Fleece Forward is our philosophy that gives you – the fiber artist – the foundation for consistent success in your hand spinning, knitting, weaving, crocheting, and felting projects. In using premium fiber and top-quality equipment, you eliminate pain points, sources of frustration, and unknown variables, while gaining better control over the fruits of your crafting labor.
Not All Skeins are Created Equal
We believe in wool as the original miracle fiber. It is strong, durable, and elastic. It can absorb up to thirty percent of its weight in water. It keeps you warm when it’s cold out, cool when it’s hot out, and even does so when wet. Garments made of wool (as well as alpaca, mohair, and cotton) are fully biodegradable and do not need to be sent to a landfill when they are no longer repairable or usable. With the right techniques, wool can be grown in a climate beneficial manner, meaning it draws down carbon from the atmosphere and is a sustainable method of fighting anthropogenic climate change.
Unfortunately, it is all but impossible to trace the country of origin of the average skein sold in yarn and craft stores today. Wool grown in the UK and Australia is often sent to China for processing; wool processed in the U.S. – even at small, local mills – is often grown in China or South America. As such, labels can be misleading and the quality from skein to skein can be inconsistent at best.
Even more concerning is what happens to these fibers during processing. Most are exposed to harsh chemicals to remove vegetable matter; this weakens the fleece and makes it susceptible to pilling after just a few uses or washes. Superwash – touted as a process to bring wool to the masses – burns away part of the fiber and coats it in a polymer, resulting in a yarn that is forever shedding microplastics.
We started Good Clean Fiber in 2019 as a way of building a bridge between fleece producers and fiber artist. Each fleece we offer for sale is purchased directly from ranches and farms in the US; they are individually skirted, washed, and inspected by us, here in our workshop. When working with fleece from a known source – whether that’s the rancher down the road or a trusted supplier like our Good Clean Fiber program – you know that the fiber you are working with has not been transformed by chemicals or travelled halfway across the globe. By working with quality fleece from the fiber preparation stage through the finishing touches of your garment, you know you have sound fibers that will not tear and begin to shed and pill under the normal wear and tear of daily use.
A Legacy of Craftsmanship
Likewise, many of the tools now available to the fiber arts community are poorly designed and meant to be disposable. Rather than perfecting a design themselves, many companies are using their customers to refine their products. They launch updated versions of 3D-printed or cheaply made and imported products in quick succession, using the same FOMO and obsolescence tactics that big tech uses. And where do versions one through five go when version six is launched? First to the shelf to collect dust, then to the landfill.
Fiber preparation tools that are lacking in design quality are doubly wasteful: they cause irreparable damage to fibers and can discourage even the most talented fiber artists. We see this time and again in our drum carding and blending board classes. Students often come to our workshops ready to give up on preparing their own fiber but leave with a new perspective once they have worked on our equipment.
When you are working with poor quality equipment and struggling to achieve the results you want, you might question your own skills or blame the fiber you are working with. When working with thoughtfully designed and well-built equipment, it is simply a matter of refining your skills and working with quality fiber to create the fiber preparation, yarn, and ultimately the project that you imagine.
In today’s environment of mass production and fast paced consumerism, our approach to craftsmanship is a throwback. Henry Clemes began our business in 1970, after four years of apprenticing with renowned wheel maker Anthony Cardarelle. Over the years, Henry has repaired thousands of spinning wheels – some nearly 300 years old – and has seen designs that work well and pass the test of time. Combining that with his engineering background, he designed wheels, hand cards, drum carders, and more that not only function well, but hold up to decades of use. Roy grew up in our family’s woodshop and has spent his life learning the craft from his father. Each piece of equipment we make is instilled with generations of both learned and inherited craftsmanship and design knowledge.
Fleece Forward
Fleece Forward is about the synergy created by working with high quality fiber and equipment. It is about reducing wasted fiber, maximizing the value of your work, and ensuring that your time spent crafting is fulfilling, engaging, and above all, fun. When it comes to fleece, it means not questioning where the fiber came from or what has been done to it before it makes its way to your hands and eventually becomes a second skin for you and your loved ones. When it comes to equipment, it means no gimmicks, just great tools. It means buying your second drum carder or spinning wheel first, knowing they will provide you with a lifetime of joyful use.
We are honored to be your partner on the journey from Fleece Forward.