On road trips, take detours. In January, a side trip on my drive home from the Walcha Campdraft led me to Nundle Woollen Mill where I saw the inner workings of a wool factory. It was the perfect punctuation to an already incredible trip.
Australia's woollen mills are dying breed. Despite being world renowned for the quality of our sheep, much of the raw materials are now sent overseas for production. While I have a preference for crocheting with cotton and linen, I appreciate the need for locally available yarn made with wool from local farms. Although they are a relative newcomer to Australia's wool industry, Nundle Woollen Mill uses century old milling machinery and traditional techniques in the production of their yarns. Lucky for us, they open their doors for tours which show us the process from fleece to finished fiber.
As my visit coincided with the Tamworth Country Music Festival, the tour was larger and busier than most. If you have a chance, stop by when it's a bit quieter to really take it all in. If you can't make it for a visit, the locally made wools from Nundle Woollen Mill are available online in 8, 12 and 20ply.
happy crafting and happy travels,
amy badskirt.
how neat! You do have so many wonderful travel adventures =)
ReplyDeleteI li in Armidale so I have no excuse for the fact I've never visited the Nundle Mills. Must pop Iover for a day trip soon :)
ReplyDelete* live. * over
ReplyDeleteI've got a pretty large collection of both those kinds of spools, but it's rare to see them in action. Thanks for this.
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