Advertise on podcast: The Long Thread Podcast

Jayna Zweiman wants to wrap the world in kindness and warmth. She founded Welcome Blanket in 2017 as an invitation to crafters to make handmade blankets for refugees who have just arrived in the United States. She pictured 2,000 miles of yarn and thread, as long a distance as the proposed wall along the southern border. Instead of a barrier keeping people apart, Jayna wondered, was there a way to bring them together? That question became the inspiration for Welcome Blanket, transforming the idea of a line of division into an invitation to create something welcoming and inclusive. Nearly a decade later, crafters have far exceeded the initial goal. With more than 8,000 blankets made and distributed so far, she has set a new goal: 36,521 blankets, enough to circle the Earth. In 2026, the project received the Golden Scissors Award for Social Impact, which recognizes leaders in the craft industry. Giving a Welcome Blanket is straightforward: Make a 40" x 40" blanket by hand, using any technique and materials you like (as long as they're easy to care for). It should be difficult to give the blanket up because you love it so much. Include a note of welcome that shares something about your own experience of immigration, migration, or relocation. Send the blanket and note to be distributed through one of Welcome Blanket’s partner organizations or shown first at one of the organization’s public exhibitions. The connection to the immigrant experience is personal for Jayna, whose grandfather told her about his first look at the Statue of Liberty when he immigrated to the United States. As she points out, though, each person’s experience of migration and relocation is unique, from the Pilgrims to relocated indigenous Americans to recent arrivals. Many Welcome Blanket crafters aren’t sure what to write in their welcome notes, but whatever the personal history, the notes are the opportunity for connection and shared feeling of humanity. Refugee families often arrive with very little and have only a few days to set up a new home or take a long bus ride to another city. Welcome Blanket recipients might receive their blankets in a welcome box alongside toothbrushes and other basic supplies, tucked into a backpack, or waiting in a first apartment. For people who have left nearly everything behind, a handmade blanket is a rare gift: something new that carries another person’s hands and care. Some of the blankets are distributed right away, but many are displayed in exhibits in art museums, cultural centers, and airports. The first show, at the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago, began with an empty gallery that filled week by week as blankets arrived. Visitors can read the welcome notes alongside the blankets, and a few minutes with those stories can bring even the most reserved viewer to tears. Right now, two exhibitions are on view at LAX in Los Angeles, where travelers waiting at baggage claim stop to look and often seem to relax. Welcome Blanket is currently collecting quilts for QuiltCon 2027 in Atlanta (due November 15) as well as ongoing donation. Links Welcome Blanket website Welcome Blanket Instagram This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You’ll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway’s array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you’ll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. Calling all knitters and fiber lovers—the 2026 Great Holiday Giveaway is here! Enter to win a prize from our partners, featuring must-have fiber gifts, from kits and tools to yarn and more. With over $2,100 in prizes and six chances to enter your name to win, this could be your lucky day. See the rules and eligibility requirements at the bottom of the page. Good luck!

The best project books not only combine gorgeous designs with clear instructions, they also expand your fiber-arts horizon with a trip to a new part of the world, a collection of the best ideas of fellow crafters, an in-depth tour of a great technique, or the chance to incorporate your favorite non-fiber hobby. Here are some of the best project books that the Yarn Barn of Kansas loves to share. Crochet The Tunisian Crochet Handbook by Toni Lipsey A collection of wearable designs from complete novice to accomplished crocheter skill levels. Features 20 patterns. Knitting Knit Like a Latvian: Mittens by Ieva Ozolina Colorwork handcoverings with a traditional shape and graphic, surprisingly modern patterns. Features 50 patterns. Nordic Sailor’s and Fishermen’s Sweaters by Lotte Rahbek and Gitte Verner Jensen With simple shapes and classic motifs, these historically inspired sweaters look like the best of contemporary Scandinavian knitwear. Features 23 patterns. Traditional Danish Sweaters Based on nattrøjer (night sweater) patterns, this collection of includes 11 complete designs and 200 charted motifs to customize your own sweater. Charming Colorwork Socks and Joyful Colorwork Socks by Charlotte Stone Sweet sock patterns, many whimsical, for any season or mood. Each book includes 25 sock patterns. The Sock Project and The Sock Obsession by Summer Lee A variety of colorwork, texture, and plain designs with instructions for several construction methods. Lee’s basic sock pattern is a mainstay at Yarn Barn! Each book includes 25 sock patterns. 52 Weeks of Accessories from Laine One of the generous pattern collections from the Finland-based publisher, this collection includes projects from a number of desigers. Other books in the series include Socks (volumes I and II), Easy Knits, and Scarves. Weaving Interlaced: The Weavers' Guild of Boston Celebrates 90 Years of Friendship and Education With projects for bags, scarves, rugs, and more, this collection brings together ideas from the distinguished group. Sixty Scarves for 60 Years from the Weaver’s Guild of Greater Baltimore With most of these projects using 8 shafts or fewer, the collection explores the huge array of creativity of the guild’s members. The Best of Yarn Barn Gathering the top-selling designs in the store’s 50-year history, the collection includes patterns that Susan Bateman, Melissa Parsons, and the Yarn Barn staff know produce great finished projects. Includes 25 projects. Doubleweave by Jennifer Moore Moore’s definitive book on the doubleweave technique hides a collection of inspiring projects—the kind you’ll want to make even if the technique isn’t your favorite. Features 12 projects. Overshot Simply Crackle Weave Simply Shadow Weave Simply Summer & Winter Simply Weaving Hand Towels Simply Each book in this series by Susan Kesler-Simpson begins with an exploration of each structure, followed by 25–38 projects to inspire your own exploration. Handwoven Baby Blankets Handwoven Table Linens Rags to Rugs Weaving with Clasped Weft Renowned teacher Tom Knisely presents project collections with ideas to spark your own creativity. Each includes 27–33 projects. Rigid-Heddle Weaving: Basics and Beyond by Deborah Jarchow With weaving instructions and designs for a wide variety of projects, this book helps weavers get the most from a simple loom. Includes 31 projects. Dyeing Botanical Cyanotype by Sarah Bourne Rafferty If you only experimented with sun prints as a child, you may be surprised not only at how gorgeous these botanical prints can be but also by the fact that you can make the solutions yourself. The book includes 14 projects as well as basic methods. Listen to our chat and tell us: What are your favorite craft books that inspire you to get making? This episode is brought to you by: Learning how to weave but need the right shuttle? Hooked on knitting and in search of a lofty yarn? Yarn Barn of Kansas has been your partner in fiber since 1971. Whether you are around the corner from the Yarn Barn of Kansas, or around the country, they are truly your “local yarn store” with an experienced staff to answer all your fiber questions. Visit yarnbarn-ks.com to shop, learn, and explore.

