Tactile Perspectives From Our Land

Created in 2015, the Wool & Fine Fiber Book is a collection of tactile samples showcasing our region’s wool and other fine fibers, with details about quality (micron counts), annual quantity (off farm or ranch), and processing levels. Depending on the value-addition the farmer, rancher or artisan has invested into their fiber, the material (wool, alpaca, mohair or angora), will be available in one or more of the following forms: raw (in the grease), washed, carded, mechanically or hand-spun. By providing these details, we seek to expand and illuminate the potentials of regional ‘soil-to-skin’ production and drive a healthy demand for fibers grown in our home communities.

*Please note that our Wool & Fine Fiber Book has not been updated since its creation, and does not include the entirety of our producer network. Click here for a full list of Fibershed producers.

Our vision is for the books to help connect flock managers and owners to designers by providing physical samples of cleaned wool and other fine fibers, as well as knit swatches, that can be shared, studied and utilized to build more connections between farmers and artisans, for the explicit purpose of helping to move more fiber into the local economy.

How can artisans, designers, and community members access the Wool & Fine Fiber Book?

We are grateful for your interest in the Wool & Fine Fiber Book and look forward to sharing with you the abundance and diversity of fiber from our region. Each book has been created with care, requiring months of coordination, skilled artisan labor to produce the sample materials and assemble the books, and a time and resource investment by the participating fiber producers (farmers and flock managers). To generate the greatest impact with a limited number of books, Fibershed is setting up a lending library system for access to a hard copy of the book.

If you are interested in browsing a digital copy of the Wool Book information, with images of the tactile swatches, you can find a PDF here: Digital Wool & Fine Fiber Book with Samples

How does the lending library work? 

  • Please email office@fibershed.com to request a copy of the Book, and we will respond with current timing and expected availability. Please include your:
    • Name
    • Mailing address
    • Name of company or organization, if applicable
    • Any deadlines or time constraints, if applicable (we will do our best to accommodate)
  • Each Bioregional Book of Wool is housed in two 8.5x11x3” archival quality boxes; when a Book is available, the boxes will be shipped to you.
  • If you would prefer to pick up (and return) the Wool Book in person from San Geronimo, California, please indicate so in your email
  • The Wool Book is free to access, but we ask that each borrower pay for shipping costs. We will invoice you (via Paypal) for the cost of shipping and a $100 security deposit. The borrower will pay for return shipping to Fibershed, via United States Postal Service with tracking and insurance. When the Wool Book is returned, we will refund your security deposit via the original payment method, less the cost of any damages.

How can Fibershed Producer members participate in the Wool Book? 

We welcome all Fibershed Producer members to contribute to the Wool Book, and if you missed our first edition, we would love to include your fiber in the update! We will be supplementing the current Wool Book design to include additional farms and flocks later this spring; please follow these steps if you are interested: 2016 Producer Participation Information

To learn more about and join the Fibershed Producer Program, click here.

(Photos by Paige Green)