SailingKnitter

On our road-trip last month out to the West Coast we not only visited many National and State Parks, but we also stopped at Fiber Noteworthy Locations (FNLs).

Our first such stop was the the Brown Sheep Yarn Co. Mill and Factory Store in western Nebraska. We thought we had the location all mapped out on our iPad, but the app took us to this spot - way out in the corn and bean (as in dried beans to eat) fields on dirt country roads. Nope. No wool processing mill in sight. We drove around a bit feeling quite lost. Finally, we realized that we had a phone (we're still not quite used to that) and the phone number. After a quick call and a confusing conversation (the locals don't call the roads the same names as in the map app), we found Brown Sheep Yarn Co.

MY YARN HAUL

The Mill Store sells only "seconds" quality yarns so as not to compete with their retailers. As it is the only yarn store for a hundred miles, they also carry needles, books, and other fiber craft supplies. There was plenty of yarn to purchase and the place was quiet, so I took a deep breath and started fondling.

Jonesy had been worried about how cold it was going to be when we camped up in the high altitudes of the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. He needed a warm hat. Guess what? He's married to a knitter! So the first item we (he) picked out was some washable wool for his new hat. Just one skein of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Superwash in the the color "Purple Haze" was all we needed.

JONESY'S NEW HAT

While empoyees of the mill rushed about in a adjoining hallway and office complex, doing their jobs, I sat on the floor and unloaded a couple of bins sorting through small mill ends (they were less expensive than full skeins). People must have wondered what was taking me so long because eventually the owner Peggy Wells came in to chat with me. We had a wonderful conversation about everything from the mill's history to what was growing in the fields and why. She also shared with me how the same 2-ply yarn is sold as lace weight, then plied with more 2-ply yarns and becomes the heavier weight yarns. Very clever indeed! I

TERRY AT BROWN SHEEP CO.

After a couple of hours (really!) Peggy came in again to check on me. I allowed her to weigh my selections for payment. All yarns are sold by the pound. What did I buy? Amazingly I purchased mostly bulky and worsted weight yarns including some small skeins of hand-dyed yarns. Why? Because now that I am living in North America again I will have cool enough weather to let me handle thick wools. I've wanted to visit this store for many, many years and it was a dream come true!