THE Bendigo Woollen Mills celebrated 30 years of locally crafted yarns and patterns recently.
Owned by two local families, Bendigo Woollen Mills is now Australia’s largest hand-knitting and crafting yarn manufacturer.
They first opened their doors in 1984 before moving to their current Lansell Street location in 1988.
“It’s a pretty big achievement in this day and age, with all the manufacturing closing down in Victoria,” said product development team member Kris Taylor.
The Mill produces about 100 tonnes of yarn a year and employs about 30 people.
The factory encompasses everything from a spinning room, twisting room, through to dye house, and washing and drying facilities.
Jen Harrison, now in her sixties, was the Bendigo Woollen Mills first customer.
“The range was just mind-blowing and the quality was absolutely excellent,” she said.
“It hasn’t changed to this day.
“I still have garments here that I’m still wearing today from the very first lot I ever knitted up from the Bendigo Woollen Mills.”
The mill’s yarn ranges from two-ply to 12 ply, using natural fibre blends and comes in 170 colours.
Most of the yarn is made from wool sourced from the NSW Highlands region, and the mill also produces yarns with other fibres, including alpaca, mohair, angora, silk and cotton.
The mill participates in the Bendigo Sheep show in July each year, which is “a really great time for all the fibre artists and everyone who comes to Bendigo – it’s a wonderful time of the year”, Kris said.
With a 24-hour online store, and the factory shop open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Fridays and 10am to 3pm Saturdays/public holidays, the Bendigo Woollen Mills offers knitters access to Australian-sourced wool at any time.
There are also many free knitting patterns available on their website at www.bendigowoollenmills.com.au.
