One fleece, one farm, one family.
Twisted Maple Farm started in 2009 when my son and I moved from SC to Maine to build my mothers house, and help my grandmother with her Nubian goat herd. I had always wanted to learn to spin, and I had even bought a drop spindle when I was very young from the spinners at the Common Ground Fair in Unity, ME, but I had met nothing but glorious failure with that spindle for years. When we moved here I met a guitarist who is now my husband and co-farmer. His sister is a spinner who was taught by Katherine Colby, a resident of Friendship, ME and a world renowned fiber artist. The next thing I knew I was building a Navajo Spindle, and attempting to learn the long draw technique! My first fibers went from super Super chunky down to lace weight, but like most things practice leads to improvement.
I now spin on a Louet S-10 wheel most of the time, but occasionally I'll pull out my Navajo to spin luxury fibers. It's a slower process than the wheel, and offers more subtlety and control over the fiber.
I soon had to have color to go with my yarn, and I began dyeing wool in 2011. I usually dye fiber at least once a week through the winter. This year I'll be dyeing on our wood-stove in our new house!
