Assocition, INc.



the connecticut blanket



2021 blanket update



2021 BLANKET UPDATE


The 2021 CT Blankets are finally here! The bad news is the mills increased prices and the costs to ship the wool to scouring & back to the spinner increased which unfortunately means that after many years of no price increases the blanket prices have increased.



2022 blanket



THE COLLECTION DATE FOR WOOL IS POSTPONED

NEW DATE & TIME TO BE DECIDED

  • 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


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. The blankets are available in King, Queen, Full, Twin, Long Throw, Throw, Baby 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

smurray@alderbrookromneys.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, Inc.



Webmaster - smurray@ctsheep.com