Barry Schacht and Jane Patrick, Schacht Spindle Company

Some spinners and weavers picture the Schacht Spindle Company’s factory as a large-scale operation churning out equipment by the hundreds. After all, Schacht’s products are easily recognized in stores, studios, and guilds around the world. Others see the handmade touches—such as the ladybug on every Ladybug spinning wheel—and imagine Barry Schacht making every piece by himself. Although Schacht is “a tiny company in a tiny industry,” as Barry says, it has been decades since he built all the equipment himself. About four dozen employees manufacture looms, wheels, and other tools at the factory in Boulder, Colorado; some work their entire careers in the business. Barry has spent decades developing new equipment and refining old models with a new feature or a more effecient process. Many are surprised to learn that not only does author, editor, and teacher Jane Patrick work at Schacht, but she and Barry have been married for decades. As the editor of Handwoven magazine, she didn’t adve...