I am now an apprentice, having completed the the five day seminar taught by Coarse Broads, Inc instructors and owners, Robin Kuhl and Carrie Hull. This is the beginning step in learning this trade and the learning continues over a two year period overseen by a mentor. There is so much to learn about fiber and I love it all. I believe that this will prepare me to assess alpaca fiber but also to evaluate the quality of fiber which our farm and other farms are producing and use this as a tool to improve a farm's fiber production.
This seminar took place in Harrisville, New Hampshire at the site of the historic Harrisville Mill. Woolen yarn was produced in this town's mills since 1794. It is currently the only early 19th century industrial community that survives in its original form today.
In 1970, the last woolen mill was shut down. In order to preserve the town, investors, sought to have Harrisville designated a National Historic Landmark. The next year, Harrisville Designs was born. Beginning with a fine woolen yarn, this company then moved on to producing hand looms and equipment and custom spinning. Harrisville Knitting and Weaving Center contains a store which sells many fiber related products and has conducted classes and seminars since 1977.
We, of the Harrisville group of apprentices, also made history. We were the first to sort fiber at the mill since before the Civil War. We were taken on a personal tour of all of the original mill buildings by Chick, a third generation owner of the mill. The mill was previously water powered by a lake-fed stream which still runs under the buildings.
The town residences, mill buildings and even the churches were built of brick, unusual for this location and time period. It is a beautiful town and we were all so glad to see that Chick and the Historical Association is rehabilitating and restoring these impressive buildings for modern uses while maintaining the beauty and character of their history.
Please see the article "What is sorting and why should I do it?", under the category News/Events, to learn more about Certified Sorting and Grading of alpaca fiber. To see the all of the great photos of the Harrisville Certified Sorted Training, go to the Photo Gallery.
|
