what's a fibreshed?

according to fibershed.com, “A Fibershed is a geographical landscape that defines and gives boundaries to a natural textile resource base. Awareness of this bioregional designation engenders appreciation, connectivity, and sensitivity for the life-giving resources within our homelands.”

why are some of the interviews done in-person while others are not?

canada is the second-largest country in the world by landmass. if you wanted to drive from the west coast to the east coast via the transcanada highway (which doesn't even include the three northern territories - yukon, northwest territories, and nunavut - nor labrador, the land-locked portion of newfoundland), it would take you about 80 hours with no stops, not including ferries and traffic. a really committed driver could do it in one direction in about 2 weeks. now if you add in all the side trips that would be necessary for visiting rural farms, northern fibre producers, and mills located off different highways, that trip becomes much longer and much more expensive. 

ash is based in the centre of canada's southern portion, in winnipeg, manitoba. it's a great starting point for shorter trips in single directions, and ash plans to visit every province and territory as part of this project over time. in an effort to ensure fair representation across this massive country, they've opted to take advantage of technology and use the internet to conduct interviews with fibreshed players  from all over the country right from the get-go. hopefully the difference between in-person and internet interviews isn't too jarring. 

who gets to be interviewed?

this project is focused on direct-source fibre producers - farmers, mill owners, and harvesters (keeping in mind that the canadian fibreshed takes place across a wide geography, and there are many traditional forms of fibreshed involvement that don't take the relatively newer form of sheep farming and milling wool). indie dyers are incredible in their own right, but they will not be included in this particular project. natural dyers using locally grown dye materials may be included if they are involved in either the farming or harvesting of the fibres they then dye, as it is an extension of their fibreshed involvement. 

how can i/someone i know get interviewed?

if you believe you or someone you know is a good fit for this project (whether through inclusion in the map and/or being interviewed), please email ash at ash.sunflowerknit@gmail.com and include the name, address, contact information, social media links (if applicable), and type of fibreshed involvement of the person(s) being recommended. 

i'd love to offer yarn support for a new pattern! how can i do that?

thanks so much for the offer! please email ash at ash.sunflowerknit@gmail.com with your name, company, social media links/web store, a photo of the yarn(s) you'd like to offer, and preference of garment/accessory (if desired). depending on other design and work commitments, as well as time of year, there will likely be a delay of several months before your pattern is published, so please plan your request accordingly. no handspun or roving, please.