WELCOME to our family farm shop!
What is in a Sweater (or any other naturally raised farm fiber) ?
Raise the sheep- 1 year for fleece
Shear the sheep- 10 minutes (if you are good)
Skirt and sort the wool- 1 hour
Wash the fiber- 3 hours to all day
Dry the fiber- 1 day to 1 week depending on humidity
Pick and card the fiber- days (How big a sweater?)
Spin the singles- you have until winter!
Ply the yarn- ditto
Set the twist- overnight
Dyeing is an option- all day till it dries
Knit the sweater- well for NEXT Christmas!
Animals here are cared for very well. Happy animals grow healthy fiber. The girls in the pasture raised flock are primarily Border Cheviots, a down breed, Blue Faced Leicesters known for their fine locks, and some Black Welsh Mountain crossbreds with Leicester Longwools. This diversity in genetics gives the various yarns their unique characters. I also raise a few alpaca to add softness to yarns and felted projects. The growing herd of Cashmere goats provides fine down in the spring. A few Nubians give us milk for the kitchen.
This ten year journey to produce wool and alpaca yarns from the forages planted in the field has been educational, humbling and rewarding. I hope you enjoy these products. Bearlin Acres strives to be good stewards of the flock and make the most of the natural richness in materials we have been given, from grass to garment.
Shippensburg, PA,
