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the connecticut blanket



2022 blanket



THE WOOL HAS FINALLY LEFT THE STATE!


We finally collected 1609 pounds of wool from last year’s shearing on February 18, 2023 and it is at Chargeurs waiting to be scoured.

So why did we wait until February to collect the 2022 wool? It is a long story but it began with the mill, Wheelock Textiles, that has been producing our blankets for a very long time deciding they could no longer afford the rent that their landlord increased it to and decided to close. We found this out 2 weeks before out scheduled wool collection date and the search began in earnest to find another mill to work with. Our search led us across the country and even to Prince Edward Island in Canada but there were stumbling blocks. The reasons from some of the mills contacted were that we were too large of a project for them, they didn't take consignment work, they wouldn't use just our wool or it would be a mix of ours and theirs, their pricing was too high for us, they didn't make the large sizes and lastly, the cost of shipping the scoured wool to them and then the finished blankets back to us from the other side of the USA was an added expense. So what are we doing with the wool we collected?


Well there is a bright side and a sad side to this year's blanket. Strickland Wheelock worked very hard to find us an alternative mill to work with and he arranged a deal with another mill. The downsides are they are more expensive and they only weave fabric that is wide enough to make Long Throws and Scarves. Yes they could also produce the Throw and Baby sizes from the same fabric but for 2022 we opted to only go with two sizes. The bright side is that other than the trip to South Carolina to be scoured the Connecticut Blanket will be

MADE IN CONNECTICUT AT AMERICAN WOOLEN COMPANY, INC. IN STAFFORD SPRINGS!



2023 blanket



Wool Collection for the 2023 CT Blanket is planning to be at UConn either late May or 1st part of June.

  • We will be making appointment times for you to bring your wool to hopefully cut down on the number of people in the area at one time.
  • We will need you to let us know how many fleeces you have and approximately how many pounds so we can allot the proper amount of time for you. White or Natural Color will be helpful as well.
  • YOUR WOOL ABSOLUTELY MUST BE SKIRTED AHEAD OF TIME. We will not skirt for you and if you didn't then prepare to have it rejected.
  • Make sure it is at least 2.5" long. Wool from dual coated breeds must be separated so as only to have the softer undercoat, NO guard hairs.
  • TO BE CONTINUED when we get more answers to everyone's questions.


The wool is usually collected at UConn in early June where it is inspected for cleanliness, structure, length and more. Once packed away in large wool bags it is trucked to South Carolina where it is scoured (washed) and returned to New England for carding, spinning, weaving, fulling, napping and cutting into blankets. Beginning with the 2022 blankets we can only get Long Throw and Scarf. Each year a new pattern is chosen but it is always a light and dark combination as we do not dye the wool.



The Connecticut Blanket is a cooperative project open to members of the Connecticut Sheep Breeders Association, Inc. which adds to the sustainability of member shepherds' farms by obtaining a value-added product from the wool of their sheep. Based on the amount of wool contributed the shepherds create an order for the sizes they want and when finished the blankets are sorted out into those orders and delivered to them to do with as they please. There is a list of farms that participated in the most recent blanket as well as information from farms that have asked to have their contact information for selling their Connecticut Blankets at the bottom of this page and also on the Marketplace Classifieds page If more information is needed please contact the Blanket Inventory Coordinator via email at smurray@ctsheep.com.


In a normal year we collect close to or just over 2,000 pounds of wool and there are about 325 blankets & scarves produced. In 2021 only 19 producers participated due to the logistics surrounding shearing, wool collection and several other complications that have set back the expected delivery time so there will only be approximately 180 blankets and 65 scarves produced.


NBC CT featured the CT Blanket as part of a 2020 holiday series encouraging residents to shop in CT and buy local. Click here to see a transcripted version and the video which plays after an ad.


See the slide show below for a few parts of the process.



6 bags of wool ready to go



the burnham hill on the loom



a bag of wool not quite full



nbc Connecticut crew with peter sepe, vivienne mc garry and a freshly shorn fleece



a wool quality workshop for 4-h members



Yes sir, yes sir more than 3 bags full



quality control at the skirting table



inspecting the wool



the following farms contributed their wool to
the 2021 Connecticut Blanket




Mark, Janet, Evan Dudley, Guilford

Dudley Foundation, Dudley Farm Museum, Guilford

B. Emery & A. Foss, Clatter Ridge Farm, Farmington

Jessica Glass & Dave Raymond, Hildred's Farm, South Windsor

Albert & Donna Grant, Melhurst Farm, Broad Brook

Sherri Holmberg, Epona Farm, Bethel

Housatonic Valley FFA, Falls Village

Indian Rock Nature Preserve, Bristol

Karen Kalenauskas, Karen's Lambs LLC, Watertown

Alan Lovejoy & Jennifer Law, Wetawanchu Brook Farm, Falls Village

Regina Malsbary, Turtle Creek Farm, Coventry

Vivienne McGarry, Cold Goats Farm, Haddam Neck

Montessori School of Greater Hartford, Millstream Farm, New Hartford

Sylvia Murray & David Pringle, Alder Brook Farm, Norwich

Raine Pedersen, Hilltop Meadow Farm, East Hartland

Peter & Carol Sepe, Sepe Farm LLC, Sandy Hook

Alison & Rick Trojanoski, Hope Hollow Farm, East Hampton

University of Connecticut, Storrs



more blanket information



BLANKET CARE

To clean your blanket DO NOT put it in your washing machine. Agitation, soap & water temperature changes make felt. You can take it to the dry cleaners or you can dry clean it at home in your dryer using dry cleaning sheets from brands such as Dryell, Woolite and others. Some people put a sheet over it to help keep it clean and then on a nice sunny day hang it outdoors on a clothesline, over a railing, several lawn chairs, etc.


THE FOLLOWING FARMS HAVE BLANKETS FOR SALE

* has Facebook page


FAIRFIELD COUNTY


SEPE FARM, LLC *

Sandy Hook

www.sepefarm.com

pasepe@juno.com


HARTFORD COUNTY


HILDRED'S FARM

South Windsor

hildreds.farm@gmail.com


MELHURST FARM

Broad Brook

albert_grant@sbcglobal.net


LITCHFIELD COUNTY


SHARON VALLEY SHEPHERDS

ghachmeisterphd@gmail.com

860-866-6978


WETAWANCHU BROOK FARM

Falls Village

lawlovejoy@comcast.net

860-824-0620


MIDDLESEX COUNTY


COLD GOATS FARM *

Haddam Neck

www.coldgoatsfarm.com

vivmcgarry@gmail.com


NEW LONDON COUNTY


ALDER BROOK FARM *

Norwich

www.alderbrookromneys.com

alderbrookfarm@yahoo.com


COUTRY CLUB FARM *

Stonington

horsesnhockey@sbcglobal.net


KINDRED CROSSINGS LLC *

North Franklin

www.kindredcrossingsfarm.com

kindredcrossings@msn.com


TOLLAND COUNTY


KEB FARM *

Columbia

kebfarm@yahoo.com


TURTLE CREEK FARM

Coventry

rmalsbary@comcast.net


WINDHAM COUNTY


PLUMGULLY FARM*

Windham

plumgully@yahoo.com










Connecticut Sheep Breeders Association



Webmaster - smurray@ctsheep.com