Weaving and Spinning Expert Liz Gipson
Today on the YarnThing Podcast with Marly Bird: weaving and spinning expert Liz Gipson!
Listen in below to hear Marly and Liz talk about Liz’s journey through the industry, weaving, spinning, video production in the yarn world and much more!
Liz learned to weave from her mother while she was teaching crafts as occupational therapy at the mental health ward of the University of Virginia Hospital. She has always loved weaving and soon became interested in sheep. In college she minored in fiber arts, ended up at Interweave (convenient as she lives in northern Colorado) and has been in the industry ever since. In addition to weaving, Liz also spins and can knit. She was one of the original people who worked on Knitting Daily TV (and was one of the first 4 co-hosts). Liz also worked at Schacht Spindle Company. Schacht produces many of the tools used to make yarn, like spindles and spinning wheels, as well as weaving equipment like looms. One of the founders, Barry Schacht, also got into making bicycle tech as well. Liz worked in the sales and marketing department and loves connecting to people.
A few years ago, Liz decided that she needed a change (her back was happy to not spend 2 hours a day in the car as well) and made a leap to self-employment. As she was well versed with video technology as well as yarn and fiber crafts, she decided to do video production for crafty people. She also started a website for selling weaving patterns called Yarnworker.com. Liz’s weaving expertise is with the ridged-heddle loom (she even wrote a book in 2008 called Weaving Made Easy: 19 Projects Using a Simple Loom, check it out) and wanted a place for designers to sell their patterns and hopefully get more people into weaving. The website is also a great resource because weaving is not jet on Ravelry yet, so it is a place for people to find inspiration as well.
Liz is also involved in Spinzilla, a spinning competition that runs during national spinning and weaving week. Teams from all over compete to see who can spin the most yardage in a week. Spinzilla sponsored by TNNA (the National Needlearts Association) and the Spinning and Weaving Group. Last year, they collectively spun over 1 million yards of yarn! (Liz also did the video for them, check it out below!)
Important links for today’s show:
- Schacht Spindle Company website
- Yarnworker website
- Yarnworker blog
- Spinzilla website (make sure to check out the video)
And we won’t forget the Giveaway! Leave a comment that includes Liz’s keyword for your chance to win a full set of weaving patterns from Yarnworker.com!
Let’s give some love to our sponsors!
XRX Books, Knitter’s Magazine, STITCHES Expos
Craftsy.com/yarnthing
Indian Lake Artisans
Fiesta Yarns
Drew Emborsky
Bijou Basin Ranch
Buffalo Wool Co.
Green Mountain Spinnery
KnitCrate
I now have a new name for what I do. My knitting, spinning, crocheting, and Zoom Loom weaving makes believe that I am a Yarnworker.
I don’t spin or weave, but I do knit and crochet, therefore I believe that I am a yarn worker.
I am a long time knitter and crocheter, and the proud owner of a new rigid heddle loom, so yes, I believe that I am a Yarnworker! I enjoyed the podcast!
I think I’m a yarn worker since I have a lot of yarn to knit. Learning to crochet is on the near horizon thanks to Craftsy, but weaving is a new thing to contemplate.
I am one hard working Yarn Worker… I knit, crochet, spin, and I have dyed my own yarn! I love the look of weaving and would love to try it one day. I hated I missed the live show….such great info and a interesting lady! Thanks for having her! Oh I have never been in Spinzilla but I did do the Tour De Fleece last year and had a BLAST!
I was just commenting to let Liz know I loved hearing her story… please do not pick me since I do not weave and do not have a loom…. if you land on me scroll again 🙂 hugs