Yarn Raising

Since we opened the biggest question we get is: When are you making yarn? Ranchers and Shepherds know taking their fiber to yarn will increase their sales. Indie dyers are clamoring for the chance to offer yarn that is local and unique. We can increase the positive impact we have locally with the equipment upgrades necessary to produce yarn at scale. We feel the urgency to build what our fibershed needs - yarn production at scale.

Our ultimate goal is to be a full-service mill processing American-grown wool into fiber and yarn at scale for indie dyers, yarn shops, and ranchers. The need is acute: Less than five mills in the country are full-service or close to it, and we need to grow exponentially in order to have more than a minimal impact on this industry we all love.

This kind of dramatic growth requires equipment upgrades, and that’s where want to invite you in. We are launching a Yarn Raising (like a barn raising but for mill equipment!) to expedite the expansion. 

What is the goal?

The goal is to raise $80,000 through pattern sales, community capital purchases like having your name engraved on a bobbin or designing a colorway, gift card purchases, and future events like a fancy lamb dinner hosted in the mill and catered by a private chef. We will be hosting a Yarn Raising party for St. Distaff's day on January 9th, 2027 and we would love to see you there. 

How can you help?

We have a variety of ways that you can help us reach our goal. Purchasing any of our Yarn Raising line of products and gift cards brings us one step closer. Sharing our educational social media content is another. Getting your fiber friends excited about domestic wool production is huge! We are perpetually on the hunt for grants and programs that will help add to our funding, if you are aware of any that would be relevant to our project, please contact us so we can look into it. 

This is an ongoing project and we cannot wait to share more with you.

Yarn Raising FAQ:

How will this change the existing mill?

Wool for the People will continue to process small batches and will continue to use our current equipment. We are adding capacity to our existing systems so that we can create yarn as an end product and increase our production overall. 

What impact will this have?

Locally, we hope to make raising sheep for wool economically sustainable by purchasing directly from the grower and helping crafters fall in love with the breeds available in our region. 

We will help growers bring a product to market with broader appeal than the spinning fiber we currently offer. We will help indie dyers diversify their supply and create unique products for their customers. 

We also believe in simplifying the supply chain as a way to eliminate global shipping emissions. By simplifying and localizing we cut out private equity and keep our dollars local. 

Why now?

We will lose local wool if we don’t. We’re in the Pacific Northwest, in the historic heart of wool country and our neighbors are making impossible choices: composting or burning wool because the market price is below the shipping costs. Moving away from flocks with decades of refined fiber genetics towards breeds that are more productive for meat and milk. The time to act is now. We’re proud of the work we’ve done with our local producers but it’s time to scale our impact.

How does this help?

We’re blending self-funding and community funding. There are expenses related to these upgrades that will come from our budget. By connecting with the larger community we hope to reduce those dollars spent so we can act faster and get the spinning equipment online sooner.