Blog Archives

How to Card a 4-Color Striped Batt

Posted on August 7, 2018 by Otto

Striped batts are a great way to transform your fiber stash into unique batts you’ll love to spin. When your fiber stash gets out of hand, this is a wonderful way to put those leftover bits of fiber or orphaned braids of roving to good … Continue reading →

Posted in Carding, Tutorial | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Meet Our Makers: Bricolage Studios

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Otto

Our yearly events calendar takes us far and wide, and quite often we meet some of our creative customers along the way. Earlier this year, we spent some time getting to know Emily Wohlscheid, the fiber artist behind Bricolage Studios, while … Continue reading →

Posted in Meet Our Makers | Tagged , | Leave a comment

How to Card a Three-Color Heathered Batt

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Otto

Each July, the Tour de Fleece has us thinking about fun new ways to combine stashed fibers to make easy-spinning batts. This year’s event is no different, and today we’ll show you how to make a 3-color heathered batt! If … Continue reading →

Posted in Carding, Fiber, Tutorial | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Blue Ridge Fiber Festival Recap

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Otto

At the start of this month, we attended a brand new event called the Blue Ridge Fiber Festival, which took place in a small mountain town in North Carolina. As you know, we have attended many fiber-related events over the … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiber, Shows | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Drum Carding Tip: Make a Fiber Sandwich

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Otto

Fluffy, slippery, short and very fine fibers can get stuck in the teeth of the licker-in and drum carding cloth when processing them  all on their own, requiring meticulous cleanup with the doffer brush before moving on to your next project.  You have probably experienced this issue … Continue reading →

Posted in Carding, Freebies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Help Us Write The Next Chapter of the Strauch Story

Posted on May 29, 2018 by Otto

You may have heard that Joanne and I are looking for someone to take over Strauch Fiber Equipment. As we are both well past retirement age, it’s time for us to slow down – but not before we find the right … Continue reading →

Posted in About Strauch | Tagged | Leave a comment

Free PDF Guide: Drum Carding 101

Posted on May 18, 2018 by Otto

Using a drum carder to process your fiber is not difficult by any stretch of the imagination – but it does require a little bit of knowledge and know-how to produce consistently excellent results. Like any new skill, practice makes … Continue reading →

Posted in Carding, Fiber, Freebies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

PLY Away 2018 Recap

Posted on April 26, 2018 by Otto

The third annual PLY Away handspinning retreat took place last month in Kansas City, Missouri at the gorgeous Westin Crown Center. Who doesn’t love a hotel with its own ecosystem?! This is our third year for both sponsoring the event and … Continue reading →

Posted in Shows | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Meet Our Makers: Colorful Flock

Posted on April 16, 2018 by Otto

Last month, we attended the Fibernate festival in Falls Church, VA (click here to see where we’ll be next!). Here’s Otto hard at work in our booth: It was a delight to meet so many passionate fiber folk at this event … Continue reading →

Posted in Carding, Meet Our Makers, Shows | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Fiber to FO: Our Finished Project & Pattern Ideas for Handspun Yarns

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Otto

If you’ve been following our Fiber to FO Blog series, you may be wondering what we would be making with our example project.  Today, we’re pleased to reveal our Finished Object, a pair of handspun mittens! We used The World’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Carding, Handspinning, Inspiration | Leave a comment