Have you ever wondered about how someone ends up owning a farm and raising fiber animals? For Lisa Check of Flying Goat Farm, it all started with an interest in how to weave an ikat blanket. The ikat process requires dyeing of the threads prior to weaving so Lisa learned to dye. Then she won […]
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Our Fibershed Stories – Alex LeClaire
We caught up with Alex LeClaire, a Delaware fiber artist who believes in “living life in art.” Tell us about what you make, including your processes and techniques? I make a variety of fiber art. I usually start by envisioning a final piece then figure out what techniques will get me there. Sometimes […]
Read MoreOur Fibershed Stories – Heidi Lantz-Trissel of Simple Hill Farm
Last year while skirting fleece, Heidi listened to Fibershed by Rebecca Burgess. She was thrilled to learn about the fibershed movement to create locally based fiber systems to connect and educate how we clothe ourselves with caring for the environment. But this wasn’t a sudden revelation for this local wool producer. Ever since learning about global warming in […]
Read MoreOur Fibershed Stories – Patty Sanville of Budding Creek Farm
This is the first in a series highlighting the people who make up our fibershed. Patty Sanville wakes early. If it’s lambing season she checks the barn first, but most days she will start her day quietly knitting while she waits for the sun to rise. She relishes this time of day before it’s time […]
Read MoreWhy a Fibershed?
by Gretchen Frederick I am a person who avoids the why question like…the virus. In our capitalist dominated society, the why of things is answered by profit. Since we moved to a homestead size farm in 1991, any rational, financial evaluation would tell us to give the farm up. Why raise sheep when you […]
Read MoreOur Fibershed’s Vibrant Community: One Shepherd’s Perspective
by Martha Polkey, Black Sheep Farm, Luckett’s VA There is a wealth of activity on the fiber front in the Chesapeake Fibershed, particularly among producers marketing to fiber artisans—spinners, knitters, weavers, and felters. A number of area fiber festivals help connect buyers and sellers, offering classes to new and experienced fiberists, boosting enthusiasm and interactions. Some […]
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