Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Why Bother?

Why do I even bother?  Why do I spend so much effort, time and resources providing fiber that has been processed the old fashioned way?  I could purchase big boxes of pre dyed wool from overseas for pennies.  Then, I could stand at the carder for a few days and crank out batt after batt of fiber like so many others do.  After all, it seems like this is the current buying trend. 

Why do I spend time raising sheep?  Feeding, watering, cleaning.  Helping with births.  Mending fences.  Stacking hay.  Shearing in inclement weather.

Why take the time to hand select fleeces to be processed?  Scouring other small farms.  Visiting with shepherds.  Attending sales and open houses.  Putting myself on waiting lists.

Why hand pick through each fleece, one at a time?  Why hand wash, over an open fire?  Why hand dye in individual stock pots and lay them out to dry in the sun?  Why flick card and pick with the cradle picker?  Why blend batts one by one on the drum carder and spin each yarn myself, without the aid of motors?  Why bother when I could do it more cheaply, more quickly, with less mess, fuss and strain?

I do it this way because I care about the product I am placing in your hands.  I take the time to complete each painstaking step because I want you to have the very best of what fiber artists have to offer for your project.  Small farms, and small farm families, matter to me.  The sheep matter to me.  The process matters to me. 

Every step of the process is completed with love, attention and care.  Your product has not been mass produced.  It has character.  It has provenance.  It has been bathed in attention. 

You can purchase products from us, and from artists like us, and know that you are holding in your hands something that was crafted especially for your purpose.  You can appreciate the effort and love that went into the production of your fiber.  Most importantly you can take pride in knowing that you supported something that is special and endangered.  Thank you for caring enough to bother purchasing fibers produced with intention.  Whether they be from us, or from others like us, we appreciate that you took the time and effort to participate in something truly special.