There is something

Marsha gave me a tour starting with the skirting table.  Spread out for the first step in mill processing lay freshly sheared Angora goat fleece from Texas. Larger sticks and 'tags' (soiled spots) are removed by hand to then be 'scoured' in the special washing machine which can hold up to 30 pounds of three different kinds of fleece. The third step is "the least high-tech" according to Marsha as the fleece will dry on racks without any handling or machinery. While commercial drying may include drying machines and added chemicals at this point, the Fiber Ladies' products meet the Organic Trade Association's standards for organic fiber and they are proud to have such an eco-friendly business and product.

The various machines in the mill look more and more complicated with the final steps using a picker, fiber separator, carder, draw frame and spinner.  In the finishing section, the yarn can be spun on cones or made into skeins with two more machines.

The machines the Fiber Ladies use came from the only turnkey operation available in the scale the Fiber Ladies needed.  The manufacturers on Prince Edward Island in Canada sent along, in addition to the machinery itself, personnel to install and train the new owners in the use of the mill machines. These ladies did their homework, surveying various folks throughout the U.S. and then forming a business plan over a year ago. They discovered "a whole different world," Jane informed me, people who are into ranching for fiber, knitters, and weavers; they liken them to "people who like race cars or sailboats," in that they are doing what their passions direct and inspire them to.

 The Mountain High fiber mill is funded through Region 9 and USDA economic development and has already helped create three local jobs with a future goal of at least six employees needed to operate the mill at capacity. There is also the economic support which presently serves local ranchers, artisans and instructors as well as those from Montrose, Delta, Ignacio, the Navajo reservation and more areas throughout the country.

With Pagosa area residents talking lately about economic development and the future look of Archuleta County, Marsha and Jane can't help but think of one direction that could be explored. The Four Corners as an "ecological showcase for sustainable agriculture" with organic fiber and meat ranches already has a head start with the new fiber mill and the locally made growing domes. Marsha says, "It could distinguish us," when added to tourism, outdoor sports, hot springs and alternative health practitioners --  this area has more to offer than one might initially discern.

Marsha and Jane met at Pagosa's "Fiber Fest" about 3 years ago.  Both recall being taught handiworks like crocheting and knitting in their youth by older female family members.  Today, many women are returning to these fond memories by taking up needlework again. The surge in hand knit products is apparent even in "fashion crippled" Pagosa, (if I may use a Garrison Keillor term,) with scarves worn indoors and out, and knobby wool beanies are seen almost everywhere on more than just winter sports enthusiasts.

The Fiber Ladies say, "There is always a story" about how someone showed a needle worker some art or skill  and how it was put aside until later in life when the skill reappeared.  I can relate to this; I can’t recall who taught me but somehow remember how to cast on and do a basic knit stitch. I took it up again when I found myself waiting in lines for school pick up, orthodontist's office and even at summer road construction stops in my car. As Marsha says, "You never mind waiting" when you know some needle craft, and it can serve as a form of meditation and relaxation when a busy schedule keeps us moving at a pace we don't always enjoy. I’ve  knitted many a washcloth at swim meets and noticed more and more people doing handwork at meetings and other sports events in the last few years. Perhaps it's true what I've heard -- that the more high-tech our world becomes, the more we need to feel and touch natural things.  We find ways to bring slower paced, homespun skills like bread baking and felting back into our lives for comfort and succor we cannot obtain any other way.

The great thing about needlework is that as the transformative process itself offers these health benefits, you also come away with a useful and perhaps beautiful item when finished. A sweater made from all natural wool and dyed with all natural plant extracts (as the Fiber Ladies intend to do) is a thing of beauty that can be passed down through families for generational enjoyment.  At my house, we all enjoy an afghan my grandmother Adelaide made, which is still in perfect workable condition, and is like a treasure for her namesake to remember her by.

The new year saw the Fiber Ladies offering classes at the mill, where they have a showroom of their own, commercial yarns and some exquisite finished garments and purses as well as soaps and lotions. On Saturday, February 12th a class on weaving tea towels will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can bring your own loom or make arrangements to use the loom available in the studio where there is a hand spinner, knitting machine, other equipment and educational materials. Other upcoming classes will include felting, knitting of various kinds and abilities, Rio Grande and Navajo weaving, dyeing and spinning and more.

The Fiber Ladies have helped knitters who purchased needles or yarn finish their project and have guided those who purchased a crochet pattern over a problem area; they offer so much more than custom yarns.