Fifteen years ago, looking out of my window at sheep grazing in the neighbouring field, I wondered if I could figure out how to turn their fleece into weaving yarn, not by hand-spinning but by finding a path into what was left of our British wool textile industry.
For the previous fifteen years I had woven mostly with silk and merino, very satisfying but all of it imported. Here, on my doorstep, was a resource going unused and unloved.
The farmers who I first approached back in 2008 are still supplying me with their wool, as are about another dozen of them spread around the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria. They didn't seek any glory but they did seek a useful purpose for this bi-product of sheep farming which they all felt was going to waste.
It has been a very satisfying journey and I am gratified to witness a renewed and steadily growing interest in our native wools which can contribute so much to a more sustainable way of life and a healthier planet.
This website shows you what I have made, and how, from this wonder fibre we call WOOL.
My aim has always been to create the highest quality products from fully traceable British wool. Keeping it local, maintaining provenance, and giving back to my local community have been my three guiding principles.
I am proud to support Britain's tremendous textile heritage, helping to keep it relevant for future generations. And I am proud to have played a small part in raising the profile of our British wools and inspiring others along parallel journeys.
Learn more about the people, places and processes involved in the creation of our lovely fabrics.
Laura’s Loom,
Underley Business Centre
Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria
LA6 2DY, UK
Tel: +44 (0)7549 526 981