Our Mill
We are an independent micro business making yarns and fibre tops in our small scale, worsted spinning Mill in North Devon (one of only a handful still operating in the UK). We source fibre locally, or through trusted suppliers in the Falklands and worldwide.
We use predominantly vintage machinery that we have lovingly restored and maintained to create wonderful artisan goods using a hands-on approach to production.
All our yarn and tops ranges are blended and designed by the Folk at our Mill, inspired by the natural world around us or their interests in art, music and nostalgia.
Our Mill Tours
Our Mill Tours are an invaluable part of what we do – those venerable old machines love all the attention folk give them (we swear it makes them run better over the following few months). For those of you unable to visit the Mill, we’ve created a virtual Mill Tour with an in depth explanation by Laura and Martha on exactly how it is we make our yarn and tops.
We hope you enjoy watching it!
Our Machines
There is always a clamour and whir of machinery emanating from our Mill. The rhythmic movements of the vintage machines are hypnotic: driving mechanisms on the spinners and gill boxes move up and down, as though they are breathing – every day the Mill is alive with the buzz of creativity.
The Mill was founded in 2001 yet is strongly focused on tradition. John Arbon Textiles is based on a very simple concept: a return to old-style textile manufacture by sustainably sourcing raw fibre locally, wherever possible, and converting it in the UK into high quality tops and yarns, rather than racking up air miles by chasing the cheapest available labour.
All machines have been painstakingly collected and lovingly restored – many have been rescued from old, traditional mills as they closed down. The machines take a lot of time and care to look after (each named, to reflect their quirks, as they become part of the family) – tinkering with gears, belts, oil levels or adjusting cogs. Keeping them going is a labour of love, but we reckon that the resulting woolly treats are well worth it.
The process of transforming raw fibre into finished yarn begins with the scouring, carding, combing and dyeing process, all of which happens off site in the UK. Once the dyed fibre arrives with us at the Mill, it goes to one of the three gill boxes (Cuthbert, Ralph and A2D2) which begin the intricate process of straightening and aligning the fibre using a set of pins (similar to a hairbrush). Each batch produced travels through the gill boxes a minimum of three times, and with every pass the fibre (at this point known as tops) becomes more even, drapey and lustrous.
Next these beautifully aligned fibre tops move onto the spinning machines: Butler, an old and steadfast sample spinner, and Kevin, a newer and bigger model (he is a 1980s French double drafting ring spinner and the largest machine at the Mill). Once spun, the singles rest for a week while the fibres relax into their new configuration – spinning yarn is not a process to be rushed!
When resting is complete, the singles are coned on either Rupert Lee or Gino (the Italian cone winder) and then plied on Mr. Boyd (the stately folding machine). Finally, the yarn is skeined on one of our Bradford skein winders – Gillian and Piglet, who are both vintage victorian cast iron and wood construction – still going strong after many decades of hard work!
Each day at the Mill is different, but the one constant is the satisfaction. The hours of work and skill that go into producing one of our yarn and tops ranges is reflected in the dedication of a knitter, spinner or crocheter during the intricate journey from beginning to finished garment – both are a harmony of tradition and creativity. Every hand-crafted item has its story, and so too does every skein of yarn and bump of tops made here at John Arbon Textiles.