Words can hardly express the sadness I felt watching as wool was turned from fleece to spun yarn ready to knit.

There is a year waiting list for this production house alone, given the fact that everywhere else in this country has shut down.

Given the age of the individuals currently running things, in 20 years, there will be nothing left if no one takes to the challenge of working hard for little pay given the current state of cultural devaluation. What is the incentive to work long hours for non-adequate pay?

Meanwhile, machines from UK factories get broken down to sell or destroy. Textile production is heightened overseas. Farmers continue to lose money, leaving some to burn or compost their fleeces as they are given almost nothing for them.

I’m in the process of preparing my first fleece, washing it so i can hopefully spin it from the fleece as carding it will take too much time. In working with the materials and seeing how labor intensive it all really is, I am in awe of the individuals who continue on with agriculture and enlivened to see how change can occur.

But sometimes, just sometimes, watching the whole process is almost too heartbreaking to continue. However, with frustration and sadness, ideas erupt and problems are tackled. Atleast that’s what I keep telling myself, hoping I’m right. Because if I’m wrong, then the whole craft resurgence has been hollow, as the industry that allowed it to occur falls into disrepair.