A comprehensive and inspiring guide to small-scale fiber farming and wool crafting.
Fiber crafts—such as knitting, weaving, and crocheting-continue to surge in popularity, with sites like Ravelry (a social media community for the wool obsessed) gaining more than six million members. Artists are seeking quality raw materials in greater numbers. The cottage industry of supplying raw fleece and handcrafted yarns are strong.
Janet Garman has a small fiber flock (including Pygora fiber goats) and shares her expertise, interviews, tips, and advice from fiber farmers and craftspeople across the country. In these pages, readers will learn the basics of properly raising sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, and rabbits, with tips on selecting animals, feeding, housing, breeding, and healthcare. Instructions for shearing, sorting, skirting, washing, picking, carding, combing, and spinning the wool are provided. Enthusiasts will also find recipes, instructions for natural, plant-based dyes, and advice for selling your finished yarn.
The proper care of fiber animals leads to a superior yarn product. Lapses in good care can show up in the fleece. As the demand for quality yarn and fiber grows, more people are becoming concerned with the animals' treatment and care. Give your animals a good home and a happy life, and enjoy superior fleece and yarn products for your homestead or to sell.