Every MIĀ offering begins with a fleece, grown by a sheep, alpaca, or goat on a small farm. These animals are shorn once or twice a year as part of their routine care and maintenance. Each fleece arrives with its own delightful personality, expressed through its colors, curls, textures, and little surprises. I often joke that I fall in love with every fleece I work with!
Our process begins by spreading out the fleece and discovering what it wants to become: a full felted fleece rug, a smaller textile made from select sections or locks, or fiber ready for processing and spinning. We then skirt the fleece, removing unwanted sections and bits of vegetation, like hay and grass, also known as vegetable matter (VM).
For our felted pieces, we flip the fleece so that it's cut-side up and layer wool roving over the surface. Through wet felting, we gently encourage the natural fibers to tangle and bind together.
With water, soap, and plenty of messy hands-on work, the fleece transforms into a cohesive textile while retaining its unique character.
Once felting is complete, we wash the finished piece in Unicorn products to remove any remaining lanolin and dirt, and condition the fibers.
Sometimes called living rugs or vegetarian pelts, these pieces are made entirely from fleece and wool fibers, without the animal’s skin or hide. No two fleeces are alike, and every MIĀ piece is one of a kind!
Photography by Shelby Lascelles of Wild Folk Photos