Designers in New York experiment with it, major American companies rely on it, fiber artists use it to turn their own wool into finished goods, and it’s made right here in Kentucky: the FeltLOOM. Lanette Freitag developed the now patented machine after starting a small farm in Sharpsburg, Kentucky in the 1980s.
Tucked into the rolling hills, today, LanMark Farm is home to dozens of sheep and llamas (and a host of other animals), a processing mill for wool, and a lodge for fiber workshops and vacation rentals. Lanette first moved to the area in 1984 for her career in information technology. Having always been an artist – from crocheting as a kid to designing her own clothes in high school – she set her heart on developing a fiber farm. One day she was sitting, felting with her single needle and wool in hand, she was struck with the thought: ‘there has to be a better way.’
Learning that there was no machine for people who work with fibers on a small and medium scale, she began experimenting with multi-needle prototypes to build her own machine. Over the years, Lanette was deep into the development of what would become the FeltLOOM, a felting machine that uses 792 motor‑driven needles to bind fibers together through rapid, repetitive strokes. She perfected the machine in 2004, and word quickly spread. Lanette’s invention caught the attention of fashion designers and global companies like Johnson & Johnson and 3M. Today, the FeltLOOM is in 31 countries from New Zealand to Iceland.
Now, not only are people using it to felt wool, but also an extraordinary range of textiles – from Kevlar to old tshirts and denim, to fiber made from materials like recycled bottles.
However, as the farm and the FeltLOOM factory in Carlisle, Kentucky has grown, so have its operational needs. With facilities that support fiber processing, machine fabrication, teaching spaces, and visiting guests, energy costs have climbed to more than $2,000 per month.
That’s where the Mountain Association’s Energy team comes in.
Understanding the impact of high utility bills on small businesses, this February, the Mountain Association worked with Lanette to install smart thermostats and replace lighting across her facilities via Kentucky Utilities new Small Business Direct Install program. By upgrading outdated fixtures to LEDs, it will not only reduce costs, but also create a brighter, safer, more productive environment for both fiber work and farm operations. Projected savings will be around $1,618 per year, though more upgrades are currently in process.
We also supported Appalachian EnergyWorks who helped troubleshoot faulty solar installed by the now bankrupt Solar Titan. The solar, now running properly and with additional capacity added, will provide additional savings of an estimated $500 per year per building.
From a single needle on a quiet farm to machines operating in studios across 31 countries, Lanette Freitag has transformed how the world works with fiber, proving that global innovation can rise from even the smallest rural communities.
Learn more about their products and upcoming workshops via the FeltLOOM website, the LanMark Farm website and their Etsy storefront. You can also purchase their products at the KY Artisan Center in Berea and The Woolery in Frankfort.
This assessment completed by Mountain Association was funded with support from the Kentucky Office of Energy Policy.
