St. Distaff’s Day, also known as Roc Day, is is a day when European women would resume spinning after the Christmas festivities and is a symbol of the importance of spinning in the medieval era. There was no actual Saint Distaff; the name is a fictional one – a symbolic representation of the distaff, the stick used to hold fibers while spinning thread and yarn, which was central to women’s household work for centuries.
This was a free, drop-in online event to celebrate the history of handspinning – a day to gather, share stories, and celebrate the craft.
Questions about Distaff Day? Please email virtual@mafafiber.org
If you missed our St Distaff Day 2026 Celebration, don’t get your fibers in a twist!
Videos of the Event: We will be posting 6 episodes over the next few weeks.
Part 1: Elaine Larsen, from the Northeast Handspinners Association, talks about a “fleece to socks” project she completed using Dorset and Cheviot fleeces.
Part 2: Martha Owen presents from the John C Campbell Folk School (folkschool.org) in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, and tells us about its spinning offerings – plus her own life filled with sheep and wool.
Part 3: Anthony DiRenzo presents MAKE SOMETHING EVERY DAY: A RESEARCH-BASED APPROACH. He is interested in the human story of textiles, the science of fibers and dyes, creating community through crafting, and a sustainable future for clothing.
Part 4: Thomas Victor talks about cobweb spinning and the classes he will teach at Convergence 2026.
More videos will be added as they become available.
ZOOM CODE OF CONDUCT
The MidAtlantic Fiber Association offers a safe and welcoming environment to listen, learn, and share ideas. To this end, we ask participants to not operate a motor vehicle while attending our meetings, classes, and events remotely via Zoom.