Meet Clare Harrison

Clare Harrison breeds a small flock of Wensleydale sheep at Windover Farm in Newtown, Connecticut. In 2019, she added fiber processing to her operation. Connecticut Fibershed's Jennifer Duff recommended we contact Clare, rightly intuiting that she possessed a curiosity and openness to experiment with local fibers, undaunted by conventional expectations and assumed limits to what Northeast wools can be and do. Clare has developed beautiful yarns for the prototype garments we debut in France this August. – Stay tuned!

What excites you about your work?
I have always loved animals, but my passion for fiber is a much more recent acquisition. The world of fiber is enormous - so much to learn from both working on different fibers and from the people I am lucky enough to meet. I love that I have a chance to develop relationships with my clients - to learn about their business, to work with them and feel that I have contributed to their journey - so many incredibly talented, hard-working people out there. It is inspiring to work with people who are pursuing their passion.

What is something that has fundamentally changed you/your life trajectory?
The age of 50 was a turning point for me. I was finally able to shed self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy and enjoy the freedom of 'I actually think I can'! It was an epic transformation of one small life. Breaking free has improved my existence in so many surprising ways. I certainly would not be doing what I am today without winning my freedom.

What analog activity do you enjoy or wish was more prevalent?
I regret the loss of old farming knowledge. Farmers' lives depended on being closely attuned to, and working WITH nature. They were instinctive civil engineers, biologists, chemists, climatologists etc. Our journey towards progress has caused us to lose so much of the valuable knowledge that enabled those farmers to survive, to maintain their land and provide for their families.

In a similar vein, I regret the loss of craftsmen - those who were so attuned and connected to the material with which they worked - those who knew what time of year to cut what type of tree, for what purpose.

If you could live in another time period when/why?
I think all ages have their pluses and minuses. I am happy to be living in a time when I can pursue my life choices with much more freedom than my predecessors.

What has living during a pandemic taught you?
Despite the cleverness and sophistication that the human race would like to attribute to itself, our world was brought to its knees by a 'brainless' micro-organism. While we floundered, trying to combat the 'monster', Mother Nature flourished in the midst of our diminished busyiness.

In one sentence your positive prediction or hope for the future.
My hope would be for a more balanced journey, where racing for the next development is not at the cost of our relationships with each other or the beautiful world that we are privileged to live in.