October 2026 Newsletter

Leaves are falling, wool is calling! Are you headed for the sheep barn at the Fryeburg Fair this weekend? Or are you saving up your energy for next weekend, when the East Coast’s ultimate event of the year finally arrives: The NY Sheep and Wool Festival, affectionately called Rhinebeck. If you are going, we'd love to see you at our booth, and be sure to visit the many Maine Fibershed vendors who will be there:

• Bartlett Yarns

• Four Hearts Farm Mainely Fiber

• Frelsi Farm Icelandics

• Good Karma Yarn & Soap

• Wild Fibers Magazine

Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival

Join us in Rhinebeck for the New York Sheep & Wool Festival, a weekend celebrating fiber arts, regional craftsmanship, workshops, demonstrations, local food, and a curated marketplace of handmade goods.

Find us in the 4-H building alongside our Fibershed affiliate partners. Many thanks to hat maker and leather artisan Carol Frechette, who is representing Maine Fibershed at Rhinebeck! Carol will be doing demonstrations on a small needle felting machine and will have samples of her products available, as well cards and samples from Moorit Hill Farm, an Iceland sheep farm and fiber mill in Troy, ME. You'll also find samples of all of Maine Fibershed’s hat patterns, available on Ravelry. Be sure to join the our Ravelry community to show your Maine fiber farmers some love.

Upcoming Workshops

Members get discounts on workshops! Sign up for membership here.

Our Fall Skirting Class is Live

After a successful Spring launch, we are happy to be back for the Fall clip. Here's your chance to help Maine farmers go from freshly shorn sheep to a skirted fleece that’s ready for processing. This is a community effort that is steeped in the joy of gathering to help our neighbors, meet new people, and develop a deep appreciation for local yarn and roving. A properly skirted fleece is the most important part of preparing for high-quality fiber. A clean, high quality fleece, free of vegetable matter and stiff fibers, will return from the mill in pristine condition.

After the celebratory fleece fling, you’ll learn how to skirt, bag, weigh and tag a fleece for processing with the guidance of experienced teachers.

Two options are available:  

• On-farm support: 5 hours of skirting

  • Producer Member fee: $40

  • Non-Member fee: $70

• In-depth training in fleece grading and skirting: These classes are being scheduled in various locations. Advance registration and payment will be required.

  • Member fee: $30

  • Non-member fee: $35

If your farm wants support and/or to offer this program, please email mainefibershed@gmail.com and we will get in touch to schedule.

Call for volunteers

Are you interested in volunteering with Maine Fibershed? We are putting together workshops and plans for skirting fleeces, tidal wool washing, and more that will require volunteers in different parts of the state to help us ad hoc. If you’re interested in spending time outdoors with other fiber lovers, send an email to mainefibershed@gmail.com with the subject line “Volunteer MEFS” and we’ll be in touch.

Reading Recommendations

This month we’re starting a new series of sharing a book that reflects on the fiber industry and the work we do. October’s recommendation is John of John by Douglas Stuart. Set in the Isle of Harris in Scotland, part of the Outer Hebrides, John-Calum Macleod returns to the croft where his father John, a a sheep farmer and tweed weaver, still resides alongside his maternal grandmother Ella, a profanity-loving Glaswegian whose steady warmth helped Cal weather the sudden departure of his mother. As lambing season turns to shearing season, the threads holding together the community together become increasingly frayed, and nothing will remain as it was before.

Become a Maine Fibershed Member!

Your membership keeps Maine Fibershed running and working for our fiber and textile communities. The cost for a Basic Membership is $20 a year for an individual or $15 a year for a student. Benefits include:

• Quarterly newsletter filled with updates on programs, local events and industry news

• Discounts and free admission to select events

• Searchable Member Directory to help you market your products and services and connect with like-minded individuals.

• Satisfaction: You’re helping to build a regional textile economy.

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