words by Jacqueline Harp and photos by Joseph Harp When a fiber artist chooses to separate and process a dual-coated fleece by hand, it is like unlocking two fleeces from one. A dual-coated fleece is an intertwined combination of a short-stapled, soft, downy undercoat and a protective, longer-stapled, coarser, hair-like outercoat. Once these integrated coats […]
Two of the articles in the Spring 2021 issue (Double-coated) contained a number of helpful references. References from “What Is Primitive? What Is Double-Coated?” by Deborah Robson Christiansen, Carol Anne. “Primitive Wool and Early Textile Production in Shetland,” diss., University of Manchester, 2003. Dýrmundsson, Ólafur R. “Four–Hornedness: A Rare Peculiarity Still Found in Icelandic Sheep.” […]
reviewed by Sukrita Mahon First published 27 years ago, Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth and Society in Early Times by Elizabeth Wayland Barber is still considered essential reading for contemporary textile artists. Its importance cannot be understated, considering that thread- and cloth-making have been so vital to our civilisation from the very […]
Spring 2021 Sneak Peek The Double-coated issue is twice as full and gorgeous as whatever you’re reading now! In fact, it’s so full we had to add extra pages (it comes in at a whopping 136 pages). From the softest sheep to “carpet sheep,” from Norway to Arabia, from woolen to worsted, from North Ronaldsay […]
This month’s Ask Jacey question comes from Elaine, who asks, “It seems like it’s easy for spinners to spin fine but harder to spin more bulky…any secrets?” Hi there Elaine, Thanks for asking a question I think half the spinners out there are also asking (because the other half are asking for secrets to spinning […]
Hiya spinners! We want to hear what you’ve been spinning during this, the strangest of times. If you’re up for sharing, please head over here. Here are some of the responses we’ve received so far: “The pandemic allowed me to slow down to embrace and savor the process of spinning, instead of just relying on […]
On January 24th, Jacey Faulkner and Jillian Moreno hosting the second PLY vlog, with a live virtual chat with spinners from around the world. If you missed it (or want to watch it again), you can catch up with it here. In this vlog, Jacey and Jillian share their favorite parts of the Warmth (Winter […]
reviewed by Sukrita Mahon A part of the Fowler Museum’s series on textiles around the world, this book explores the textiles in a small rural community in East Java. The culture and textile tradition in Kerek are extraordinarily vibrant, forming an integral part of this society. Modern-day spinners, weavers, and dyers in the west are […]
words and photos by Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa Cowichan sweaters are famous throughout the world for being thick, light, warm, and cosy. The yarns demonstrate ancient expertise with spinning warm yarns. The Cowichan (now known as Quw’utsun) First Nations of Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada are part of the Coast Salish language family of […]
