The Stearns Project
I apologize that the name sounds like some kind of human experimentation trials - it was what I came up with off-hand, and it stuck! But it has been one of the coolest projects we’ve had the privilege of working on here in the mill.
In November 2023, Liz and Bob Stearns contacted me about spinning some of their wool. They have a spinner’s flock, starting with four Romneys bred with different fine wool rams over twenty-five years. One ewe in particular, a Romney/Merino cross, had beautiful black wool that gradually lightened each year. They collected and saved her fleeces each year from 2012-2023, losing just two (one to mice and the other to a muddy barn accident) – ten saved in total. They requested each fleece be spun individually into sport/dk-weight yarn. Their goal was to use the resulting yarn in a fair isle sweater, to showcase the natural gradient of her wool as she aged.
I was completely smitten with the concept from the moment I read Liz’s email. It struck me as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I immediately started daydreaming of the possibilities the yarn would hold, and how their project would be a truly unique creation.
Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to work with them. Our mill was perfectly suited to their project, and all I could think about was digging my grabby-hands into the fleece. After a chain of e-mails and a phone call, Liz and Bob made the trip from Frankenmuth to Holly to bring us the wool and tour our facility. It was a treat to meet them in person – they are so kind and gracious! And the wool – oh, there just aren’t words. Supremely bouncy and soft, I knew it would make an incredible 2-ply. And the array of colors was even more spectacular than I imagined! They also brought me two white fleeces from another sheep to serve as contrast in their sweater project. We believe this ewe was a Merino x Rambouillet, but her lineage is uncertain. However, her wool was even softer!
Bob and Liz brought us over 113 pounds of wool. Andy and I were just winding up our first full year of milling, and we had no idea how much our inexperience would impact this project.
It took me about six months to get the wool washed and ready for carding. Our washer can hold up to five pounds of wool at a go. Since we can only work in the mill a day or two per week, and a single load takes a full day to wash… you can do the math. So, in September 2024, I did a test card of the wool to see how it spun.
It didn’t go well. The wool refused to hold together on the spinner. I shortened the draft, increased the speed and twist, changed the traveler, and increased the weight – none of my tricks worked. The wool coming out of the spinning head showed a repeating hourglass pattern – a flat ribbon of continuously skinny-wide-skinny-wide fiber flowing through my hands: an undeniable, telltale sign of broken and short wool. I cried. I was devastated that the ewe’s hard work growing the wool, Liz and Bob’s dedication to their flock, and their forethought of preserving her fleece for all these years would yield a product I couldn’t spin.
Around the same time, we had a major change in our “other” business. A merger evaporated six months of our lives, requiring sixty-hour weeks to gather all the data needed to present an accurate and quantifiable representation of a fifty-year-old company’s assets, financials, commitments, policies, and procedures. All work in the mill ceased. In May 2025, I finally was able to resume a (somewhat) regular schedule. I started with the most urgent projects, and my panic over the state of the Stearns’ wool pushed it to the back of the line.
At some point in the spring (my internal timeline is completely missing), Kat Eldred of Acorn and Oak Fibers came to help me catch up in the mill. We chatted while we worked, and I told her the horror story of my test spin. She asked to see the fiber, and we looked at it together. As we dug through the bag, we both realized the wool was still quite greasy. I had washed the wool according to my typical routine and moved on. I hadn’t even considered the fact that it might not be clean enough, since I’d never had any issues using the same procedure on other fleeces. And if I noticed the unusual texture as I spread it out on the carder during the test, it hadn’t registered as a possible problem.
Kat suggested doing another round of washing to see if it would help. I was concerned that age of the fleece was a problem - I had started with the oldest one from 2012. What if all those years sitting permanently bonded the grease to the wool? But sure enough, a very long, very hot soapy soak and two hot rinses later, the wool was perfectly soft and clean.
I managed to do another short test card and spin without a panic attack. The wool spun like a dream. Not a break in sight. Not a single hiccup during plying, skeining, or washing. The resulting yarn was next to skin soft, bouncy, and a flawless deep, dark, semi-sweet chocolate brown.
