This past holiday weekend was spent in the town of Red Hook, NY. A quiet little town in the Hudson Valley with lots of farms and market stands was just what we needed to get a break from the city. Farm fresh eggs for breakfast. Chicken, goat and cow sightings, wild turkeys and deer in the yard. All that was missing was some sheep and yarn.
No problem!
This is Dutchess County after all! I knew that Morehouse Farm was in the area, but they weren’t necessarily open to the public. So we headed over to Homestead Farm to visit Hudson Valley Sheep and Wool Co. and their Yarn Shop. Arriving at the farm we immediately saw two sheep who eyed us eyeing them. We walked into the tiny shop to indeed see the processing mill right there. This is rare, as most wool is sent off to bigger commercial mills for processing. There was all sorts of wool floor to ceiling. Fleece from the sheep, processed roving, spun yarn…most from sheep on the farm. My husband and children patiently waited while I perused. There was plenty of sheep to watch in a far off field. They couldn’t actually go visit them, but their bleating was quite amusing for me and my husband. I’d like to say that watching sheep was fun for the kids too, but my son was more interested in touching the yarn (good boy) and my daughter was more interested in, well, let’s just say she got to see the farm’s compost toilet. (There’s an educational opportunity everywhere.)
I finally settled on some Shetland wool in natural (no dye) colors. The staff was very helpful and told me a lot about what goes on at the farm and mill. The wool is from Shetland sheep that are raised on the farm. The wool was processed and spun right there. I bought 12 skeins for a project I’ve had in the back of my mind for quite some time. A lap blanket using natural, graduating colors. It may be awhile until I get to it, but I’ll be tickled to make it and keep it for my family as a token of one of our favorite places to visit, Hudson Valley.
