Heading to Homespun Fiber Works
Keeley Richardson
Chief Fiber officer
One of the many things I love about my role at The Woolpack is discovering new fiber heroes. Sometimes an impulsive purchase can lead to an unexpected connection and a new exciting fiber chapter begins. This happened to me recently resulting in a magical morning with Beth Lanning from Homespun Fiber Works, a small batch processing mill based at Blue Mist Farm near Enumclaw.
Homespun fiber is nestled in an area known as the Enumclaw Plateau – a truly stunning part of our region full of idyllic farms and smallholdings. Beth and her husband moved there eleven years ago with the intention of following a fiber dream. It all began with a couple of alpaca and before long they were adding sheep to their fiber family. These days 80 sheep call Blue Mist Farm their home. To say they are lovingly cared for is an understatement. In her role as shepherd Beth is exemplary. She knows each of the flock by name and the bond she has with each of them is clear to see. The variety of breeds in her flock illustrates Beth’s wide ranging fiber knowledge – Gotlands, Finn, Shetlands, Wensleydale, Teeswater and Romney to name just a few. A number of very lucky rescues have also found their way to Blue Mist Farm!
As well as being an expert fiber producer Beth is also a certified wool classer and you will find her judging at festivals throughout the Pacific Northwest where you can also shop her beautiful home grown yarns.
Recognizing that it can be tricky to find a mill that is able to offer small batch fleece processing, Beth made the decision seven years ago to open her own, and Homespun Fiber Works was launched. One of the issues that Beth had encountered whilst looking to get her Gotland fleece processed was that many of the mills she approached were not able to work with this type of fiber due to its slick nature. With this in mind she made the decision that she would endeavour to accept most fleeces for processing and work with small batches. Beth explained “I love having skeins of yarn with my sheep’s name on them, so I want to offer that to other people.”
Today she works with fibers from across the west coast including alpaca from California to Quiviut from Alaska – Beth’s carding machine will de-hair, so it is perfect for working on fine fibers. As well as spinning single fleece yarns, Beth also offers fiber blending – adding merino or silk can make the fleece stretch further and elevate the finished product. She is also able to make rug yarn, felt sheets or dryer balls with fibers that aren’t destined to become skeins.
Luckily for small batch yarn enthusiasts, Beth plans to expand her spinning capability adding new machinery to Homespun Fiber Works over the coming months, so we can look forward to even more beautiful yarns to sample and enjoy.
I am delighted to report that Beth has agreed to take my Romeldale fleece and allow me along for the ride as it travels from a sheep called Blizzard to skein, and hopefully in to something beautiful and wearable. Naturally, there will be more on this in a future Woolpack post and I can’t wait to share more about this journey at a later date. In the meantime, if you would like to find out more about Homespun Fiber Works and the services offered head to www.homespunfiber.com. You will also have the opportunity to see Beth’s beautiful yarns in September at the Spokane Fleece and Fiber Festival where she will be a vendor – you’ve still got plenty of time to plan a fun visit!
