when Paula Simmons introduced me to him. I had an ongoing correspondence with her, and I began to correspond with Patrick, too. This began our long professional relationship and friendship.
Patrick had an amazing mind and understood the mechanics of carding better than anyone else I have ever met. We began a series of late-night conversations that continued over decades about the science and physics of carding.
Patrick Green collaborated with Deb Menz to design the Deb’s Deluxe drumcarder. Photos by Joe Coca
He made me knowledgeable about carding, which ultimately made me a better teacher. He designed and had special carding cloth made, and he created a line of specialized drums and drumcarders for specific uses and fiber preparations. He didn’t just think about the concepts, he made multiple prototypes and had spinners try out many things before he would market a new product. He also created equipment that made it possible for the cottage industry of hand-prepared fibers to flourish.
Making the perfect drumcarders was his life. Because of him, I am a spinner who owns more drumcarders than spinning wheels. Patrick Green will be sorely missed. The legacy of his work sets the standard high for making drumcarders.
—Deb Menz
Featured Image: The Beverly drumcarder designed by Patrick Green.
DEB MENZ has made fibers and textiles for the last forty years. Deb has authored two books, Color in Spinning and Color Works, and has created several videos, all from Interweave. She shows her mixed-media work around the country. Deb lives with her partner and patron, Buzz. Read Deb’s tips for maintaining your drumcarder in the blog post “Drumcarder Maintenance: 8 Tips to Keep Your Drumcarder Like New.” This remembrance is excerpted from Spin Off Spring 2018.