We spend a lot of time knitting and crocheting at Anzula, but we love to take little breaks to mix in a bit of spinning and weaving for good measure. The wonderful people at Schacht Spindle Co. are always on board when we decide to stretch our fibery wings.

Today, we are going to share a little company history and a link to a beautiful weaving pattern by Stephanie Flynn-Sokolov:

A Brief History of Schacht Spindle Co.

Schacht Spindle Company, maker of the award-winning Cricket Loom, started in the late 60’s during the craft resurgence when Barry Schacht and his brother Dan, along with girlfriends, sought out a spinning teacher who then asked them to make some hand spindles. After they delivered the spindles which they’d fashioned from doorknobs, it was suggested they make a loom. “What’s a loom?” they asked. With borrowed tools, they made a simple loom and bit-by-bit realized that they were passionate about the crafts of weaving and spinning, as well as making great tools from wood. Soon, they were in business.

Meanwhile in Iceland, Jane Patrick was an exchange student where she first saw a loom and knew she’d be a weaver. She and Barry met at the weaving shop in Boulder, married, and after a stint as a weaving magazine editor, Jane joined Barry at Schacht. Together they work towards excellence in the belief that there is always room for improvement.

Jane Patrick and Barry Schacht make a great team!

Schacht is known for its unique, well-made products that are a joy to use. With weavers and spinners firmly in mind, they start with an idea, develop it with an interdisciplinary team to create, package, and market products that embody their vision—all under one roof. To learn more about Schacht’s full line of weaving and spinning equipment, visit their website www.schachtspindle.com Sign up for a monthly newsletter that features a project, Schacht news, and spinning and weaving tips; follow their blog, and like them on Facebook.

If you don’t know how to weave, but would like to learn, The Weaver’s Idea Book by Jane Patrick is a great resource. Better yet, ask about weaving classes at your local yarn shop. Check the Schacht Spindle website for a list of dealers.

The Multiplication Pillow

When we found out about Anzula Cricket yarn, we knew we had to do a project with it on the Cricket loom.

Cricket Loom working the Multiplication pattern in Anzula Cricket

The Crickets teamed up and at long last, the Multiplication Pillow was created; a mathmagical project that is sure to pique the interest of your favorite math nerd! Look for it at a trunk show in your area. Check out our newsletter for the pattern and more.