Jessica Schwab is the co-owner and business manager of Skagit Woolen Works. A former knitwear technical editor for publications and independent designers, she unites her passions for working with small businesses and natural fibers at her work in the mill. Jess has been knitting for decades, still loves her drop spindle, and has recently fallen for tapestry weaving.
According to these mill owners, breed-specific yarns ask us to pay attention—to staple length and sheen, to regional abundance, and to the quiet decisions that shape a yarn long before it reaches a knitter’s hands.
What does it take to turn a farm’s annual shearing into a yarn that knitters can’t stop talking about? A mill owner is here to share the process—from sheep to skein.
Discover how two passionate makers transformed a century-old carding machine into Skagit Woolen Works, a thriving, zero-waste wool mill that’s revitalizing fiber traditions in the Pacific Northwest.