96 Spin Off • http://www.interweave.com
I AM A SPINNERTell us about your day job.
I am a marine geophysicist. As a professor at Lehman
College, City University of New York, I teach geology
and help to prepare future Earth science teachers. These
students are my favorite part of my job. My research
focuses on mapping the seafloor, usually at the mid-
ocean ridge, and my objective is to understand how the
seafloor forms. Since 70percent of our planet’s surface is
seafloor, this has always seemed important to me. Most
recently, my colleagues and I surveyed the bottom of
Lake Azuei in Haiti. The last earthquake there killed
over 200,000 people and left many more homeless
and severely injured. A better understanding of the
most dangerous areas will help schools, hospitals, and
emergency services to plan for the next earthquake.
How did you become a spinner?
In 1986, I took an adult-education course in spinning. It
opened a whole new world. We dove in at the deep end,
each of us ordering a spinning wheel and a whole fleece.
The course was wonderful. By the end, we had sorted,
washed, carded, spun, and plied several beautiful skeins
of yarn; I was hooked.
Do you have other fi ber hobbies?
In addition to spinning, I am an avid knitter, and I
am learning to weave. I have been working slowly on
Level 2 of the Master Hand Knitting program from the
Knitting Guild Association.
Do your job and your fi ber/spinning hobbies ever
overlap?
I wear my handspun, handkintted sweaters to work and
out on field trips with my students. Wearing my sweaters
has become a sort of trademark for me with my students.
I also sell my work locally at the farmer’s markets and
artisan fairs. I usually bring my wheel and do spinning
demonstrations at the farmer’s market, drawing the
attention of lots of children and some adults, too.
How does spinning fi t into the rest of your life?
During the academic year, things are pretty busy, so I
mostly spin in the summer. I like to spin outside when it’s
warm. Since I usually spin from fleece, spinning outside
means the various bits and pieces that nature includes in a
fleece for our amusement are kept out of the house.Dr. Heather Sloan
Marine GeophysicistDO YOU KNOW SOMEONE whom we should feature
in “I Am a Spinner”?
We’re especially interested in spinners with unusual
careers, locations, and perspectives. Drop us a line at
[email protected]. If we use your suggestion, we’ll
send you a treat from our stash of fi ber goodies! Because
of the volume of submissions we receive for this feature,
we will only notify you if your nomination is selected.Wearing a handspun, handknitted sweater is Dr. Heather
Sloan’s trademark.What is your favorite thing about spinning?
I love the look and feel of locks from a fleece,
particularly the longwools, and I prefer natural fleece
colors, especially the grays and browns. Watching
plied yarn wind onto my bobbin still amazes me; it’s
something about the twist.Dr. Heather Sloan aboard a research boat in Lake Azuei,
Haiti, being interviewed by a local television news crew. Dr.
Sloan and her colleagues carried out a geophysical survey
of the lake in January 2017, looking for evidence that would
help estimate the future earthquake hazard in the region.PhotobyDr.^ Heather^ SloanPhotobyDr.^ M
arie-HeleneCormier