DIY: Skirting Table
Sorting Table for Skirting Fleeces Once the shearer finishes shearing, the fleece is gathered together and taken to the sorting table (also known as a skirting table). Often, the fleece is thrown onto the table such…
Blog
Three Bags Full: Friends don’t let Friends’ Fleeces go to waste
We are happy to have been featured in an article in the January 2026 CV Collective magazine: Three Bags Full: Friends don’t let Friends’ Fleeces go to waste, written by Marie Maccagno.
Our 2025 Shearing Support Program in review
Many sheep on the Island are raised primarily for meat but that doesn’t mean that their fleeces don’t have value! Healthy sheep produce good wool. The Vancouver Island Fibreshed Shearing Support Program assists farmers, helping to improve their revenue streams…
Comparison of Sock Yarn from Vancouver Island Fibreshed Sheep Breeds
We have many different breeds of sheep here in our Fibreshed and their wool characteristics differ. Jill studied 10 different local breeds to try to see which would make the best socks – a garment we all need. Suitability of…
Refugia: Part 2
The Gabriola Arts and Heritage Centre was abuzz the weekend of November 6-8 as the Gabriola Island Fibreshed Working Group hosted the second iteration of Refugia, a multidisciplinary event exploring fibre, music, and storytelling. Ursula LeGuin’s essay on the Carrier…
Yarn Choice – More Adventures in Weaving Vancouver Island Fibreshed Rugs
What makes a good yarn for weaving rugs? Bobbie has been exploring different breeds of wool in her rug making. Sometimes she processes and spins her own rug yarns but it’s always nice when she can find a commercial product…
Workshop Report: Mushroom Foraging and Dyeing with the Alberni Valley Fibre Guild
Local fibres, local dyes, local labour. The fibres we choose for our projects are important. But so are the dyes! And colour can tell such stories – of who we are, of where we live. Here, a member of the…
Dyeing with Phaeolus schweinitzii, Dyer’s Polypore
Courtenay-based fibre artist and mushroom forager Amy Crook generously shares her knowledge of dyeing with materials we can find in our Fibreshed region. In this article, she explores Phaeolus schweinitzii, aka Dyer’s Polypore, and the beautiful colours they can provide.…
Growing a linen vest in Comox
A short story of a long project When I declared to my guy Jim that I wanted to grow flax and make linen textiles, he said, “Well if you do that, I want you to make me a linen suit.”…
From Fleece to Sweater: A Spinner/Knitter’s Tale
by Janet Ware Last Spring, when I first saw this large fleece from Alexa at Somerset Farm, I was first taken with its lustre. But, as a spinner/knitter, I was then quickly impressed by the soft yet tough feel of…