Fiber social brings together local makers
Amber Delay/Craig Press
A new kind of social, welcoming makers and crafts of all kinds, started on Thursday in Alice Pleasant park.
Founder of the group Lorrae Moon, who owns Yampa Valley Fiberworks, started doing the fiber social to build on the local culture of fiberworks.
The idea was to get people to come out, regardless of their skill level, and be around others who are also creating.
“It’s a good time to get together and create,” Moon said.
Thursday was the first fiber social of the summer with several more scheduled through June and July. Moon said the socials are open to any discipline, and everyone is invited to bring what they are working on.
There were several different kinds of projects around the social circle on Thursday including knitting, spinning, looming and weaving. One crafter was working on a needle-punching project she had been working on since she started learning at Moon’s house over Christmas.
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Portable Schacht loom, made out of Boulder is being used to weave wool fabric.
Amber Delay/Craig Press
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Makers are lined up using different kinds of machines for spinning yarn.
Amber Delay/Craig Press
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Fiber-makers gather in Alice Pleasant Park on Thursday for the first fiber social of the summer.
Amber Delay/Craig Press
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Inkle looms are used to create slender fabrics that can be used for things like guitar straps or purse straps.
Amber Delay/Craig Press
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One of the makers poses with her needle-punching project she started working on earlier this year.
Amber Delay/Craig Press
All ages of crafters turned up for the social with a variety of different looms and spinning machines. Most of the crafters were community members, using wool from their own sheep herds to spin yarn by hand. One crafter was using alpaca wool to create fabric on a portable loom.
Moon said there have been a number of fleece sales for people to buy local fleece for their fiber projects.
“A lot of people in the community have great little hobby herds,” Moon said.
The makers all document what wool they use for each project; each wool has unique colors and characteristics. One of the makers said it’s neat to work on a project using wool from a sheep and know the animal’s name.
Inside the fiber circle the process of seeing a project fully from start to finish is called, “fleece to sweater” or “sheep to shawl.”
Moon is a strong advocate for locally created projects. In addition to doing classes on how to create these natural fibers, Moon sells handspun yarns and fiber products from the Yampa Valley Fiberworks shop.
“All of our wool products are from our sheep,” Moon said. “When I sell it, it’s never left the ranch.”
Fiber socials will meet throughout the summer from 3:30-6:30 p.m. at Alice Pleasant Park on June 23 and 30, and July 14, 21 and 28.
Anyone with questions about the social or Yampa Valley Fiberworks can call Lorrae at 970-824-9568. Otherwise, just show up to the social with projects in hand.
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