Natural Fibers Made Modern: Spin Off Winter 2025

Any mention of “natural fibers” might first make spinners think of green and brown cottons, inky black alpaca locks, or a complex palette of Shetland fleece colors. These fibers often feel like a return to our roots in a world filled with polyester. Sometimes that’s just what we need—to feel grounded and refreshed as the yards of singles slip through our fingers.

Rowena Zuercher wrote about her experience researching her Swiss roots and how this connected her to a Colorado flock of Valais Blacknose. Left: To re-create her textile ancestry, she spun flax (front) and Valais Blacknose (back), with the eventual goal of weaving a linen fabric; photo by Matt Graves. Right: The Davis flock in Colorado is upgrading Valais Blacknose sheep using Scottish Blackface ewes as a foundation breed; photo courtesy of Davis Family Livestock

I also think it’s fascinating to ponder how natural fibers have always served as raw material for moving forward, stretching our creativity, and challenging tradition. Bronze Age woven examples from Austria include dyed yarns woven into impressive stripes and plaids. Millennium-old cotton socks found in Egypt are knitted in intricate indigo colorwork. And blankets woven on the Navajo Nation often contain colors and motif combinations that reflect both personal choices and shared cultural meanings.

Rebecca Winter’s shadow-weave scarf, woven with handspun natural-color cotton yarns spun on a book charkha. Photo by Matt Graves

On the cover of this Winter issue, you’ll see a beautiful pair of mitts by Kim McKenna and a stunning spindle by Ken Ledbetter of KCL Woods. A beloved spindlemaker in our community, Ken and his wife, Carol, ceased taking new spindle orders in 2024 (see Ken's storey on page 39). When I purchased this spindle several years ago, Ken told me about the origin of each of the woods in the spindles I was considering at his booth. He explained that the spindle shafts that came with this modular spindle (the shafts unscrew from the whorl) were reclaimed from the teak deck of a naval vessel. The whorl was an especially beautiful bit of swamp oak. I love that this spindle mixes new and old ideas, as well as new and old materials, as it continues its life passing through the hands of makers.

I hope this issue inspires you to indulge in natural fibers and to spin, stitch, and weave your own path.

—Kate

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Kate Larson, editor of Spin Off, teaches handspinning around the country and spends as many hours as life allows in the barn with her beloved flock of Border Leicesters.