How did people make and use the textiles we’ve created for millennia? From nalbinding to netting to bast fiber processing, Sally Pointer looks for answers by working with her hands. Some fiber crafts are as old as humanity, even recorded in cave paintings. Some fiber crafts are so little practiced now that they’re considered endangered. For textile historian (and prehistorian) Sally Pointer, they’re entirely vital and full of new discoveries. The Heritage Crafts Red List of Endangered Crafts tracks more than 150 crafts in the UK practiced by so few people that they may disappear within a generation or so, and it names the known practitioners. Sally’s name appears twice, once for nalbinding and once for bast fiber processing. Those are far from her only fiber fascinations; she is currently at work on a book about netting, and she speaks passionately about splicing and cordage-making. Nalbinding is plagued by misconceptions: that it’s solely a Viking craft, an early form of knitting, only interesting for reenactors, or slow to work. Nalbinding—It’s Not Knitting, Sally’s 2026 book, presents it as a useful contemporary craft still practiced around the world. The technique is as useful for creating twenty-first-century socks as for the ancient Egyptian examples excavated from archaeological sites. As an experimental archaeologist, Sally not only looks at ancient textile finds; she tries to understand how they were made and used. Looking at an artifact and guessing how it was used can breed misconceptions; experimental archaeologists test those guesses to learn what it was like for the people who used them. “This is almost allowing us to touch the hand of the original maker for a fleeting moment,” Sally says. “And that is spine-chilling at times.” Links Sally’s website Sally’s current book is Nalbinding—It’s Not Knitting Lime Bast: Harvest, Preparation and Use by Sally Pointer and Chiz Harward Find Sally’s free videos on fiber processing and textile techniques at YouTube Her online and in-person class list is available at Sally Pointer Heritage Education Red List of Endangered Crafts This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You’ll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway's array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you’ll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. Calling all fiber lovers! Here’s your invitation to indulge your holiday wishes: Long Thread Media’s Great Holiday Giveaway 2026! From October 9 through November 13, enter for your chance to win a prize from one of our partners, featuring tempting fiber gifts for weavers, spinners, knitters, and needleworkers. There’s more than $1,400 in prizes, and you’ll have five chances to put your name in the hat. Visit [Handwovenmagazine.com/giveaway]( for details and be sure to check the rules and eligibility requirements at the bottom of the page. Go on, put your name in! Good luck.

How could you possibly improve on wool, the perfect fiber? In the 20th century, scientists thought they could do just that. Some of their innovations have disappeared . . . but some remain. In the middle of the 20th century, with technology promising a modern lifestyle that would be newer and better in every way, wool fiber began to look old-fashioned. The incredible demand for wool up through World War II began to wane, and the apparent miracle of synthetic fiber reached American homes. Yet sheep still formed the backbone of some states’ economies, and they kept producing wool. If only there were some way to make it easier to wash and prevent moths from eating clothes, carpets, and furniture, modern households might still have a place for wool. And if wool fiber was less important, maybe there was another use for fleece. In her new book, Reinventing Wool, Professor Melissa M. Littlefield takes us through the history of four innovations that sought to bring wool into the modern era: Woolite synthetic detergent, machine-washable wool, the chemical insecticide EQ-53, and extraction methods for lanolin. From a national roadshow featuring a starlet bathing a lamb in a tub of Woolite to a toxic DDT-containing fabric treatment, the improvements range from everyday to strange. Yet in their own ways, each of the treatments imagined a place for wool in a rapidly changing world. Littlefield talks about how her research spoke to her personally as a spinner, knitter, and small-batch wool yarn producer. Decades after these groundbreaking “improvements” to wool, most of our furniture isn’t vulnerable to moth damage anyway. Lanolin is a common ingredient in both personal care and industry. And crafters debate the value of machine-washable wool, even as we find it in every yarn shop. Who could have predicted where wool would go? Links Reinventing Wool This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You'll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway's array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you’ll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed.

