The first step for Rebecca’s Fibershed challenge is to process all of the locally sourced wool and cotton that the local fiber artists need to make the Fibershed clothes that Rebecca will be wearing every single day for the next year.

So our first trip was up to Yolo Wool Mill in Woodland, California… which is 82.3 miles away from where Rebecca lives in Fairfax, and therefore it is well within the boundaries of Rebecca’s 150 mile Fibershed. And there we met Jane Dreamer, the owner of the Yolo Wool Mill.

Rebecca brought with her three bags full of wool that she bought from a meat sheep farmer in Marin, who was planning on throwing away the wool because he didn’t know what else to do with it.

Rebecca and Jane weighed the wool so the processing of cleaning, carding and spinning, in all of these big machines, could begin.

Jane was an excellent tour guide. She carefully explained the history of each machine and showed us how each one worked in order to make the final product.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

It is amazing that such big, clunky, ancient, greasy machines can make something so beautifully delicate… and it is even more amazing to think that it all is made right here in our very own Fibershed.

To learn more about the history of mills and more about the machines we saw at Yolo Wool Mill, visit the Fibershed blog: http://fibershed.wordpress.com/

If you are curious to know more about what Fibershed is you can read more here: https://paigegreen.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/fibershed/

We have only 15 more days to reach our fund raising goal on kickstarter. If we don’t reach that goal we will not get the funds that have been pledged so far.

So if you enjoyed this post and if you would like to see more of them, then please consider making a donation here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fibershed/funding-fibershed-one-year-150-miles

If you liked this post, but you can not support it financially, then you can vote for our project to win a $10,00o grant here: http://www.nau.com/collective/grant-for-change/rebecca-burgess-1355.html

Next stop: Sally Fox’s farm in the Capay Valley and Rebecca wearing her first complete Fibershed outfit.