Be Warm

Story by Debbie Olsen
Photography by Roth and Ramberg

Take a trip to Central Alberta and meet some folks who are in the business of keeping Albertans cozy…

WHEN IT’S COLD OUTSIDE, THERE’S NOTHING LIKE a cup of tea, a good book and a warm, soft blanket to snuggle under. The folks at Alberta’s Custom Woolen Mills, located near the tiny Mennonite town of Linden, know all about keeping cozy. They’ve been weaving, spinning, stuffing and knitting soft woolen garments and blankets for over 25 years.

A trip to Bill and Fen Purves-Smith’s mill will show you just how they do it. Their mill is a working museum that uses vintage machinery purchased from two turn-of-the-century mills located in Western Canada. The mill does wool washing, dyeing, carding, spinning, knitting and comforter sewing and processes about 500 lbs of wool each day (that’s the wool from about 50 sheep).

Just getting to the mill is an adventure that takes you back in time. From the Carstairs turnoff at Highway 2, it is a short 30-minute drive to the woolen mill down wide country roads dotted with farmhouses. One of the last signs before you turn onto the mill road says “mill is 3 or so km away.” It’s a reminder that things are different out in the country and life moves at a more casual, gentler, pace.

ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSIFIED MILLS IN NORTH AMERICA

It is best to explore the mill first and finish off with a trip to the woolen boutique. If you call ahead, factory tours are easily arranged and they are very enlightening. The mill uses a unique hands-on approach, and a staff of between 12 and 18 workers process 100,000 lbs of wool annually.Most of the wool comes from local western Canadian sheep producers, but they also receive wool from producers as far away as Montana,New Jersey and Newfoundland.“We are one of the most diversified mills in North America,” says Fen Purves-Smith. “Because our machinery is vintage (dating back to 1886) and we are completely vertically integrated, we can handle anything from small detailing to large batches, and we love the challenge of handling unique fibres.”

The raw wool is first washed using special equipment and then dried. Once it is cleaned, another machine separates the wool into large batches that are used for quilting or to be further processed into yarn. There is a variety of equipment used to process the yarn, but the most unique piece is the spinning mule. Custom Woolen Mills is the only mill in Canada that still uses this equipment, which was developed during the last half of the 18th century and was the mainstay of commercial spinning for over a century. Custom Woolen Mills’mule dates back to 1910 and spins 192 bobbins at a time.

The spinning mule makes a more uniform yarn than wool spun on contemporary frames and most knitting and weaving experts concur that it produces the highest quality handwork yarns. The spinning mule takes a little more time and attention, but at Custom Woolen Mills, quality is more important than speed.

On the subject of speed, how about knitting a sock in three minutes? The mill’s Kornet Knitting Machine does just that and it’s something that experienced knitters get a charge out of watching. The mill also has its own customquilting machine used to produce blankets, sleeping bags, comforters, and mattress pads.

WOOLEN BOUTIQUE

Few folks who tour the factory can resist a visit to the mill’s quaint little on-site boutique. This rustic wood building is packed to the rafters with woolly delights ranging from hand-knit sweaters and wool socks to hand-woven baskets and wool art (all locally made of course).Unique items are tucked into every nook and cranny, and knitters will find themselves in yarn heaven.

In the shop, you might get the chance to visit with Bill or Fen Purves-Smith, who both are as warm and creative as the products they make.

“There’s no limit to what you can make with wool,” says Bill as he holds up a felted wool stress ball.

“Our business grew from our love of weaving wool fibres and our need to find a way to process them for our craft. It’s now a family business and each of our children has taken something from the mill and given something back to it.Rural Alberta is a great place to raise a family and run a business.”

RURAL PLEASURES—FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD IN LINDEN

The perfect ending to this little road trip is a stop in the tiny Mennonite town of Linden located about 12 minutes east of Custom Woolen Mills. The town has a population of about 600 people, but has a surprising amount of industry for a community so small.You can sample some buns at the German bakery, shop in the well-stocked fabric store or stop for a bowl of hot homemade soup and enjoy a piece of decadent peanut butter pie at Country Cousins Restaurant while being served by cheerful young Mennonite ladies in cream-coloured dresses with navy blue ruffled aprons. •

FOR DIRECTIONS TO THE MILL, VISIT:CUSTOMWOOLENMILLS.COM