A Big Chunky Newsletter: August at PNW Fiber Connect!
Hello, everyone!
This is gonna be a chunky letter - we have lots to talk about! Here’s the first few things, but be sure to scroll down for info from the American Lamb Summit and NW Sewn:
Great news! We’ve been approved for our nonprofit bank account, which means we plan to open paid memberships in September!
The PNWFC Map and Directory will be launching on our website this November 2025
We will be offering Fall 2025 member programming: one on social media and another on marketing lamb (stay tuned for details)
We also have several updates from recent events and partner organizations:
On July 23-25th, PNWFC Cofounder Hannah Paquette attended the 2025 American Lamb Summit in Moscow, ID on behalf of PNWFC and the Northwest Agriculture Business Center (NABC) with fellow NABC collaborator Emily Manke. The two attended with the intention to network and gain insight into the crossover between the wool & meat sheep industry in order to conceptualize circularity solutions for the PNW regional fiber economy.
The summit was hosted by the American Lamb Board with presentations from industry leaders and 10+ sheep extension specialists, all there to explore new trends & opportunities to enhance the US sheep market and build demand for American lamb. Being essentially a US meat industry event, the theme focused on the question “How can we get lamb on the menu 52 weeks a year?" So why would fiber folk attend a meat-centric event?
Many producers who raise sheep for the meat market and/or grazing/rangeland management nevertheless raise wool species, however; due to current infrastructure setbacks, they inevitably and regrettably consider wool a “byproduct” of their operation. Of course, it is part of our goals at PNWFC - when we talk about natural fiber & textile circularity - to change that. These issues need to be tackled together and a first step is bridging the gap and finding common ground within both industries to do so.
If you'd like to know more, Hannah will be giving a 30 minute talk covering her takeaways from this event via zoom on the last Monday in August (08/25/25) and invites you to come listen and ask questions!
What: A free info session reporting on the 2025 American Lamb Summit
When: Last Monday of August (08/25/25), 7-8pm PST
Where: Zoom! Here’s the meeting link.
As Matt Goble of Snow College (Utah) & Dry Bottom Farms says, “Eat lamb. Wear Wool.”
Yarn Underground
Cofounder Hannah here! As an added bonus of attending the American Lamb Summit in Moscow, ID, I had the pleasure of visiting Shelley at her yarn shop, The Yarn Underground. Shelley and company founded The Yarn Underground 15 years ago (!) in 2010 and is the mastermind behind Palouse Yarn Company: Shelley's own line of saturated, kettle-dyed & custom blended yarn. Palouse Yarn comes in a variety of gauges and colors and also extends to roving and patterns. I don't think I've been in a shop that carried so much
regionally sourced, milled, and dyed yarn - a trully regional brand and local space!
Shelley has a passion for curating breed-specific and single-breed yarns and supporting local & women-owned businesses. For example, her Mazama 2024 line features 100% Montana wool from women-owned flocks (Ortmann Ranch & Everett Ranch) and is spun by Mountain Meadow Wool in Wyoming. It is 80% Cormo & 20% Targhee and all together that makes a 100% traceable natural fiber product.
Along with her spectacular yarn brand, The Yarn Underground also hosts classes and is a community fiber space. Below is more about The Yarn Underground from their about page, because I couldn't have said it any better myself:
Our mission is to keep the fiber community vibrant while supporting local and American companies. We're here to bring you squishy yarn, irresistible fiber, affordable tools, and most importantly, good help! The shop is loaded with a great selection of wool yarns, local yarn and fiber, small mill and US- made products, big brands too, plus spinning fiber and spinning wheels, as many needles and hooks as can be squeezed onto the wall, needle felting supplies, and a growing supply of small looms, weaving tools and cone yarn.
Free meet ups, friendly staff, classes and events are the backbone of this creative and inclusive community. With a newly expanded space, there is more room to gather for Yarn Circle, Friends Spinning, classes and a rest on the spouse couch. It is Shelley's favorite to see the shop full of people sharing inspiration and good times-- it is a place where possibilities abound, creativity is nurtured, and friendships bloom. In Shelley's words:
"Community happens here, now and with you. Come join in the fun!"
Classes run August through April, check the Classes tab to see what's happening next. Find us on Facebook, we always post events and classes there, and on Instagram and BlueSky for a day-in-the-life posting and last minute updates.
You can purchase Palouse Yarn products exclusively from The Yarn Underground online or in person in Moscow, ID across from the Moscow Food Co-Op. We highly recommend making a trip to Moscow just to visit this store and perhaps even take a class! Shelley and her Palouse Yarn Co. are an absolute joy and compliment to the PNW fiber economy & community. Thank you for all your passion and hard work, Shelley!!
Contact The Yarn Underground:
409 S Washington St, Moscow, ID 83843
208-882-7700
NWSewn Events
On August 17, NWSewn is hosting a field trip to Skagit Woolen Works (https://buytickets.at/seattlegoodbusinessnetwork/1775943).
On August 28, they'll head to Botanical Colors in Seattle for a tour and indigo dye workshop (https://buytickets.at/seattlegoodbusinessnetwork/1776153) and you're invited!
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