Spring Mills, Pa,
10/22/2019 – As the cold
weather approaches you might ask yourself about that sweater or blanket you’re
pulling out of the closet. Was it “Made
in the USA”? And if it’s wool, do you
have any idea where the fiber came from or where the yarn was spun?
Most
garments worn in the United States in the first half of the 20th
century were American made, but the decline of the American textile industry
began after World War II, according to knitting and wool industries expert
Clara Parkes. She’s a member of the
American Sheep Industry, an industry trade group, and author of several books
on knitting.
Global wool
production is dominated by Australia, New Zealand and China. America ranks 3rd in the
production of wool, and while the US produces 17% of the world’s wool,
production has been gradually decreasing for decades. In recent years, however, there’s been a
slow-growing demand for wool yarn that’s completely produced in the United
States, from sheep to skein, Parkes said.
One reason, she thinks, could be that consumers are turning back to wool
because of the environmental risks of microplastics in garments made from
synthetics. The microplastics can be
released into waterways when the synthetic garments are washed.
Locally-sourced
yarn helps not only the environment, but local businesses too. “There’s the environmental impact of shipping
goods all the way across the world and bringing it back,” says Parkes, “But now
people are asking themselves, ‘What if I can get the wool here and just keep it
here?’” The Penns Valley Fiber Festival
is showcasing small domestic alpaca, goat and sheep farms and fiber micro-mills
that produce hard to find fiber and yarns of the highest possible standards and
quality right here in Central PA.
The
festival is Saturday November 2, 2019 from 9AM to 4PM at the Old Gregg School
and Community Center, 106 School Street, Spring Mills PA. Admission and parking are free. There will be demonstrations, workshops, and
homemade baked goods and food.
The
festival started in 2014 with six vendors in a small venue in Millheim PA. This year’s festival features 16 fiber
farmers and artists and features many fiber related demonstrations and
workshops. Of the 16 vendors, 13 raise various
breeds of sheep, 3 raise Alpacas, and some also raise goats.
Dawn Shaffer
of Lazy O Ranch says that “Buying yarn and other fiber goods from a nearby farm
means that you know the farmer, know the animals, and know the methods used to
produce your yarn. Knowing all these
things can be immensely satisfying. You
can look up from your knitting and think about a flock, not too far away from
your location that is watching the same clouds and experiencing the same
weather – as they grow next year’s clip of yarn.”
To showcase
locally produced yarn and fiber, there will be a lecture/demonstration to
introduce festival goers to all the types of fiber represented by the fiber
producers at the festival. You’ll be
able to learn about and experience fiber from Alpacas and Angora Goats, along
with wool from the following sheep breeds:
Coopworth, Icelandic, Leicester Longwool, Merino, Romney, Romney/Border
Leicester crosses, Wensleydale and other mixed breed crosses. The festival will also feature demonstrations
and fiber-themed workshops such as; beginner knitting, beginner crochet, stranded
color work, needle felting, chunky finger knitting with roving, drop spindle,
beginner brioche knitting, spinning, and wool applique/rug hooking/rug punch
needle, and embroidery punch needle.
Mike Arthur
of Tamarack Farm says “Supporting local fiber farmers is good for the local
economy and environment. Buying locally keeps your money in the community and
helps to create jobs. Local farmers help
to preserve open space, keep taxes down, conserve fertile soil, protect water
sources and sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Fiber farm environments are a patchwork of
fields, meadows, woods, ponds and buildings that provide habitat for wildlife
in our communities. By supporting local
fiber farmers today, you are helping to ensure that there will be farms and
fiber in your community tomorrow.”
For more
information on the Penns Valley Fiber Festival please contact Tess Arthur at
(814) 404-0148 or tess@obtessed.com. You
can also visit the festival on Facebook and Instagram at @pvfiberfest or online
at http://www.mulberryhillfarm.com/pvff.html.
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References:
https://www.apnews.com/d0148214c3114001ba38c14fc9491598
“Shop
local” movement drives sales of American-made yarn
