U.S. wool blanket mill reopens!

[sammytko]

http://faribaultmill.com/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45169565/ns/nightly_news/

They are just gearing up, so they have a limited selection according to their site. Beautiful blankets. I'm waiting on plum..

[geardaddy]

1. Thanks for posting.

I guess Mrs. Geardaddy and I'll have to take a nice little roadtrip south!

[sammytko]

2. thanks for responding

good to see that things can be made in america again.

[geardaddy]

4. Faribault is a nice little town.

:D

edit: spelling

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. nice.

[jtrockville]

5. D@MN those are beautiful. Probably will last several lifetimes too.

Great investment. Great gift.
Thanks for posting.

[flpab]

62. Best blankets!!

I love them

[nc4bo]

6. This is an absolutely wonderful story!!

BTW, beautiful, made-with-love, blankets!

[hifiguy]

7. I am a personal friend of one of the guys behind this

as we were fraternity brothers in college. It is a very inspiring story. Their goal is to meet or surpass the extremely high quality products for which Faribo name has been known for nearly 150 years.

Back in the day my mom had some Faribo blankets and they were marvelously warm and wore like iron. Great products!

[myrna minx]

8. Wonderful. K&R - I'll be happy to support our local friends. K&R n/t

[sammytko]

9. k/r - please support n/t

[Sarah Ibarruri]

10. Oh my God, what beautiful blankets!!! Thank goodness for any factory opening up here! nt

[KT2000]

11. Yes! It can be done

They have a terrific brand name to work with and people are getting tired of spending their money on garbage. I bet they will make it.

[MineralMan]

12. This is good. They're right down the road from the Twin Cities.

Wool blankets are one thing that it's easy to find made in America. Woolrich and Pendleton still make wool blankets here. You can find the Pendleton ones at Land's End, and Woolrich sells theirs on their own website. All are about the same prices as the Faribault Mills blankets.

[Raksha]

13. K & R - what an inspiring story.

I don't understand why there aren't more factory re-openings when people are so desperate for work. Besides, many of us who are old enough remember the high quality of American-made products and would be happy to pay a little more for them.

[Warpy]

14. A moth infestation some years ago (the bane of fiber artists!)

ate big holes in the wool blankets my mother gave me when they moved to Florida. What was left got sent to the Humane Association because homeless animals only want something soft, they don't care if it's got holes.

I seems like now is a good time to order a replacement. Thanks for the good news!

[hlthe2b]

54. Ditto... Destroyed an entire wool rug as well....

My Gawd, I never thought I would lose EVERYTHING wool so quickly-- and in Denver. My Mom always used those nasty Napthalene moth balls... I admittedly had never been quite so careful (cedar blocks, but sort of haphazard about their use and my bags were not air-tight).. I lost some irreplaceable items too. Damn.... Now, I'm paranoid.

[Warpy]

66. I lost a rya rug I'd sweat blood over for months.

That was about the most painful one although I lost a lot of other stuff, as well.

The little bastards invaded via a bag of wild bird seed.

You can bet it's been mothball city around here ever since.

[hlthe2b]

68. I've been reading up on control and apparently mothballs (arguably)

don't kill the larvae, though they can prevent new infestation. Then there are the eggs to worry about. I destroyed a wonderful wool rug I'd brought back from the Middle East, have another wool rug from Egypt infested and am worried about a very nice silk rug from India--not to mention the wool clothing that must have become infested from the rugs. From what I've read, freezing (subzero) is about the best way to kill all forms. The Smithsonian swears by this method to protect their vintage antique rugs. I was actually in the process of moving when I realized the extent of the problem and I made the mistake of double bagging the rugs in garbage bags at the new place and putting those lavender mothball sachets in, which apparently is the wrong thing to do as it can degrade the plastic and ruin the rugs. Hopefully, that takes a bit more time than the exposure they've had to date. Today, I'm going to go get dry ice for a large cooler I have and put both in, wrapped in plastic and let them sit out on my patio for the next week or so. Between the CO2 effects that starve the larvae and eggs of oxygen and the cold, the entomologists seem to suggest this is the only way. Once dead, I'll vacuum them thoroughly and hope to avoid a new infestation.

Sigh... Apparently my doggie's hair can also be adding to the problem, if vacuuming fails to removing any of the little hidden spots. I hate this.... All my nice wool or cashmere sweaters are mincemeat and I had no idea. And, here I'd been focusing all my worry about avoiding bed bugs! Geebus.

