All About Skagit Woolen Works.
Keeley Richardson
Founder and Chief Fiber Officer
A few weeks ago, I felt like one of the luckiest fiber lovers in the region as I headed to the beautiful Skagit Valley on a crisp, sunny late fall morning to spend some time at Skagit Woolen Works. I was treated to a warm welcome and a tale of three inspiring women – Anna, Jess and Rosie.
It seems hard to believe that this directional woolen mill has only been a part of our local fiber landscape since 2022. In a short space of time, Jess, Anna and their industrial carding machine Rosie have become synonymous with the highest quality processing and milling of locally grown fleece. Although relatively new, the mill is rich in heritage and experience – both owners are lifelong fiber enthusiasts, and Jess previously worked as a technical editor in the knitwear industry. The fiber universe brought them together when they worked at a mill in Bellingham, and this is where the dream of having their own business began. The dream became a reality in 2022 when the opportunity to buy Rosie, a one-hundred-year-old carding machine presented itself.
Let’s talk a little about Rosie. As Jess explained “she is a machine with a pedigree”. Originally from a mill in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, she is a piece of history but remains a reliable and effective member of the team disentangling, aligning fibers and processing them into beautifully produced batts and roving ready for spinning. A true workhorse at the heart of the mill.
Jess and Anna’s original plan for Skagit Woolen Works was to be solely a fleece processing business, but in early 2024 the opportunity to purchase spinning equipment from their mill mentors, Lydia and Alan from Abundant Earth Fibers came along. Full-service processing began early in 2024 and since then Skagit Woolen Works services have become some of the most sought after in the Puget Sound Region.
Taking a fleece all the way through to skein is a multi-stepped process and each stage is completed in house by Anna, Jess and their two part-time helpers. First the fleece is skirted (removing debris, mud, and bits of hay etc), then washed, processed (thank you Rosie), and finally spun. Each step takes time and expertise, and this is where Anna who manages the mill steps in. There are many different types of fleece being grown in the Puget Sound Region and each type of fiber will require that the machines are all reset to produce the best type of roving or yarn suited to that particular fiber. Anna’s rich knowledge results in a wide range of 100% natural fibers leaving the mill ready to jump on to our needles – all of them truly locally sourced.
Anna and Jess’ expertise has resulted in their huge popularity and custom processing at their mill is sought after by fleece farmers across the Pacific Northwest. Anyone wishing to use their services should sign up for their newsletter via their website to find out when openings are available.
As well as custom processing and milling, Skagit Woolen Works produces a range of three house yarns – Pastoral, a DK dyed in the lock and blended East Fresian, Island Time, and Island Twist which are limited editions. If you keep an eye on their website and social media, you will also find occasional small batches of yarn where local fleece has caught their eye and if you are quick, you can become the proud owner of these unique and beautiful natural yarns.
Anna and Jess can also be found at fiber shows and farmers markets throughout the year. You will not find Skagit Woolen Works yarn in any stores, so be sure to give them a follow on social media for all event dates and details.
Yarn is very much at the heart of Skagit Woolen Works, but education and the environment also play a huge part in Jess and Anna’s plans for the future. Alongside beautiful yarn, they also produce items for the home that are made with the intention of keeping fleece out of landfill. Leftover fleece and fiber that is not suitable for milling becomes pellets for garden mulching and delivering nutrients, dryer balls and wool stuffed pillows. How wonderful it is to reintroduce these natural fibers to our everyday lives around the home!
Anyone who spends time with Anna and Jess will be carried along by their enthusiasm for all things fiber, and it is wonderful that they have achieved so much in a short amount of time. There is so much work to be done every day at the mill and it is clear that great team work and a huge amount of love for what they do carries them along. Before leaving, I was curious to find out what is their favorite part of the yarn making process? For Jess, it is the excitement of opening a bag of newly delivered fleece and seeing the possibilities. For Anna, it is walking in to the mill the day after yarn has been spun and finding it looks just as beautiful as she had planned. Between them they love the process from start to finish, one of the many reasons behind Skagit Woolen Works success.
Skagit Woolen Works will be one of the vendors taking part in the St Distaff’s Day Spin In, hosted by NWSFA Spindrifters on January 4th in Everson WA. Check out their website for full details and be sure to stop by to say “Hello”, to Anna and Jess and get to know their fabulous natural fibers.
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