Newhall Elementary School Newhall Elementary School, who serves predominantly low-income families, will receive 10" Cricket Looms and 3" Hi-Lo Drop Spindles to launch a Fiber Arts Club. In this club, students will weave scarves from fleece to fabric.   Taos High School Taos High School will receive School Looms to strengthen their textiles art course. This class is particularly beneficial for students who struggle with their mental health, as it allows them to connect with their bodies and quiet their minds.   Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center The Cowee School Arts & Herit ..read more

By Cindy Lair In the previous installment “Cut Off” I mentioned CNC (computer numerical control) as a reason our cut off saw needed upgrading. The precision and accuracy must match to make parts efficiently. CNC machines share a fascinating history with weaving looms. Jacquard looms used numerical control, originally punch tape, to create intricate woven patterns in silk, notably, tapestry, brocade, and damask. Charles Babbage furthered the use of punch tape in his analytical engine, as did Ada Lovelace, eventually resulting in computers today. G-code replaced punch tape, which is a language ..read more

By Cindy Lair In the third installment of this series, we come to the process of cutting a board based on the information the board is exhibiting. This is a specific process of reading the surface of the board. The board could have a clear or flawed surface. It could also be straight or warped (having a bend) from slight to severe. It could also have wind, or twist. The board could be clear in color or have sap that has collected near a hole tapped for maple sugar. Cut off also requires knowing the length the part blank needs to be, quality required, the number needed, and how to judge each i ..read more

By Cindy Lair   Welcome to the second step in the process of making a part, as we continue to think about what it takes to manufacture a spinning wheel or loom. After ripping, we start to move through the moulding and cut off stages of production. This step is really the most critical moment for the wood. Our ripped wood is sitting on carts ready to be moulded. Ready means the wood is ripped to within one quarter inch of the finished dimension. Remember from my first article, that we process anywhere from several hundred board feet to several thousand board feet at a time. Once the board ..read more

By Cindy Lair   Have you ever thought about what it takes to manufacture a loom or spinning wheel? Here is an inside look at the manufacturing process over a series of posts. Everything starts with our suppliers. Building these relationships over the years has benefited Schacht, especially during the years when most woodworking was heading offshore or even more recently during Covid. I always joke about my “wood dealer” whom we have known for over 26 years. His family owns a small mill in western Michigan. This small mill has very sophisticated industrial equipment for sawing, drying, an ..read more

Join us for free events from October 2 to October 8. Oil your wheels, warp your looms, and rev your engines!  Sign up for free events online and in person (at our factory in Boulder and at Longmont Yarn Shoppe ..read more

We love to get creative and have fun at Schacht, and our summer party was the perfect opportunity to do both! We took a break from work to have some fun in the sun From playing lawn games to ice-dyeing t-shirts, we enjoyed taking some time to relax, unwind, and enjoy each other's company. In the photo above, we wear our ice-dyed t-shirts. People prepped damp shirts by rolling, twisting, or adding resists. Then we laid the shirts in vats for different color combos, dumped ice on top, and then sprinkled powdered fiber reactive dye and soda ash on top. As the ice melted, the powders dissolved in ..read more

Purchase the course and equipment Weave a set of towels and a scarf! You'll learn how to warp a loom with warp chains, how to read weaving drafts, how and why to sample, and many pattern possibilities. Discover weaving resources and design techniques for creating future projects ..read more

Schacht will have a booth at the market on June 10th and 11th. We will have looms, wheels, and spinning and weaving accessories on hand—try them out and purchase! Learn more about the Estes Park Wool Market. Staying in the area for a few extra days? Come to Schacht for a tour of our factory and shop our showroom and store. Give us a call ahead of time at 303-442-3212 to schedule your tour ..read more

Congratulations to all! Brooklyn Heights Montessori School in Brooklyn, New York With their 15" Cricket looms, 7th and 8th grade students at Brooklyn Heights Montessori School will combine math, science, humanities, and art to create wool scarves. Students will naturally dye their wool yarn, plan a weaving, warp and weave on the rigid heddle loom, and finish the project for structural integrity. They'll donate finished scarves to local organizations that assist people who live without homes.   Christ the Divine Teacher School in Latrobe, Pennsylvania Christ the Divine Teacher School will ..read more