In the cold months it can be a time to settle in and crochet or knit, and even if you don’t knit you may have been given something that has been.
But many people don’t know what it takes to go from sheared wool to spun yarn
For Hometown Tourist we take you to in East Jordan to discover that process.
It’s a full circle visit at Stone Hedge, from hanging out with some fellas in the barn, to watching the whole process of just how a fiber mill works.
“My favorite part about it is that we didn’t start out doing this. We moved up here, it was just a nice quiet place, my mom wanted to get some horses, and my sister got a sheep from 4-H, and it just kind of snowballed,” said Quality Control Supervisor Jodi Peck.
From the wash room where fleece is laid out and washed, to a series of machines that opens the fibers, the process is loud and fascinating to watch.
“It goes through a huge carting machine, and from there it goes into two machines, pin drafting machines and its ready to be spun on our industrial spinners. Once they’re spun we ply the skeins and twist them and send them back to customers,” explained Peck.
You’ll find finished items to buy and up to 70 colors of yarn, with Michigan themes like Petoskey Stone, and the popular yarn called “crazy” made by a time consuming process of hand splicing colors together.
“There’s people who like a specific sheep that we have out there, and they’ll buy all of the yarn they can of that one, and the next year they’ll call and say do you have any more of bubba or anyone,” said Peck.
A visit here is educational and just simply fun.
“It’s interesting to see that people can learn that things you don’t just go to a store to buy it, they’re learning the whole process of it. It’s just giving back and teaching people that nothing is wasted,” said Peck.
10
11
9
© 2023 - 910 Media Group