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Baaay State Blanket Project

 

Worcester County and Eastern Massachusetts Sheep Producers

2009 Massachusetts Blanket Project

Order Form: 2009 Massachusetts Blanket Order Form

…another way to market your wool – and eventually realize a possible $3.00 to $4.00 per pound instead of $.30 or $.40 previously…

Wool will be accepted at several skirting workshops/collection dates – information updated regularly.
Wool MUST be this year’s shearing of MA grown wool.
Wool MUST be Clean, Well-Skirted and Dry – 2” to 7” long
ALL Vegetative matter MUST be removed.
NO belly wool, leg wool, head wool – NO shavings! No moths or moth balls!
Pack one (1) fleece per large paper or plastic bag.

 

THIS IS NOT A POOL!
REMEMBER, THESE BLANKETS WILL GO ON YOUR BED!

All wool presented MUST be clean, well-skirted before collection. It will NOT be skirted on the collection day. Wool will be inspected and accepted, or not. These standards will be followed for a fine finished product.

You must be a member of the Worcester County Sheep Producers – membership is only $15 per year. Anyone can join!

Sizes
size
Grease Wool Needed 
size
size
size
Baby
45" x 45"
5 Pounds
Throws
45’ x 60”
6 Pounds
Long Throw
45” x 72”
8 Pounds
Twin
72” x 90”
12 Pounds
Full
80” x 90”
13 Pounds
Queen
90” x 90”
16 Pounds
King
106” x 90”
18 Pounds

Thanks to Strickland Wheelock of Wheelock Textiles and those who went before us – Connecticut Sheep Breeders Assoc and Rhode Island Sheep Cooperative – we hope to have another successful year!

 

 

What is the 2009 Massachusetts Blanket Project

 

How the Baaay State Blanket Came to Be

Back in November 2007, inspired by our neighbors, CT and RI, we invited Strickland Wheelock to one of our monthly meetings to discuss a wool blanket project for Massachusetts. Once the winter passed and the time for lambs was drawing near, shearing began. After several “skirting workshops” the wool was gathered, skirted and graded, then weighed and bagged, with the help of our “stompers”, into 200 lb. bags. 

blanket1

Skirting Fleeces

In the meantime, we applied for and received a grant from the Department of Agricultural Resources for marketing purposes.

blanket2

Stuffing the Wool into 200 lb. Bags for Shipping

blanket3

Ready for Shipping with CT & RI to Faribault, MN for scouring

blanket4

S&D Spinning Mill, Millbury, MA
  1,904 lbs of wool was taken to UConn to be shipped out to Faribault, MN for scouring.
By August, 1,087 lbs. of clean wool was back in Millbury, MA at S&D Spinning Mill, Inc. where it was carded and spun. The wool was then sent to the weavers in South Grafton, MA to be made into our Baaay State Blanket. After finishing, labeling and preparing for market, our Inaugural Baaay State Blankets are ready to keep us warm.

Thank you to ALL who worked on this project – for the inspiration and guidance (CT & RI), to everyone who took time to help gather, for a place to work and store our wool (Chris), for transporting the wool (Chris, again), for the grant (Todd and Department of Agricultural Resources). And let’s not forget our “wooly ones”!

Thanks for your support! Be warm…

 

 

 

Wool Commitment Form

 

Please fill out the attached form and email, call, mail or hand-deliver your estimates for clean, well-skirted white and/or dark wool as soon as possible.

Please email (beadsheep@charter.net), call (508-637-1239) or mail to Barbara Haberlin, PO Box 581, Brookfield, MA 01506 the estimated amount of dark and light wool you would like to commit to our new blanket project as soon as possible. 

Bring this sheet along when you bring your wool to any of the skirting workshops/collection dates.

Download form here

Name: ______________________________________          Telephone #: _________________________________

Address: ____________________________________           Email: ______________________________________

Town: ______________________________________           Zip: ________________________________________

Farm or Family Name for “certificate” (to be placed with each blanket): ____________________________________

Breeds of Sheep: ______________________________          Shearer: _____________________________________

                                ______________________________                          (information for future reference)

# Pounds White wool presented ___________________          Accepted: ___________________________________

# Pounds Dark wool presented ____________________          Accepted: ___________________________________

Number of each size blankets would you like to have available, depending on amounts collected, for personal use or resale.

Would any of you like to purchase yarn – if any would be available? Yes _________________ No ___________________

Would you like to volunteer on collection day (to be announced – some time mid to late May, 2008? __________________

Thank you all for you participation!




2009 Baaay State Blanket Schedule

Below is the schedule for skirting workshops/collection dates for the 2009 Baaay State Blanket. I've also attached the project specifications and an order form in case lasts year's got "filed'. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you could let Barbara Haberline know which of the dates you prefer, it would be great for planning purposes. Also, if you could bring your skirting tables to the workshops, we could really use them. Mine will be available but it's hard to do all the fleeces on just one table - they're really easy to make and do not have to be fancy - try using lattice or gates or chicken wire or... and saw horses. Thanks and hope to see you all soon. Anyone coming on Sunday April 5??

*** Skirting Workshops for Baaay State Blanket Project  *** Plan your shearing dates! If they’re ready, bring your clean, well-skirted fleeces to be weighed and put in your order!Same place – Owl Ridge Farm, 665 Hardwick Rd., New BraintreeMark your calendars! Sunday, April 5 – 11:00 a.m.     Sunday, April 19 – 11:00 a.m.Sunday April 26 – 11:00 a.m.   Sundays, May 3, 10, 17, 24 - 11:00 a.m. Other dates may be arranged.All clean, well-skirted wool must be in by no later than May 31, 2009 (no skirting done on this day!) for packing and delivery to CT for shipping during 1st week of June. Looking forward to another great Baaay State Blanket year!!Contacts: Barbara Haberlin, beadsheep@charter.net  (508) 637-1239, (508) 868-1156 or Chris Humphrey (508) 867-9113, auburnsew@hotmail.com

Download the schedule here

 

 

country fair

 

 

For a complete listing of ALL Massachusetts agricultural fairs, see www.mafa.org