A small group of Vermonters wanted to improve the environment and preserve the rural character of the state. Along with two friends, David Richie and his wife found a way: they founded the Green Mountain Spinnery. David Richie and his wife, Diana, wanted to keep their home state and region green and farm-friendly. Believing in thinking globally and acting locally, they joined a reading group in the late 1970s with others interested in conservation and social responsibility. Concerned about the environmental dangers of nuclear power in New England, their friends Claire Wilson and Libby Mills found themselves in jail after protesting a nearby power plant, giving them time to talk about what they could do to make a difference on a smaller scale. Claire asked, “When I see so many sheep here in Vermont, why do I have to order my weaving yarn from Sweden?” Farmers’ markets had begun to arise, bringing produce from the field to home cooks in the heart of the city, letting small-scale farmers keep more of their profits by selling direct. Why not do the same for shepherds and make their sheep’s wool available to weavers? As knitters and weavers, Claire and Libby knew about using yarn, but none of the four knew anything about operating a wool mill, let alone starting one. Undaunted, they took one step after another: they wrote a business plan, purchased an old gas station as their new facility, and began purchasing mill equipment. And so began an adventure that has passed 45 years and is still gathering steam. Learning to produce yarn—understanding the equipment, downstream (literally) effects, sourcing fibers—is an ongoing process. The Spinnery makes thousands of pounds of yarn each year for farmers, yarn companies, and their own store, but they continually refine the process, from improving their wastewater handling to switching over to more eco-friendly spinning oil. Although David began without fiber experience, his influence is felt in every part of the tightly-packed Spinnery building. In addition to environmental stewardship, the Spinnery has always been dedicated to offering an equitable work environment. To give employees a stake in the company’s success, they decided early on to become a worker-owned cooperative. The values that led to Green Mountain Spinnery’s founding in 1981 continue guiding the project. Links Green Mountain Spinnery This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You’ll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway’s array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you’ll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. The Mountain & Valley Fiber Arts Festival comes to Durango, Colorado, the first full weekend in October. Formerly the Taos Wool Festival, this new chapter brings together natural fiber artists, vendors, instructors, growers, and makers for a weekend of shopping, learning, and community. Plan your fiber arts weekend at Mountain & Valley Fiber Arts Fest at mavwafiberartsfest.org. Green Mountain Spinnery is a worker-owned cooperative woolen mill with over 45 years of experience spinning quality yarns from natural local and US-produced fibers. They craft woolen-spun yarns in a wide variety of rich heathered hues and premium fiber blends. As a part of the chain from sheep to skein and shepherd to maker, Green Mountain Spinnery is dedicated to respecting the environment we all share. Visit the mill shop in Putney, VT, or explore their collection at spinnery.com.

A love of words, stories, and cloth led Karen Elting Brock around the world and back to PieceWork. ”All This by Hand” appeared on the first covers of PieceWork magazine, intended to capture the scope of material between the covers. Stitching, lacemaking, and other needlework, certainly, but other handwork, fashion, and the artisans who created the work all found their way into the pages of the magazine. The scope of the project—worldwide, from historical to contemporary, from anonymous to celebrated—has made it beloved by its readers and also difficult to explain. All this by hand, indeed. Karen Elting Brock first joined the staff of PieceWork in 2010, working with authors who were artisans or had stories to tell. From her desk, she pored through the collections of international museums and chased down photographers for just the image that would tell the story of a textile. After several years on the editorial staff, she moved on to experience global stories for herself, living in (and sending dispatches from) Nepal, Morocco, and other international locations. Even (or especially) in remote villages, textiles and makers continued to find her. In 2025, Karen was ready to return to Colorado, and PieceWork welcomed her to the editor’s seat. As of recording time, Karen has brought some of her ambitions for the publication to fruition—she’s especially excited about the Fall 2026 Museum Issue and the new reader-fed international museum directory—but she has a list of other ideas she’s eager to explore. In this episode, we explore some of her favorite textile stories and some of her plans for the future. Links PieceWork issues and website PieceWork’s Blue & White Issue, released in Summer 2026 International Needlework Museum Directory “Knitting on Peru’s Taquile Island” by Linda Ligon “Spinning Giant Nettle in the Himalayas” Karen’s posts for pieceworkmagazine.com This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You’ll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway's array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you’ll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. “Hi, I’m Gabi van Tassell from Bluebonnet Crafters, and I’m the inventor of TURTLE pin looms. Pin looms are small, handheld looms that quickly weave self-contained fabric pieces like squares, hexagons, and more. Weave them with almost any yarn you have on hand, then combine them into projects of any size. They make a wonderful companion for any fiber lover, at home or on the go. I’d love for you to visit us at turtleloom.com to explore the full loom catalog, patterns, and more. Hope to see you there.” The Mountain & Valley Fiber Arts Festival comes to Durango, Colorado, the first full weekend in October. Formerly the Taos Wool Festival, this new chapter brings together natural fiber artists, vendors, instructors, growers, and makers for a weekend of shopping, learning, and community. Plan your fiber arts weekend at Mountain & Valley Fiber Arts Fest at mavwafiberartsfest.org.

