The WOOL Book One | Page 71

A European wool odyssey leads to Place Textiles

A European wool odyssey leads to Place Textiles

As told by Place Textile founder Kristie Strasen
into cozy blankets that were piled for sitting
and transformed into beds at night … Knitted
The starting point for researching my master ’ s thesis was the southwest of Ireland , where the thriving cottage industry of textiles ultimately changed the course of my career .
Working my way up the spectacular Irish coast , I was drawn to the rich textile tradition of the micro-villages dotting the wild landscape . Sheep were an integral part of that setting , as were all the activities associated with the small-scale processing of wool . I ’ d see
Kristie Strasen on the road in Ireland ’ 73
or felted into garments that were worn against the cold . I learned how manipulating wool into fabric was a universal language that people the world over understood .
Eventually I returned from that eightmonth journey and went to graduate school — in textiles .
My first position was with Knoll International . At the time , the company had many beautiful wool upholstery fabrics as well as
someone sitting in a beam of sunlight picking through a fleece or carding and spinning wool . Steaming dye kettles with mysterious dyestuffs and drying skeins of hand-spun yarn were common sights . Soon , the wood-on-wood clacking of handlooms became a recognizable sound .
The more I traveled those narrow Irish roads the more captivated I became with everything textile . I kept going — to Scotland and up through the Orkney and Shetland Islands , through Eastern Europe , through Greece and across Turkey , Iran and Afghanistan .
All along , I had my eye on textile techniques and the critical role wool played in the production of exquisite textiles . Woven into rugs that adorned humble homes … Manipulated
woolen drapery and casements . Companies like Herman Miller and Steelcase also offered wool upholstery options . Jack Lenor Larsen was producing beautiful wool fabrics and carpets of all types for the home .
In the 1980s , the huge boom in synthetic fibers began and the popularity of wool fiber products diminished . It became difficult to find wool fabrics . As a culture we collectively forgot the amazing attributes of wool — durability , ability to take color , natural luster , and ability to wick moisture .
My textile career eventually brought me to New York City . After twenty years as a textile consultant , designing and developing fabrics of all kinds for the commercial and residential markets , I launched Place Textiles in 2006 . �
Place Textiles , LLC
Above : Killarney / Straw ; at right : wool boucle used in Killarney
150 Varick , 9th Floor , New York , NY 10013 Telephone 212 255 7978 | Fax 212 255 9146 www . placetextiles . com
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