Thoroughly Modern Milling: Meridian Mill House

Plus, Flax Grows through Creativity, Community, Conscience ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE Thoroughly Modern Milling: Meridian Mill House Bringing state-of-the-art spinning technology to an historic textile community, from industrial synthetic yarn to traceable wool. By: Sandi Rosner

As I approached the home of Meridian Mill House in Ranlo, North Carolina, I was struck by the houses. Small, single story, nearly identical houses on small lots surround the large brick mill complex. These are mill houses, built in the 1920s and 30s to house workers employed at the cotton mills that gave birth to the town. Mill towns like this were once found throughout the Carolinas. As textile manufacturing moved overseas in the 1990s, most of these towns were emptied, then demolished, the mill buildings converted to antique malls and trendy food halls. Continue Reading

Flax Grows through Creativity, Community, Conscience Three fiber-centric partnerships are transforming the textile landscape by producing linen, a special, luxurious, plant-based option, in an eco-friendly manner. By: Jacqueline Harp

Where fast fashion rules, it has a lock on what fibers, yarns, and fabrics are available, even to knitters. In contrast, there is an emerging slow fashion movement made up of people who are standing up for a different set of values. Continue Reading

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE Think Globally, Knit Locally Choose fiber thoughtfully, opt for natural and well-grown products as much as possible, and support local producers: three manageable goals for knitters and crocheters that will help fibersheds thrive. By: Carol J. Sulcoski

Take a quick walk through a grocery store and you'll immediately be hit with choices: organic, non-GMO, locally raised, free-range. . . . We've come a long way in thinking about what we eat and where it comes from. Rebecca Burgess, founder of the nonprofit organization Fibershed, is surely delighted that we have options when choosing what we put into our bodies. Her organization's mission is a bit different: to get people talking about what they put onto their bodies. Continue Reading

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Behind the Scenes at the Sheep and Wool Show Come along as we peek behind the curtain at the annual can't-miss event for shepherds, knitters, spinners, and more: the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. Continue reading.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE It's Shearing Time! You're cuddled up in your wool garments, but sheep are standing in the fields with their warm fleeces sheared off. Why shear in cold weather? Here are 5 reasons why. Continue reading.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE Tweeds, Heathers, and Marls—What's the Difference and What to Knit Classic yarns, complex colors Continue reading.

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