As a budding crochet designer, Lir Shilton ran into obstacles and annoyances that many beginning crafters face. But instead of learning to live with them, she and her partner decided to make a platform that offers a different approach. Lir loved to crochet, and she especially loved creating designs to share with other makers. But crochet patterns vary significantly depending where you are in the world—and not just in translating centimeters to inches. Was that a British double crochet or an American double crochet? Did the directions mean to work the decreases 5 times or 5 more times? Which of the 9 sizes did this direction apply to? What color was A? As Lir described her frustrations to her husband, Saar Oron, he asked the simple, obvious question: “Why is it like this?” With a background in building online communities, he wondered why there wasn’t an app for designers to present patterns and for crafters to consume them in a more user-friendly way. Sometimes it takes a newcomer to ask the question everyone else has stopped asking. Along with a developer, the pair formed Ribblr, an online community and pattern platform that supports projects in knitting, crochet, and sewing. Patterns on Ribblr allow you to hide unused sizes, cross off completed rows, change colors, and change measurements and instructions to your preferred regional settings. Users can join groups in the site’s forums for support and track projects there. Although the company is based on creativity through technology, they draw one line firmly: the projects on Ribblr must be human-created, not made with AI technology. (Lir even wrote a song about it!) For the month of August 2026, Long Thread Media and Ribblr are hosting a Market Day Challenge: Create a booth presenting your handmade crafts (at an actual crafts market or an imagined setup), submit a journal entry with a photo of your booth, and enter for a chance to win 50 Gems that you can use to purchase patterns on Ribblr. Links Ribblr Market Day Challenge, the August 2026 Ribblr/Long Thread Media collaboration Download the Crocheted Peddler’s Pack, Golden Hour Bag, and Bay Leaf Bag free as PDFs or visit Ribblr’s digital platform to claim them Hear Lir perform her song about Ribblr’s AI policy This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You’ll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway’s array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you’ll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. The Michigan Fiber Festival—Michigan’s largest sheep and wool festival—is a vibrant world of fiber arts. Discover five days of classes with nationally recognized teachers in spinning, weaving, lacemaking, dyeing, felting, and rug hooking. Enjoy three days of shopping. Delight in shearing and fiber arts demonstrations. Enjoy a truly immersive experience. Join us in August at the picturesque Allegan County Fairgrounds (you can even camp on site!) Find more details at michiganfiberfestival.info. The Mountain & Valley Fiber Arts Festival comes to Durango, Colorado, the first full weekend in October. Formerly the Taos Wool Festival, this new chapter brings together natural fiber artists, vendors, instructors, growers, and makers for a weekend of shopping, learning, and community. Plan your fiber arts weekend at Mountain & Valley Fiber Arts Fest at mavwafiberartsfest.org.

A pair of silk stockings, mended again and again below the ankle, set Emily Whitted on the path of discovery that has led her through archives and museums of early American history. The stockings belonged to Philadelphia’s Stephen Girard, who was one of the wealthiest men in America. Museum records didn’t mention the mends, though the socks had been repaired several times, making them as invisible to historians examining records as anyone Girard met on the street. Textiles were valuable in the early 19th century, and even a wealthy man wore stockings mended by one of the women of his household. Mending, darning, and repair became the subject of Emily’s doctoral thesis at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a project she has nearly completed. Her research into mending has led her to investigate how repaired clothing could identify a person trying to self-emancipate, how well repaired clothing could indicate moral character, and how groups of men repaired not only their belongings but also sails in maritime life. Emily was drawn into the history of textiles by her interest in the role of cloth in women’s lives. With a background in public history (presenting information about the past to non-specialists), she recently curated an exhibition at the Webb Deane Stevens Museum in Connecticut about the variety of samplers that early American girls stitched. Although we generally think of samplers as purely decorative showpieces, darning samplers demonstrated practical skill in mending, too. As a badge of creativity and conservation, mending has recently taken center stage, with visible mending as a badge of honor. Emily Whitted’s historical research shows just how much we have in common not only with the girls who stitched samplers but also the invisible hands that repaired the cloth of early Americans. Links Read more about Emily’s research: “A Historical Antidote to Today’s Fast Fashion Culture,” UMass Amherst College of Humanities & Fine Arts “Stockings once worn by Philly’s wealthiest man show the value of women’s mending in early America,” Emily‘s essay for The Conversation American Girlhood: Needlework, Memory, and the Making of a Nation, the sampler exhibition Emily guest-curated at the Webb Deane Stevens Museum, Wethersfield, Connecticut, is on view through December 2026 This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You’ll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway's array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you’ll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. The Michigan Fiber Festival—Michigan’s largest sheep and wool festival—is a vibrant world of fiber arts. Discover five days of classes with nationally recognized teachers in spinning, weaving, lacemaking, dyeing, felting, and rug hooking. Enjoy three days of shopping. Delight in shearing and fiber arts demonstrations. Enjoy a truly immersive experience. Join us in August at the picturesque Allegan County Fairgrounds (you can even camp on site!) Find more details at [michiganfiberfestival.info.](The Michigan Fiber Festival – Michigan's largest sheep and wool festival – is a vibrant world of fiber arts. Discover five days of classes with nationally recognized teachers in spinning, weaving, lacemaking, dyeing, felting, and rug hooking. Enjoy three days of shopping. Delight in shearing and fiber arts demonstrations. Enjoy a truly immersive experience. Join us in August at the picturesque Allegan County Fairgrounds (you can even camp on site!) Find more details at michiganfiberfestival.info.)

