Do you know where the fiber in your yarn came from? Do you know what animal makes cashmere? Mohair? Where do those animals live and what are their lives like? What about the farmers and ranchers who care for them?

If you are interested in finding out, then the Wild Fibers Magazine is for you. It’s kind of like National Geographic for fiber, with beautiful glossy photographs and stories from distant lands, all revolving around the people and animals of the exotic fiber world. In the most recent edition took us to Oman and Tajikistan, and taught us about goats and well…more goats. But the articles usually represent a better mix of exotic animals, including oxen,  bunnies, and our beloved camelids.

I don’t like blatant product endorsements. I don’t write glowing reviews; this isn’t one. But this quarterly magazine and the accompanying emails from the editor make me think about what it means to raise fiber animals, for our family and for families in India or Pakistan. Somehow, reading about the differences between our lifestyles and cultures actually reinforces my fundamental sense of our shared humanity. Whether we live by our animals or not, whether we are rich or poor, we’re all in this fiber adventure, and the larger adventure of life, together.