My sister, Sandy, lives in a small village in Greece.   Knowing my newfound love of all things fiber, she brought me a sample of the most unusual fiber.  At first look I thought it was raw sheep's wool but on closer examination I noticed bits of sea shells tangled in the fiber.  She told me how she found these clumps of fibers on a beach,  left over from a mollusk harvest, Noble Pen Shells, to be exact.  These silky fibers, called byssus, are fine and strong with a deep bronze gold coloring. They help anchor the pen shell face down on the sea bottom against currents and underwater swells.

It’s thought that the Golden Fleece, sought by the legendary Greek hero Jason, was woven from pen shell threads.  From ancient times until the early 20th century the fibers from these mollusks provided rare finery for the Mediterranean wealthy. Tufts of golden silk thread were plucked from the Noble Pen shell, spun into fine thread and woven into fabric to produce gloves, stockings, caps, and other specialty clothing. It is said that because the fibers are so fine, a scarf can be stuffed into a space the size of a walnut shell.   This is nearly a lost art.  I have read that there is only one woman, in Sardinia, who carries on the art of spinning and weaving sea silk. 

Thanks Sandy, for providing me with my special little stash of such a rare and beautiful fiber - a gift from Neptune, the god of the seas.  Perhaps someday it will be the hair of a special needle felted mermaid!