Book Club Podcast: What lesser-known treasures do Yarn Barn fiber artists love to share? Susan and Melissa share some of their favorites in weaving, spinning, and knitting. Liz Gipson drops by to talk about one of her books that Susan and Melissa adore. Book-loving crafters generally have a few special titles tucked on the shelf between the major must-have references: a self-published monograph, a slim paperback, or an in-depth look at an esoteric technique. In this episode, Susan Bateman and Melissa Parsons return with more hidden gems from the shelves at Yarn Barn of Kansas. Special guest Liz Gipson also joined us to talk about her own book on choosing yarn. Multishaft Weaving Weaving Designs by Bertha Gray Hayes: Miniature Overshot Patterns by Norma Smayda, Gretchen White, Jody Brown, and Katharine Schelleng This delightful collection of overshot patterns are refreshingly short-repeat and often asymmetrical, a playful and inspiring way to experiment with a traditional structure. Melissa’s so enthusiastic about the book that she loves to introduce it to any weaver. Krokbragd: How to Design & Weave by Debbie Greenlaw Friendly and accessible, this introduction to the colorful Scandinavian weft-faced structure covers both rigid-heddle and multishaft looms. The book includes several projects, including an irresistibly cute farm sampler. Krokbragd: Contemporary Weaving with Colour by Angie Parker A more technical take on krokbragd, this is aimed at weavers who already have some experience under their belt, with a more contemporary design sensibility and beautiful photography throughout. M’s + O’s: A Contemporary Look at a Traditional Weave Structure on 4-shafts by Suzi Ballenger This brand-new 70-page monograph invites weavers to take a fresh look at an underexplored structure. Ballenger’s examples and designs show M’s and O’s with contemporary style and unexpected laciness. Although M’s and O’s isn't generally Melissa’s favorite structure, this book inspires her to take another look. Inkle & Tablet Weaving In Celebration of Plain Weave by Annie MacHale With a color theory explanation specifically for inkle weaving and information on designing beautiful bands, this spiral-bound color study is a must for bandweavers even before you get to the 200 pattern charts. Melissa and Susan especially love MacHale’s asymmetrical designs. Please Weave a Message by Linda Hendrickson An entire book of graphed-out alphabets for tablet weaving, using as few as 24 to 52 cards, perfect for weaving a name or message into a keepsake band—especially good for handwoven gifts! Rigid Heddle Textures and Patterns for the Rigid Heddle Loom by Betty Davenport Decades ahead of its time and now in its eleventh printing, this book walks rigid-heddle weavers through pickup, deflected weft, and other structures well beyond plain weave. A Weaver’s Guide to Yarn by Liz Gipson Teacher Liz Gipson gathered her thoughts on yarns into a practical framework for choosing your materials by need rather than guesswork, including a fiber checklist and a helpful “decoding yarn information” section. Written especially for rigid-heddle weavers, this is a book Melissa would hand to every beginning weaver. A special guest this episode, Liz joined the conversation to talk about how reader questions and teaching experience helped her write the book that weavers need. Finishing Finishes in the Ethnic Tradition by Suzanne Baizerman and Karen Searle Rescued from out of print, this illustrated guide goes far past the overhand knot, gathering fringe, wrapped-edge, and embellishment techniques from weaving traditions worldwide. Knitting Barbara Walker’s Treasury Series (A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns, Charted Knitting Designs: A Third Treasury, and A Fourth Treasury of Knitting Patterns) Full of ideas to design and customize plain knitting projects, Barbara Walker’s iconoc treasuries give knitters permission to create. These four hefty stitch dictionaries include hundreds of charted designs you can drop into a project of your choosing. The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd Written to pair perfectly with a stitch dictionary, this book turns "I love this yarn but have no pattern for it" into a finished sweater, sock, or hat. Ann Budd offers designs for gauges from 3 to 7 stitches per inch and child to adult sizes. Reversible Knitting by Cecelia Campochiaro A stitch dictionary where every pattern looks as good from the back as the front! This collection of motifs is ideal for scarves, blankets, and anything meant to be seen from both sides. The Wonder of Wool: A Knitter’s Guide to Pure Breed Sheep by Justine Lee and Jess Morency Dramatic black-and-white sheep portraits pair with breed-by-breed spinning and knitting notes in this exploration of British heritage wools. The book also includes full patterns built around specific wools. Spinning A Spinner’s Dozen: 14 Darn Useful Tools by Stephenie Gaustad A charming hand-illustrated case for the spinning tools worth hunting down in antique stores, this is Stephenie Gaustad’s fun and gentle nudge to explore the old spinning ways and discover how the right tool buys you more time for the parts of spinning you actually love. Listen to the Wool: A Why-to Guide for Joyful Spinning by Josefin Waltin Less a technical manual than an invitation to slow down, this book encourages readers to embrace your mistakes as markers on your craft journey. It might make you a better spinner—even if you don’t change your yarn after reading. Listen to our chat and tell us: What are your favorite craft books that more people should know about? This episode is brought to you by: Learning how to weave but need the right shuttle? Hooked on knitting and in search of a lofty yarn? Yarn Barn of Kansas has been your partner in fiber since 1971. Whether you are around the corner from the Yarn Barn of Kansas, or around the country, they are truly your “local yarn store” with an experienced staff to answer all your fiber questions. Visit yarnbarn-ks.com to shop, learn, and explore.

