Above: Weaving on a vertical loom goes back at least 400 year in New Mexico. Photograph Courtesy of New Mexico Fiber Crawl.

Some of my most treasured possessions are fiber—like the pair of little pink booties my grandmother knitted for me when I was a baby, and my wedding dress, which I designed around a piece of lace that had belonged to my husband’s great-grandmother. The intricacy of that lace boggled my mind—until I stumbled into a fiber-guild event and saw a woman demonstrating what I had thought was the lost art of lacemaking. Incredible!

This is precisely the kind of mystery you can (ahem!) unravel during the New Mexico Fiber Crawl, held May 17–19 at sites in seven towns and cities across New Mexico. Consider it an excuse to cruise around the state meeting the weavers, spinners, knitters, felters, and other yarn magicians who turn critters’ trimmings into spectacular art. Ogle colcha embroidery and learn about traditional weaving; visit farms with adorable alpacas and mild-mannered sheep; and stop into specialty shops and fondle exquisite fabrics—then take some home.

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DO 'KNOT' FORGET
Download a Fiber Crawl Passport and collect a sticker at each stop.