At any given moment, there’s fibre moving through our mill that isn’t quite destined for a final skein. Not because it’s low quality, and not because it’s waste - but because it’s part of the setup.

Whenever we thread up the gillbox, the comb, or the spinning frame, there’s always a little bit of fibre that comes through first. It’s the early run - the section that helps us get everything lined up, balanced, and working properly. That first bit usually isn’t up to spec yet. The draft hasn’t fully stabilised. Sometimes we’re still adjusting.

Most of the time, this fibre goes straight back into the batch it came from. But not always. And when it doesn’t, we keep it.

What we keep - and where it comes from

One of the best examples is Florence, our spinning frame. She has a built-in suction system (called Pneumafil) that quietly pulls away the drafted fibre if it isn’t ready to be spun. It’s incredibly helpful - it keeps the mill clean, keeps breakages in check, and gives us a bit more control. The bonus is that all that fibre - grams here and there - ends up in one place.

We save it. Carefully.

There’s a trolley in the mill marked Fallow. That’s where it goes.

Over time, it builds up - not quickly, but steadily. It’s not a predictable process. Some weeks we barely have enough to notice. Other times, especially when we’re spinning something new, we collect more. But eventually, there’s enough.

And when there is, we spin.

The same care, just a different beginning

We gill the fibre multiple times to get a smooth, even blend. We don’t cut corners. It’s twisted and wound with just as much attention as anything else that comes out of the mill.

The only real difference? This yarn wasn’t planned. It happened because we refused to throw good fibre away.

We’re calling it Fallow. The first batch includes three undyed shades: Rest, Return, and Interval. And while we’re not launching just yet, we wanted to start telling you what it is - and why it matters.

Zero waste means zero shortcuts

We’ve been building this mill with zero waste in mind from the very beginning. Every step of the process - from fleece to finished skein - includes a decision about what to do with what’s left over.
•   Noil from combing? That’s sold for toy stuffing.
•   Short ends of yarn? Used for tying parcels or wound into mini skeins.
•   Skein trimmings? Collected and composted right here on the farm.

We’re fully circular, and proud of it. Fallow is just one more way we’re making sure nothing goes to waste - and everything gets the time it deserves.