A fifth-generation quilter from the legendary community of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, Loretta Pettway Bennett turns well used cloth into her own expressions of color and community. Loretta Pettway Bennett began her quilting journey as a child, threading needles for her mother as she sewed scraps into bedcoverings. The women in the town of Gee’s Bend pieced quilt tops and got together to hand quilt their work, a tradition that spans decades. Loretta’s first quilt was an ambitious Flower Garden hexagon design that she cut and sewed entirely on her own when she was 12 years old. Half a century later, quilting is woven into Loretta’s life, as it is for her sister, aunts, cousins, and ancestors. Although quilting has always been part of her life, Loretta’s vision is uniquely her own. In the early 2000s, Loretta decided to embrace her own style and gave herself the freedom to enjoy making quilts in her own way. She decided to resist rules that seams line up perfectly or that only certain colors go together. Instead, she lets the quilt make itself and invites the colors to talk to each other. Working with thrifted and gifted material, she chooses the fabrics that speak to her (bright colors, few prints) and especially loves the pieces that have been well used and mended. The contemporary interest in thrifting and mending is a simple fact of life to Loretta, as natural as eating. Several of her designs include denim jeans, patched knees and all. In 2002, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston mounted a major exhibition of quilts from Gee’s Bend, and Loretta saw her quilting traditions in a new light. A quilt that her mother made to cover her bed, on which Loretta and her sister had laid on the floor, was described as art in one of the country’s most important art museums. Standing in the exhibit, she says, “. . . the more I looked at the quilts, the more I started seeing what [viewers] saw in the quilts.” Today, Loretta’s own quilts are part of museum, corporate, and U.S. State Department collections and have appeared in 19 U.S. Embassies worldwide. Her work has been recognized with numerous prizes and fellowships, most recently a 2026 Maxwell/Hanrahan Award in Craft. Loretta teaches quilting both to children in her community and through Vacation with an Artist, a program where crafters work in her workshop and learn the community’s methods. She plans to put her recent award money toward a coloring book of her quilts, an echo of her childhood wish to be a painter. Having spent decades painting with fabric, she loves to see others playing with color for themselves through her classes and is excited to see their interpretations in her coloring book. Links View some of Loretta Pettway Bennet’s quilts at Souls Grown Deep and Greg Kucera Gallery Learn about Gee’s Bend and visiting the area at the Visit Gee’s Bend website Discover the history and revival of the Freedom Quilting Bee Find details of the Airing of the Quilts Festival, which will be held next on Saturday, October 3, 2026 Read about Loretta at the Maxwell/Hanrahan 2026 Awards in Craft website Find details on the Vacation with an Artist hosted by Loretta and her sister-in-law, Marlene Bennett Follow Loretta’s Instagram This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You’ll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway's array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you’ll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. The Michigan Fiber Festival—Michigan’s largest sheep and wool festival—is a vibrant world of fiber arts. Discover five days of classes with nationally recognized teachers in spinning, weaving, lacemaking, dyeing, felting, and rug hooking. Enjoy three days of shopping. Delight in shearing and fiber arts demonstrations. Enjoy a truly immersive experience. Join us in August at the picturesque Allegan County Fairgrounds (you can even camp on site!) Find more details at [michiganfiberfestival.info.](The Michigan Fiber Festival – Michigan's largest sheep and wool festival – is a vibrant world of fiber arts. Discover five days of classes with nationally recognized teachers in spinning, weaving, lacemaking, dyeing, felting, and rug hooking. Enjoy three days of shopping. Delight in shearing and fiber arts demonstrations. Enjoy a truly immersive experience. Join us in August at the picturesque Allegan County Fairgrounds (you can even camp on site!) Find more details at michiganfiberfestival.info.)

With no background in fiber but a calling to help women in need, Diana Wiley built a thriving organization on handspun yarn, needlefelted gorillas, and a holistic community for over 200 women. Stepping into the Handspun Hope booth at a fiber festival feels like entering a luxury boutique filled with natural fibers, colorful yarns, handmade buttons, and whimsical sculptures. It would be easy to enjoy the offerings without wondering about the company’s name—not only “handspun” (yes, the yarns on offer have all been spun by hand) but also “Hope.” The proceeds from everything sold in the booth are returned to women whom the company supports in Rwanda. A decade after the bloody genocide in Rwanda had come to an end, Diana felt called to help the women living in its aftermath. She had volunteered in relief efforts in other parts of Africa, but her thoughts returned again and again to the plight of Rwandan women making their lives in the aftermath of HIV, extreme poverty, and the long shadow of conflict. Connecting with a former colleague who directed World Relief in Rwanda, she visited the country in 2007. What she saw moved her so greatly that within two days she had quit her corporate job to devote herself to helping. Diana had no previous experience in yarn, and Rwanda had no local wool culture. Diana wondered if the wool from sheep she came across could be made into yarn, but the first samples she sent to fiber experts weren’t suitable for spinning. She found a handful of Merino rams from an failed government breeding project in the country, imported a group of Merino ewes from Kenya, and Handspun Hope began their handspinning program. Once the sheep were found, the group had to develop spinning skills, first with handspindles and eventually with spinning wheels, and the women learned to dye the yarn with plants. They have added angora rabbits and yarns, too. Women also sculpt the group’s wool into imaginative ornaments and sculptures by needlefelting. Through the Hope Artisan Collective, the organization buys yarns and finished items from several fair trade women’s groups across Africa. The group is based not far from the habitat of the famous silverback gorillas that attract tourists from around the world, and high-end gift shops in the area sell the group’s needlefelted gorilla sculptures. With income from the fiber and other goods, Handspun Hope not only pays their workers an above market wage, they also offer medical care, early childhood care, and a daily meal for their staff’s young family members. Although about half of the organization’s budget comes from donations, Diana emphasizes that the goal is to cultivate the women’s ability to support themselves through meaningful work. Diana is proudest of helping the women of Handspun Hope build the lives that they wish for—like Rosa, their oldest member at age 92, who realized her dream of owning a pig. Each day, before arriving at the organization’s campus, she visits her granddaughter’s house to see the pig that she purchased through the work of her own hands. Links Handspun Hope website The handmade items of not only Handspun Hope but also their partner organizations are available at Hope Artisan Collective. This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You’ll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway's array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you’ll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. “Hi, I’m Gabi van Tassell from Bluebonnet Crafters, and I’m the inventor of TURTLE pin looms. Pin looms are small, handheld looms that quickly weave self-contained fabric pieces like squares, hexagons, and more. Weave them with almost any yarn you have on hand, then combine them into projects of any size. They make a wonderful companion for any fiber lover, at home or on the go. I’d love for you to visit us at turtleloom.com to explore the full loom catalog, patterns, and more. Hope to see you there.”

