About Me: Christine Schneider - Weaver, Knitter, Spinner

Christine Schneider lives in Carr, Colorado, a small town where there is no store, gas station or even post office.  We fend for ourselves most of the time and drive about 30 minutes to either Fort Collins, CO or Cheyenne, WY for just about everything.

I grew up in a small town outside of Portland, Oregon.  When I was in high school we had a marvelous arts program there where I was introduced to many different disiplines including jewelry, pottery and fiber arts.  Weaving was where my heart was.  I found it challenging due to the math necessary to design the finished items.  I loved that the final woven objects were so tactile, soft and intriging.  

I was gifted my first spinning wheel by my parents when I was 16.  It was a kit so I had to finish it and put it together before I could use it.  I learned to spin and create my own yarns.  The following year I was the proud owner of a small loom where I could use my hand spun yarns to create smaller items like placemats, pot holders, scarves and mug rugs.

I have continued to weave over the last 50 years and created many beautiful items including jackets, throws, and blankets along with the smaller items that I began with.

 

Now the studio has 5 larger floor looms, and 6 spinning wheels.  Why do I need so many?  They each are good at different things.  From the smaller looms that are only 26 inches wide for scarves to the really big one that is 60 inches wide for yardage and blankets.  The spinning wheels are the same.  Each has a different purpose.  Some like to spin very fine and are "fast spinners".  Some are for art yarns that are chunky and fun but need a very slow wheel.  

Now besides weaving with just plain colored yarns I am dyeing my own.  I start with white yarns and decide what they will look like and how I want the colors to blend.  Everything I weave now starts white.  I will usually dye the fibers before spinning or weaving.  Or I might dye after the weaving is complete to create a completely different looking fabric.  

Besides my own weaving, my store now provides other fiber artists with hand dyed warps, fibers and tools to help them create their own special fiber projects too.  This is a never ending experiment which makes each piece exciting, unique and one of a kind.

Christine Schneider
Hand Weaver, Spinner & Dyer