A Hudson Valley Almanac day-trip guide
Thirty-six fiber farms, mills, yarn shops, guilds, and festivals across fourteen counties. The region raises rare-breed sheep and whole herds of alpacas, and a handful of small mills turn local fleece into yarn you can trace back to the animal. For knitters, spinners, and weavers, it's one of the best fiber regions in the Northeast, and it hosts one of the biggest fiber festivals in the country.
Greene County Wool in East Durham raises Romeldale CVM sheep, a rare American fine-wool breed. Black Sheep Hill Farm in Pine Plains raises heritage Black Welsh Mountain sheep, Patchwork Pastures Farm in Hyde Park raises Corriedales and sells raw fleece and yarn, and Six Dutchess Farm raises Swedish Gotland sheep for single-source yarn spun at local mills. Dashing Star Farm in Millerton has made hand-crafted wool products since 1993, and Catskill Merino Sheep Farm in Warwick, woman-owned since 1986, hand-dyes Saxon Merino yarn. Farther north, look for Tonjes Farm Sheep & Fiber in Callicoon, Sheep in Wool Clothing in Nassau, Wandering Feet Farm in Troy, Evans & Evans Farm in Andes, Crazy Legs Farm in Fort Edward, and Mimiki's Woolybears in Laurens, which makes hand-spun wool and soft toys.
Gunhouse Hill Alpacas in South Kortright keeps more than 30 Huacaya alpacas. Helderberg Alpacas in East Berne is a small family farm about 15 miles west of Albany, Alpacatrax in Elizaville sells chemical-free fleece, roving, and yarn, and River Breeze Alpacas in Downsville pairs alpacas with a fiber arts studio. Cluckin A Critter Farm in Greenville sells alpaca yarn and roving, and Buck Brook Alpacas in Roscoe has a farm store.
Battenkill Fibers in Greenwich is a worsted spinning mill for wool and other natural fibers. Nobletown Fiber Works in Hillsdale spins local wool, mohair, and alpaca into yarn, with tours available, and Rosehaven Alpacas & Fiber Mill sits in the Catskill foothills between Callicoon and Jeffersonville. Clean Fleece NY in Mechanicville washes (scours) fleece for the whole region's fiber farms.
The NYS Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck is one of the premier fiber festivals in the United States, with more than 300 vendors. The Adirondack Wool and Arts Festival in Greenwich is a smaller two-day celebration at the Washington County Fairgrounds. To meet other fiber folks, look up the Hudson-Mohawk Weavers' Guild, the Elmendorph Handspinners Guild, the Ulster County Handspinners Guild, the Golden Fleece Spinners and Weavers, or the Palisades Guild of Spinners & Weavers.
Many fiber farms are small and open by appointment, so call before you visit, and ask whether you can meet the animals. Shearing happens in spring, which is the best time to buy raw fleece. Farm yarn often comes in small lots, so buy enough for your whole project at once.
Explore more of the region's theme guides on Explore by Theme, or see the mills and weavers on Makers, Forges & Fiber Studios.
From the sheep in the pasture to the sweater on your back, with every step close enough to visit.