As Spin Off nears 50 years old, editor Pamela K. Schultz sees herself as the host of a wonderful spinning party that welcomes one and all. Taking a day off from the grind of law school, Pamela Schultz visited an art fair and saw a spinner with a spinning wheel. A longtime knitter, she had resisted suggestions that she learn to spin, but the rhythm of treadling and drafting offered an antidote to her stress. She had a few hiccups at the beginning, fighting against unsuitable fiber and unloved tools, but eventually she was hooked. Within a few years of learning to spin, as her passions for spinning and other crafts grew, Pamela found herself teaching others to spin using resources from Spin Off’s website. When she had the opportunity to deepen her craft, she dove deeply into not only knitting and spinning but also weaving and other fibery explorations. In 2024 she became Spin Off’s content editor and in 2025 took the helm. Pamela keeps in mind those experiences as a beginning spinner and a teacher of beginners as she develops the editorial plans for Spin Off’s magazine, website, and video offerings. She describes what goes into building a balanced issue—inspiration, project patterns, tutorials, and community— and what it takes to bring it all to life. For a publication nearing 50 years, Spin Off focuses on finding the right balance of foundational basics, brain-tickling invitations to exploration, and rigorous deep dives into spinning technique. In this episode, hear Pamela’s take on the particular joy spinners take in sharing our craft, find out what a first-timer at SOAR should know, and learn about the free resources from teaching guides to video courses that Spin Off offers alongside the magazine. Links Spin Off website Spin Off Autumn Retreat (SOAR) The Spinning Teacher A Twist on Color braid-spinning course with Kate Larson (free video on YouTube and the Spin Off site), with a full course available The Great Aspineration teaching resources are available at learntospin.com This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You'll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway's array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you’ll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. “Hi, I’m Gabi van Tassell from Bluebonnet Crafters, and I’m the inventor of TURTLE pin looms. Pin looms are small, handheld looms that quickly weave self-contained fabric pieces like squares, hexagons, and more. Weave them with almost any yarn you have on hand, then combine them into projects of any size. They make a wonderful companion for any fiber lover, at home or on the go. I’d love for you to visit us at turtleloom.com to explore the full loom catalog, patterns, and more. Hope to see you there.”

Among four-shaft weavers, A Handweaver's Pattern Book is commonly referred to by just the author’s name—Davison—or as “the green book,” a reference to the iconic cover of many of the book’s printings. Since Marguerite Porter Davison first published it in 1944, it has been a foundational reference, the first book that many weavers buy and the one they keep close at hand. Packed with drafts and photographs for overshot, twill, crackle, and dozens of other structures, it’s the weaver’s answer to The Joy of Cooking: a starting point for design, a resource for understanding a structure, and a map for exploration. Although it remained in print for decades, it became unavailable in 2005, and the weaving community felt the loss. For the past several years, a group of nearly 100 weavers and other volunteers has been working to bring it back. Weavers from guilds from coast to coast have nearly finished reweaving all of the book’s samples—more than 1,200 of them—in color. Technical reviewers have created contemporary drafts. The original instructions for sinking-shed looms have been adapted to the jack looms more common in most weavers’ studios. Despite the updates, the project’s north star has been to honor Davison’s voice and intentions. The updated edition, to be published by Schiffer Craft, is expected in summer 2027. Leading the effort is Caroline Cooley Browne, who happens to be Marguerite Porter Davison’s granddaughter. Davison died when Caroline was a baby, but she grew up hearing stories from her mother of warping looms in Marguerite’s attic studio, of train rides to the printer, of the woman who traveled to numerous guilds because she loved being with other weavers. When the copyright to the 1951 edition eventually came to Caroline through her family, she knew what to do with it, and she enlisted a team of eager volunteers to help bring the new edition to life. In this episode, Caroline is joined by Donna Johnson of the Whidbey Weavers Guild, who coordinates volunteers for the guild’s sample weaving, and Anita Osterhaug, who connected the project with the publisher and has been part of the technical steering committee. Together they talk about the logistical undertaking of standardizing hundreds of samples across dozens of weavers, the technical decisions involved in updating the book, and what it has felt like to be part of the next chapter of something this important. Listen in to hear why the green book has never gone out of fashion, what surprised the weavers as they worked through structures they’d never tried before, and what Marguerite Porter Davison’s granddaughter hopes she would think of the whole endeavor. Links Visit the page dedicated to The Big Weave on the Bainbridge Artisan Resource Project (BARN) website and sign up for updates. When the project is finished, the WIFs will be available through BARN. This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You’ll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway’s array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you’ll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed. “Hi, I’m Gabi van Tassell from Bluebonnet Crafters, and I’m the inventor of TURTLE pin looms. Pin looms are small, handheld looms that quickly weave self-contained fabric pieces like squares, hexagons, and more. Weave them with almost any yarn you have on hand, then combine them into projects of any size. They make a wonderful companion for any fiber lover, at home or on the go. I’d love for you to visit us at turtleloom.com to explore the full loom catalog, patterns, and more. Hope to see you there.”

