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C O N T E N T S

ats have been used by humans


since we could stitch palm fronds
together to keep the rain off our heads
or wrap a bit of an animal pelt around
our ears to keep warm in the winter. Essential for surviving in the extreme heat
of the Sahara desert to the icy fields of
Antarctica, hats are also essential for
expressing who we are and where we
come from. When you add handspun
yarn to that equation, the results can be
phenomenal. When every fiber that is selected by the maker works together to aid in the function and expression of
the hat, the presence of the hat becomes powerful. Little
did we know what we were getting into when former Spin.
Off editor Deborah Robson challenged readers to design
handknitted and handspun hats for a contest to be featured
in our magazine.
It doesnt seem so long ago that I was the assistant
editor working on Spin.Off magazine and helping sort
through the 132 handspun hats that came in response
to our call for entries. It was 1999, but I remember it as

if it was yesterdayso clearly is it etched in my memory. Each box we opened elicited oohs and ahhs, and
we were completely amazed by many of the hats. We cajoled each other to try them on, pulled a mirror into the
conference room to see how they looked. The response
to our contest was so enthusiastic that it soon became
clear that our original plan of simply showcasing the
winning hats in the magazine was inadequate. Soon
what started as projects for the magazine turned into a
book called Tops with a Twist, which was welcomed into
the home of many a spinner.
Recently, while exploring the archives in the Interweave basement, we stumbled across these from the
contest and the book. It was great to see how many
timeless designs were included in Tops with a Twist.
In the time since the original book went out of print,
weve entered the digital age and a whole generation of
spinners and knitters havent had a chance to experience these twisty tops. Weve selected a few for you to
enjoy in a range of sizes, styles, and levels of complexitywe hope that they inspire you to spin some yarn
and cast on.
Happy spinning,

Amy Clarke Moore, Editor


aclarkemoore@interweave.com

Hat
1 Acorn
by Lauri Copeland
Infant Cap
3 Turkish
by Lisa Gwinner
of the Garden
5 Dreaming
by Catherine Reimers
Lambs Tails Cap
7 byRainbow
Lynn Cosell

Braid Hat
9 byTurkish
Susan Crawford
Squared
10 Pearls
by Verna Friedrichsen
Tricksters Hat
11 The
by Jacqueline D. Vaughan and Nika Vaughan
13 Abbreviations and Techniques

EDITORIAL

CREATIVE SERVICES

All contents of this issue of Spin.Off are copy-

CONTACT US: For sales information, call (800)

EDITOR Amy Clarke Moore

DESIGNER Janice Tapia

righted by Interweave Press LLC, 2011. All

272-2193, email sales@interweave.com. For

MANAGING EDITOR Liz Good

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Trish Faubion

rights reser ved. Projects and information

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Linda Ligon

PRODUCTION EDITOR Nancy Arndt

are for inspiration and personal use only.

editorial inquiries, call (970) 776-1436, email


spinoff@interweave.com. Visit the Spin. Off

COPY EDITOR & PROOFREADER

PUBLISHING

Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited,

website at spinningdaily.com.

PUBLISHER Carla Graubard

except by permission of the publisher.

Katie Bright

MARKETING MANAGER Whitney Dorband

Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.

Some Tops with a Twist

Spin.Off

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