Heavenly Slivers…in my own town

Is there anything better than seeing a mini mill? I don’t think so….and this one right in my home town. Gerda Smith of Freelance Fibres kindly gave me a tour of her mill and the luscious products she creates. A treasure trove for spinners, felters and textile artists, Gerda creates a wide range of slivers and rovings in a range of beautiful colourways. The slivers are Australian merino (22 micron) natural or dyed, with silk, alpaca or Australian Mohair blends (these are particularly nice and very soft). She also has 70%Mohair/30% Merino natural slivers for spinning – then dye yourself to your own colour specifications. Gerda sells her products worldwide on the Internet.

The machinery is amazing to see. The carding machine is a lot bigger than your average carder and the four Bobbin spinner for yarn spinning is where Gerda is developing a luxury range of knitting yarns. I’ve already jumped in with an advance order, as the 50/50 merino mohair blend was too good to pass up.

Another machine was the electric skeiner. Here Chris Kulper of Christines Yarns was skeining up some 2/30 tencel for me to dye.

To me, the mini mill is like the ‘missing link’ for producing yarn between the spinning wheel and industrial process. It enables production work but can narrow in on specialty and niche markets that textile and fibre craftspeople are craving in Australia.

Looking at all things fibrey and textile are my idea of a wonderful time. But recently my daughters moaned that they were odd children spending so much of their childhoods at craft shows, loom makers, yarn shops etc etc. I think I have immunised them to weaving as a craft. See how easily we can damage the ones we love with young exposure to cotton,wool and looms!