Oregon State University Press
Raw Material: Working Wool in the West
Key Metrics
- Stephany Wilkes
- Oregon State University Press
- Paperback
- 9780870719516
- 8.9 X 6 X 0.6 inches
- 1 pounds
- Biography & Autobiography > Women
- English
Secure TransactionBook Description
What begins as a search for local yarn becomes a dirty, unlikely, and irresistible side job. Wilkes leaves her high tech job for a way of life considered long dead in the American West. Along the way, she meets ornery sheep that weigh more than she does, carbon-sequestering ranchers, landless grazing operators, rare breed stewards, and small-batch yarn makers struggling with drought, unfair trade agreements, and faceless bureaucracies as they work to bring eco-friendly fleece to market.
Raw Material demonstrates that the back must break to clothe the body, and that excellence often comes by way of exhaustion. With humor and humility, Wilkes follows wool from the farm to the factory, through the hands of hardworking Americans trying to change the culture of clothing. Her story will appeal to anyone interested in the fiber arts or the textile industry, and especially to environmentally conscious consumers, as it extends the concerns of the sustainable food movement to fleece, fiber, and fashion.
Author Bio
I am a tiny flock sheep shearer, and care deeply about humane sheep handling and shearing. I was certified as a Beginner Level 2 sheep shearer by the University of California ANR in Hopland, CA in May 2015, after receiving Beginner Level 1 certifications in May 2013 and 2014. I am also a certified Level I Wool Classer, having met the requirements of the American Sheep Industry (ASI) Association’s Certified Wool Classing Program in May 2014. I am also the lead investor in Mendocino Wool & Fiber, a new wool mill in Ukiah, CA opening in 2016.
I shear throughout Northern California. I began to shear sheep because I want to directly support the California wool economy in a way that goes beyond buying yarn (which I’m plenty good at). There is a shortage of shearers in the U.S. and people with small flocks (many of whom are knitters and spinners) have an especially difficult time finding shearers.
My writing has appeared in The Billfold, The Ag Mag, Hobby Farms, Midwestern Gothic, and other publications. Stephany speaks about sheep and wool terroir at numerous yarn shops, fiber festivals, schools, and events.
And yes, I really do live in San Francisco. That’s just how it worked out when I moved to California to be with the man who became my husband. Believe it or not, San Francisco is quite convenient. I’m centrally located to serve wool producers north, east and south. Every time I consider moving someplace else, I realize it would mean giving up at least one of my service areas.
Source: West by Midwest
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