12 Spin Off • http://www.interweave.com
AS THE WHORL SPINSPhotocourtesy^ of^ Schacht^ SpindleCompanyInterweave and Schacht Spindle Company share a
long history. If you thumb through the very first issue of
Spin Off, published over 40 years ago, you’ll find a Schacht
ad featuring looms and spindles. Schacht’s co-owner Jane
Patrick is a former Interweave staffer and editor of our
sister magazine Handwoven. In light of the company’s
50 th anniversary, we asked Barry Schacht and Jane Patrick
to tell us about the festivities, and we had a couple of
burning questions only a handspinner would ask.
Spin Off (SO): Jane, in addition to being a weaver,
do you also spin?
Jane Patrick: I don’t call myself a spinner, but I can
spin and always enjoying doing so. During The National
Needlearts Association [TNNA] Spinning and Weaving
Week every October, we encourage employees to spin
during their lunchtime and breaks. It is always enjoyable
to spin with other folks. At the end of the week, I always
reflect, “I should do this every day.” And I do, for a while.
I think I’m a person who needs a project in mind, rather
than just spinning for the sake of doing it. I would love
to use my handspun for a weaving project someday.
I learned to spin at the Weaving Shop in Boulder,
Colorado. My boyfriend at the time gave me a spinning
wheel for Christmas (though I’m pretty sure I hadn’t
expressed an interest). Shortly afterward, I was recruited
to be on a sheep-to-shawl team, even though I wasn’t yet a
spinner. Therefore, it was imperative that I be able to spin
a continuous thread as soon as possible. I spent a day in
the shop with my wheel trying to teach myself to spin and
received occasional pointers from the owners. By the end
of the day, I could spin a very nice lumpy-bumpy yarn.
SO: How did your fi rst spinning wheel, the
Matchless, get its name?
Barry Schacht: We started designing our first spinning
wheel about the same time Jane and I had our daughter.
Consequently, the duties of young parenthood became
a priority, and the wheel development was put on hold.
However, during this quiet time, ideas were percolating.
The idea of the three curved legs became central to the
design, then all of the other pieces fell into place. In the
end, we had developed a feature-full wheel that we felt set
a new standard for spinning wheels. We named our newwheel the Matchless after an exceptionally fine British
motorcycle built in the early 1900s. Interestingly, the
name didn’t stick at first; it was just the Schacht Wheel. It
wasn’t until after we came out with our Ladybug spinning
wheel [2007] that the name Matchless was used to
differentiate between the two wheels.
SO: What events are planned to celebrate your 50th
anniversary?
Barry and Jane: We are making the most of our
anniversary and are celebrating all year long. We
commissioned SweetGeorgia [Yarns] to create a colorway
in our anniversary colors in a yummy Polwarth and silk
blend. Barry’s Jubilee braid is available from our website.
A weave-along for shaft weavers happens during October.
Our Fab 50 Celebration is planned for September
20 th. This all-day festival will include a spinning contest,
a warping duel, the great shuttle race, make-and-take
activities, vendors, food trucks, and product demos—
if you always wanted to try out a Schacht-Reeves
spinning wheel, here’s your chance. The day’s events
will culminate in a celebration ceremony where we will
honor several people who have made a difference to our
weaving and spinning community over many years. We
encourage spinners to bring their Schacht wheels and
enjoy the day spinning along with other enthusiasts.
To f ind out more about Schacht Spindle Company’s 50th
anniversary celebration, visit http://www.schachtspindle.com.Jane Patrick
and Barry
Schacht take
their Sidekick
spinning wheel
for a walk.Schacht Turns 50