Introduction to Fibershed

I am a proud producer of the Mountain and Plains Fibershed affiliate. Fibersheds support and promote regional fiber systems. This means that fibers (i.e. wool, cotton, flax) are grown and processed in the same region utilizing organic and regenerative farming practices and use natural dyes. Unless, of course, you are Sally Fox in which case you grow organic colored cotton! I am a true believer that these practices can change not only how we clothe ourselves, but also change the world. If you want to take a deep dive on learning about Fibershed I recommend getting your hands on the book Fibershed, written by Fibershed founder, Rebecca Burgess.

When I started dyeing yarn several years ago I bought packs of undyed yarn from a couple of different sources. The companies I was buying from sourced their wool abroad, mostly from Peru or Italy. I didn’t love the footprint of this, but I also didn’t know where else to go. Having followed the Fibershed movement for a number of years I knew that I wanted to use yarn that followed a Fibershed model, but I just didn’t know how to go about finding it. Colorado, where I live, is the largest producer of wool in the county - so there must be a source, I just have to find it!!

Due to a lack of manufacturing infrastructure not only in Colorado but across the country, that affects many types of textile production, it was no easy feat to find Colorado yarn bases. In fact, I realized I have to make it myself. I have branded this yarn my Colorado Pure line and you can read more about the process of creating it here. It’s an expensive investment, but I am committed to this process. I hope you’ll follow along with me as I develop my yarns and colors!