The Spinneri on Gotland Island

This place, this space, these hands and these women create magic. The Spinneri was top on our list the first day of our Gotland tour. We scheduled ahead of time so that we could listen, learn, and see the magic unfold. As we stood and listened to the history of the mill, again I was reminded of the passion that the people of Gotland have for their sheep and wool and their appreciation for saving what is about to be lost.

History of the Spinneri

In 2001 a grass roots movement saved the Spinneri from being sold and dismantled. When sheep breeders heard of the sale of the woolen mill and its pending closing, they took action. Gutarna (the people of Gotland) recognized the great loss that would unfold if they did not intervene. Not only would they lose the machinery that processed their wool into yarn, but they would also lose the skilled workers who knew the inner workings of the equipment. Once again, the Gotland breeders worked together and formed a cooperative to help save the mill. Within a 3 month window, they had collected the 251,000 SEK needed to purchase the equipment. There is much power behind working as one to accomplish a goal and the sheep breeders of Gotland use this for the betterment of all.

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Today, the Spinneri produces yarn and felting batts with the island wool. We talked at length with the women at the mill. We listened and learned. We told them of the difficulties that the American mills had spinning Gotland wool into yarn. They smiled knowingly. They already knew the challenges that this fiber presents to the carding and spinning machines. They, however, have learned how to spin the fiber as the shelves of yarn attest to. In the states, many mills need to blend the wool with another fiber to keep it from falling out of the carding machine.

We are reminded that Gotlands are a pelt breed in Sweden, and they are bred for their lovely pelts. The properties that make the Gotland pelts so stunningly beautiful are the very qualities that make the fiber a challenge to spin. Gotland wool has lustrous, soft, and silky curls. There is no crimp with which to hold the fiber into the teeth of the carding machine. It is these curls, however, that make the pelts so amazing.

Their Secret to Spinning Gotland

Their secret to spinning Gotland wool is that they only spin the “softest” fleeces. They find that the softer fleece from young lambs holds in the machinery easier than the wool from older sheep. They also said that the fuzzy winter undercoat that they grow under their curls can be helpful in holding the fiber on the machines as it has a different texture than the lustrous curls.

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We ended our tour by stepping into their yarn shop and soaking in the fruits of their labor. Shelving was full of all shades of gray yarn. Racks of Gotland pelts lined one wall with samples of knitted sweaters, shawls, and wraps. No one could keep their hands in their pockets as we walked through. It was a tactile experience you would not want to miss.

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It is the places of a land where you learn so much about the people who live there. You learn what drives them, what is important to them and the ends to which they will go to save what is so precious to their livelihood. The Gotland Spinneri is one of those places.