Episode 1: Feederbrook Farm & Breed-Specific Yarn

“This is a multi-generational farm, and I’m so honored to be a part of it.”

Lisa Westra was just a teenager when she had the idea to make yarn from the wool from her family’s sheep. She sold her handspun, handdyed yarns at festivals, until she needed to produce yarn faster than she could spin it, and so she began the second phase as a yarn producer.

Feederbrook Farm yarns are dyed, milled, and skeined right on the farm. With her flock of sheep grazing outside, Lisa creates extraordinary colorways using non-superwash Bluefaced Leicester for soft, breed-specific yarns.

Follow along as Lisa transforms white wool into Feederbrook Farms’s signature color-shifting yarn.

Additional Resources for Episode 1:

• For more on Bluefaced Leicester and other wools to try, see “Broaden Your Fiber Horizons: Knitting Beyond Merino.”
• Learn about superwash wool in “What Is the Superwash Process and What Does It Do to Wool?” by Sandi Rosner.
• For one knitter’s reflection on why she chooses to use non-superwash wool, see “Beyond Superwash Wool” by Hannah Thiessen Howard.
• For surprising advice on dyeing with Kool Aid, check out the Spin Off article “Handpainting Fiber: Exploring Food and Drink Dyes” by Sukrita Mahon. The article describes how to dye unspun fiber, but the same techniques apply for wool or other protein yarn.
• For simple dyeing techniques as easy as making a pot of soup, watch the video course Dyeing in the Kitchen with Deb Menz.
• If you’d like to learn to spin your own yarn, check out the delightful course The Spinning Teacher with Maggie Casey.

Watch Next:
Follow Feederbrook Farms as they prepare for the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Episode 2!