Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill
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Vermont Township
From Blackberry Ridge's Facebook page
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3776 Forshaug Rd.
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Operated: 1988 - present
Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill is a family-owned spinnery located in the hills of Vermont Township in south central Wisconsin. We produce a woolen spun yarn using Merino (white) and Corriedale (gray) wool from sheep flocks grown here in the midwest. Because of the nature of the woolen spinning process, the yarns we produce are wonderfully soft, warm, and lofty with their own unique character.
Anne Bosch has been a knitter since a child. She and her husband, Marc Robertson, began raising sheep in the late 1970s and in the early 1980’s she met members of a Mt. Horeb spinning group comprised of about a dozen women. Known as the Spin Drifters, they all raised their own sheep, and with the group’s guidance Anne learned to spin wool into yarn on a foot powered spinning wheel which sparked her interest in turning her own wool into yarn. Folks said that if I had sheep and was a knitter, I should learn to spin my own yarn. Anne and Marc searched for machinery for 2 years and then found a good match in 1987. This turned into Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill in 1988 which has been in business ever since then. Until February 2021, we offered custom spinning to other shepherds that raised their own sheep, but are going to retire soon and are no longer taking in custom jobs. The mill is currently for sale but we will continue to operate until the current inventory of wool has been processed which is likely to be sometime in 2022. Until then, yarn can be purchased at the mill by appointment or online at: www.blackberry-ridge.com. Also see Blackberry Ridge's Facebook page. From Vermont Voice Jan. 2021. "Knitting aficionado Anne Bosch began raising sheep in the late 1970s and in the early 1980’s she met members of a Mt. Horeb spinning group comprised of about a dozen women. Known as the Spin Drifters, they all raised their own sheep, and with the group’s guidance Anne learned to spin wool into yarn on a small spinning wheel and a career path was formed. “Folks said that if I had sheep and was a knitter, I should learn to spin my own yarn.” Anne Bosch and co-founder Marc launched Blackberry Ridge in 1988 and have been in business for 32 years. Nestled on Forshaug Road in the Town of Vermont, Blackberry Ridge is a wool yarn manufacturer that provides custom wool spinning as well as spinning wool into yarn." |
From Blackberry Ridge's Facebook page
"32 years ago this week, the main parts of our carding and spinning machinery arrived from Massachusetts. It took us a few months to get it all put back together and the proper electricity in place. There was a lot to learn, but we have enjoyed spinning for you since 1988."
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from Google Earth
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From Blackberry Ridge's Facebook page
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From Blackberry Ridge's Facebook page
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