Editor, teacher, and shepherd Kate Larson makes the case that every knitter is already part of the farm-to-fiber story—whether they know it or not. Kate Larson is the editor of Farm & Fiber Knits and a beloved teacher of spinning, knitting, and weaving. She took time out from lambing season to talk about the magazine’s goals. Kate Larson isn’t making a magazine only for farmers and handspinners. In this episode, she talks about what Farm & Fiber Knits is really for: helping knitters connect with the natural fibers they love. Whether you’re buying wool at a yarn store, tracking down a small-batch skein at a farmers market, or dreaming about rare fibers from around the world, Kate makes the case that you’re already part of this story—you just might not know it yet. When developing new issues of the magazine, she looks for stories to bring that world to life, with armchair journeys to fiber traditions as far afield as the Faroe Islands and Madagascar. The magazine’s patterns are designed to work for any contemporary knitter using a wide range of yarns from one-of-a-kind to available everywhere. Nearly twenty years of teaching have shaped Kate’s approach to designing the new Farm & Fiber Knits retreats, including a recent trip to farms in New Hampshire and Vermont where participants met shepherds, handled fleeces, and watched the connection between knitter and fiber come to life in participants’ hands. Listen in to hear Kate push back on the myth that sheep are stupid, learn what Farm & Fiber Knits offers for knitters at every point on the natural-fiber spectrum, and hear the story of a shepherd seeing yarn from her own flock for the very first time. Links Farm & Fiber Knits magazine and website Farm & Fiber Knits retreats SpinOff magazine Spin Off Autumn Retreat (SOAR) This episode is brought to you by: Treenway Silks is where weavers, spinners, knitters and stitchers find the silk they love. Select from the largest variety of silk spinning fibers, silk yarn, and silk threads & ribbons at TreenwaySilks.com. You’ll discover a rainbow of colors, thoughtfully hand-dyed in Colorado. Love natural? Treenway’s array of wild silks provide choices beyond white. If you love silk, you’ll love Treenway Silks, where superior quality and customer service are guaranteed.

Book Club Podcast: Fiber art veterans Susan Bateman and Melissa Parsons compare notes with host Anne Merrow about the books every weaver, spinner, knitter, and crocheter should have on the bookshelf—plus big news about a classic weaving directory. They’re the first books you reach for, the ones you’ll never part with, and the first thing you recommend to every new crafter. If you have only one book on weaving, spinning, knitting, and crochet, make it one of these. In this episode of the Long Thread Podcast, three book lovers talk about what reading material we’d never be without. Multishaft Weavers Technique Books Learning to Weave by Deborah Chandler The classic book on four-harness weaving, this updated edition includes clear and approachable explanations, illustrations, and instructions for warping both from front to back and back to front. Weaving for Beginners, Revised and Updated by Peggy Osterkamp Another look at weaving fundamentals, Osterkamp’s thorough book is especially strong in back-to-front warping. Pattern Directories Big news for “The Green Book”—A Handweaver’s Pattern Book by Marguerite Porter Davison The first version of Davison’s four-harness pattern directory was published in 1944, and weavers have been hunting for used copies since it went out of print decades later. A group of weavers has been quietly working on a major new edition, with new samples woven in color and contemporary drafts, which Schiffer Publishing will release in 2027! Handwoven and Yarn Barn of Kansas join the crowd of weavers eager to add the new book to our shelves. A Weaver’s Book of 8-Shaft Patterns from the Friends of Handwoven, edited by Carol Strickler Organized by structure and endlessly browsable, this is the book 8-shaft weavers keep within reach when dreaming up a new project. Rigid-Heddle Weavers Ashford Book of Rigid Heddle Weaving by Rowena Hart A thorough guide to the fundamentals, this is unbeatable for its step-by-step warping and threading photography. Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom by Syne Mitchell This creative and ambitious book shows you ways of weaving that you never thought possible on a rigid-heddle loom. The useful "tech support" section offers troubleshooting suggestions for common mistakes. Knitters Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book Clear, well organized, and full of photos and illustrations, this book has taken more knitters from scarves to sweaters than any other, with basics on everything from individual stitches to garment design. Principles of Knitting by June Hemmons Hiatt For the knitter who wants to understand the mechanics behind every technique, this reference book dives deeply into the hows and whys of every knitting topic. Crocheters How to Crochet by Sara Delaney Small, affordable, and exactly right for getting started. The Crocheter’s Skill-Building Workshop by Dora Ohrenstein Once you’re past the basic stitches, this book teaches you construction, shaping, texture, and other intermediate and advanced topics. Spinners The Spinner’s Book of Yarn Designs by Sarah Anderson Friendly, comprehensive instructions for yarns from simple plied yarns to complex layers of twist and grist. Don’t be fooled by the textured yarns on the cover—this is not just for art-yarn spinners; Anderson’s studies on durability and suggestions for use make this a must-have for any spinner. The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook by Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius The Field Guide to Fleece by Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius Not just for spinners, these fiber resources—the one always on your bookshelf and the smaller version you take to a festival—include details about the sources, traits, and uses of more animal fibers than you ever knew existed. Listen to our chat and tell us: Do you agree? What craft books make your must-have list? This episode is sponsored by: Learning how to weave but need the right shuttle? Hooked on knitting and in search of a lofty yarn? Yarn Barn of Kansas has been your partner in fiber since 1971. Whether you are around the corner from the Yarn Barn of Kansas, or around the country, they are truly your “local yarn store” with an experienced staff to answer all your fiber questions. Visit yarnbarn-ks.com to shop, learn, and explore.