I was so thrilled with the result, I immediately took photos and e-mailed them to Liz and Bob. But I also had to break the news of another long delay – after inspecting the other fleeces, they would all need additional scouring. This ewe simply produced a LOT of lanolin and grease, and as is typical, some years more than others.
Three months later, all the wool had been inspected, rewashed, checked, checked, and rechecked, and it was ready for the next step. Carding requires constant attention, and when I’m alone in the mill, it prevents me from doing anything else efficiently. Liz and Bob offered to help with the process several times, so I took them up on it! They carded a fleece while I buzzed around, drafting, spinning, plying, and skeining, and their two hours of help moved their entire project a full day closer to completion. They enjoyed participating in the project, and I truly appreciated their company and help!
Each fleece was carefully carded, drawn, spun, plied, skeined, and washed. The process was slow but sure, and in December 2025, it was finally complete. The resulting skeins were gorgeous. The transition of her wool from almost black to very light gray and back to a medium gray was stunning. And surprising! I had learned that naturally-colored wool could get lighter over time, but I never knew that it could darken.
When we began this project, the Stearns knew that they wouldn’t be able to use all the yarn that the fleeces produced. We settled on a split - 70% of the finished product stayed with me. I was thrilled, and my purchase of 70% of the wool offset their processing costs significantly. Everyone wins!
We spun a grand total of 210 skeins. I delivered 63 skeins to their farm in Frankenmuth on December 9th, 2025 in a snowstorm. They were thrilled with the results, and Liz immediately laid them out on her dining room table in a beautiful display. I cannot describe the satisfaction of finally returning their wool and seeing their reactions. For all the time, stress, and tears, I felt an incredible sense of relief and accomplishment. I am so thankful that they trusted me with this project, and for how much I learned over the two years it took to complete it. I am proud of myself for not giving up and incredibly grateful to Kat for her encouragement. The finished product is amazing, and I couldn’t be happier!
If you’re still here, thanks for reading the story of this magical journey! I hope it helps explain why I could possibly think any wool is worth the price I am charging. The time, sweat, and tears dedicated to ten years of growing wool and two years of milling make this yarn priceless. We created 20g, 50g, and 100g skein sets to provide a range of price points. We hope that you’ll invest in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a truly unique heirloom.
Okay – I’ve sold you on the yarn. Now what should you do with it? Here’s my creation:
The Dot Sweater by Pernille Larsen
I used one mini-skein set and four skeins of the Stearns’ White to knit a size S (37” bust circumference) using the slim sleeves modification. The pattern is worked top-down. I started with the most recent fleece (2023) at the neck and worked in reverse chronological order down to the oldest fleece (from 2012). I’ve included a little chart to explain how many rounds of dots I used for each year. Your distribution may vary significantly, particularly in the arms (mine are VERY long!).
| Year |
Body Dot
|
Sleeve Dot
|
2023 |
3 |
3 |
2022 |
2 |
2 |
2021 |
2 |
2 |
2020 |
2 |
2 |
2019 |
2 |
2 |
2017 |
2 |
4 |
2016 |
2 |
4 |
2015 |
2 |
4 |
2014 |
2 |
4 |
2012 |
3 |
4 |
22 |
31 |
The pattern was addictive to knit – I couldn’t wait to get to the next row of dots and a new year! I am thrilled with how it turned out. The fit is perfect and the design is stunning.
But! If that’s not your style, I have MANY other ideas for this yarn. The size of your project will determine which size set you need. If you have questions, I LOVE talking patterns and yarn, so hit me up anytime!
Cardigans
FadeOut Cardigan by Susanne Sommer
Comfort Fade Cardi by Andrea Mowry
Autumn Affinity by Susanne Sommer
Pullovers
Faded Pillars Sweater by Claire Jackson
Annona Fade Sweater by Courtney A. Clark (crochet!)
Shawls
Fading Point by Joji Locatelli
Find Your Fade by Andrea Mowry
Augusta Shawl by Andrea Mules (crochet!)
Blankets
Continuation Blanket by Holli Yeoh
Summer Fade Hexi Blanket by Mallory Krall (crochet!)