Some yarns catch your attention because of their color.
Others because they're wonderfully wooly and warm.
But every once in a while, you come across a yarn that invites you to ask a different question:
Where did this story begin?
That question has been at the heart of our Heirloom Blanket Project from the very beginning. We are exploring the history of quilt blocks, the people who stitched them, and the moments in American history they commemorate. In translating sewn quilt blocks to fabric built from yarn, it seemed fitting to choose those yarns made by people who also have stories to share. That is one of the reasons we have been so grateful to include Pishkun from The Farmer's Daughter Fibers in two installments of the blanket project.
Watching a Montana Maker Grow
We've carried The Farmer's Daughter Fibers almost since the beginning.
When Candice English first began dyeing yarn, we had the opportunity to host one of her earliest pop-up events here at Stix. At the time, she was a new Montana dyer with a growing collection of beautifully nuanced colorways and a vision that felt unlike anything else we had seen.
Photo credit: The Farmer's Daughter Fibers
Over the years we've watched The Farmer’s Daughter become one of the most recognized independent yarn companies in the country, while never losing sight of the place that inspired it.
That has been one of the real joys of being a local yarn shop; we get to know the people behind the yarns we offer.
The Story Begins Long Before the Dye Pots
In order to deepen your connection to the project in your hands, we wanted to introduce you to producers whose work supports American wool and whose businesses are helping preserve our region's fiber traditions. We wanted yarns that reflected the landscape, history, and people of Montana. When we chose Pishkun as one of the yarns to feature, it wasn’t simply because it is beautiful; we wanted to share a yarn whose story belongs here.
Candice often shares her heritage as the foundation of Farmer's Daughter Fibers. Her family's ranching history, her Indigenous roots, and the landscapes of Montana all influence the colors and stories she creates. Those same values extend to the yarn bases she chooses, many of which celebrate American-grown wool and regional fiber production.
Named for the buffalo jumps found throughout the Northern Plains, a pishkun was a place where Plains tribes skillfully worked together to harvest buffalo that sustained their communities. Today, sites such as First Peoples Buffalo Jump near Great Falls stand as reminders of generations of knowledge, cooperation, and respect for the land.
View from top of First Peoples Buffalo Jump near Ulm, Montana
Photo ©Tracy Pipinich
It is a fitting name for a Montana wool yarn. The yarn itself—a lofty Rambouillet produced from Montana and Wyoming wool—carries a connection to this landscape before a single stitch is ever worked.
More than artistry
One of the things we've admired most about Candice's work is that the story doesn't stop with yarn.
As The Farmer's Daughter Fibers has grown, so has her commitment to community.
In 2019, Candice founded Sisters United, a Montana nonprofit dedicated to creating opportunities for Indigenous women, children, and families.
What began as fundraising for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement has grown into scholarships, support for schools, art programs, food security initiatives, healing bundles, and countless community partnerships across Montana.
We encourage you to visit the Sisters United website to learn more and, if you are able, donate to support the work they do.
Please also visit The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers website to view all of the beautiful colorways and bases she has to offer. We know you’ll be inspired by everything you see there, and are thrilled to have delivered some skeins of this heritage-based yarn to your hands.