Our story begins at Lake Bonaparte in New York's North Country, where I learned to make things over the long summer days of my childhood.
Years later, our family business, Blue Thistle Fiber Mill & Dye Studio allows us to make beautiful things with fiber, yarn, and thread along the New & Gauley Rivers in West Virginia.
As a small WV fiber processing mill & natural dye studio, we make what we can and stock what we can't. We try to source ethically and close to home, and when we can't, we do our best to collaborate with others that share this goal.
In our Gauley Bridge Mill we're processing wool & alpaca into fiber clouds, and naturally dyeing fiber for our needle-felted kits & Flights of Fiber sample boxes. In our Dye Studio we naturally dye our own fibers. We source our yarn from ethical mills in Peru & Canada — as close as we can get for the quality we want.
We love using natural dyes, sourced from the US, Canada, regional farmers & our own gardens, but we do use some materials (like embroidery threads and fabrics) that aren't naturally dyed.
Come visit us at the mill shop and see what we have to offer.
Clare
I learned to knit from my grandmother — knit and purl, the way most of us start. During Coast Guard patrols, I'd add stitch after stitch. I finished my first sweater while patrolling the Arctic Circle. Trust me, it got used.
Now I'm building something that connects two parts of my story: my family's North Country roots at Lake Bonaparte, New York, and growing up Appalachian here in West Virginia. Our machine knitting & dye studio allows me to create beautiful sweaters with my own naturally dyed yarn.
Whatever you're making — I can't wait to see it.
— Clare
Sara
I also learned to knit and sew from my grandmother — listening as she explained how to make what we needed from what we had. Her knitting, lace crochet, and sewing work still inspire my colors and designs.
I'm building Blue Thistle Fibers alongside Clare — running the dye studio, processing fleece, weaving, and sewing. I love all things sheep. I just wish I had room for a flock.
We're deep into the spinning rabbit hole. Stay tuned.
— Sara
Blue Thistle Fibers is a small-batch fiber mill and dye studio based in Gauley Bridge, West Virginia. We process wool and alpaca into fiber clouds, dye with natural dyes when we can, and make and stock the materials and finished goods we want but can't always find.
Our wool is mulesing-free, sourced from ethical producers and mills in the United States and Peru. We're working to grow our domestic sourcing and our natural dye garden season by season.
Contact Us
Quick Links
Follow Along
Join our email list for sales, giveaways, and special events.