[Warpy]

69. What I do with all the yarn I spin up is kill everything with fire

Either I put it in a 200 degree oven for an hour or leave it in a black plastic bag in the car in summer. That kills eggs, larvae, and adults. Then I seal it into heavy gallon freezer bags.

The mothballs work if the concentration is high enough. I have a closed clothing bag and a trunk I use them in and they have been effective. Keeping the area as sealed as possible is the key. Weak concentrations might discourage adult moths from laying their eggs there or they might not.

The other thing I've done is put some of my stash out in a garden shed. That shed gets over 150 in summer and last winter it bottomed out at -10. I inspected some of the plastic totes last spring and everything inside was intact.

On edit: You can also make a CO2 chamber and smother the mofos. Use a plastic trash barrel with a reasonably tight seal. Put the woolen goods into it followed by dry ice and cover it. The CO2 is heavier than room air, so it will tend to stay in the bottom of the covered barrel. The cold doesn't kill the little shits but the C02 will.

[hlthe2b]

74. Yes.. heat definitely works, but unfortunately takes a toll on clothing...

(at least in terms of hot water wash and drying).... But yes, sticking sweaters in a very hot car within a plastic bag, would undoubtedly do the trick. That tends to be my strategy for luggage in the summer time if I've had to stay in hotels on road trips that could be questionable with respect to bed bugs--even though I am scrupulous about inspecting the room, bedding, mattresses.

As to cold... It is apparently freeze thaw cycles that do the trick. The Smithsonian and others will freeze in subzero temps to kill larva and adults over a week or so, then allow to thaw to warm temps so that it stimulates the eggs to hatch for another week or so. Then repeat the freeze cycle. It apparently does work, though time consuming. But, I like the idea of the double strategy of CO2 and cold.

[Skidmore]

15. We get our woolen blankets from this factory.

http://www.amanawoolenmill.com/Category-AMANA-BLANKETS_8.aspx

[pansypoo53219]

16. my grandma had these.

i wonder what happened to them, i never see them at estate sales. did find one much older tho.

[HappyMe]

17. Awesome!

May have to order a couple up for Christmas gifts.

[The Straight Story]

18. K&R +97.246782 (nt)

[kestrel91316]

19. Spreading the word on my FB page.

[sammytko]

22. thanks!

[RegieRocker]

20. Yay! If they pay workers well.

[Evasporque]

21. Kick! Fantastic!

[Luciferous]

23. Those are nice. I'll have to add one to my Christmas list :)

[Brickbat]

24. I'm interested in the wages; they're notoriously low there. Faribault is where Paul Wellstone did a

lot of his early organizing. Read "How the Rural Poor Got Power" to learn more about the town. Faribault Woolen has always been virulently anti-union. I know this is a feel-good story, but it could feel a hell of a lot better.

[geardaddy]

28. I didn't know that. Thanks for pointing it out.

Are these the same owners or did someone new take over?

[Brickbat]

30. New owners, but it's rare to come in and boost wages all over the place. I'm interested to see how

long they keep this going.

[hifiguy]

33. As I mentioned upthread, I know one of the two principals

behind this project very well indeed and have for thirty years. They are in it for the long run and view it as a legacy investment. He has told me that he's amazed by the media attention they have received and that they couldn't have bought that kind of publicity for less than seven or maybe eight figures.

[Brickbat]

35. Good for them!

I still wonder about the wages. Faribault is an odd town.

[hifiguy]

38. It's a funky little burg, to be sure

Back in the '60s and '70s my dad and I used to go down once in a while to see his half-sister and brother in law. Seemed like we were on the moon compared to the south suburbs of Minneapolis that I grew up in.

[druidity33]

60. I notice

you didn't reply in particular to the Wages question. Do you know what workers are getting paid there in relation to the surrounding areas?

[hifiguy]

65. I honestly don't know.

Faribault is 50 miles or so out of the Twin Cities and I know zero about the prevailing wage rate down there.

[sulphurdunn]

67. I hear ya,

but right now they need the work. They can organized when the mill becomes profitable.

[NickB79]

93. Wages are all over the map south of the Twin Cities

I'm halfway between Faribault and Minneapolis, and factory wages go from $9/hr all the way up to $25/hr.

Let's just say, having the Teamster's Union in our factory makes a HUGE difference when it comes to wages and health insurance.

[Brickbat]

94. Yup, that's what I'm talking about.

Faribault may be a 20-minute drive from the south burbs, but it's many more miles away than that.

[JDPriestly]

25. Beautiful, but too expensive for me.

[WranglerRog]

26. As a wool producer it's good to see this......

I raise, milk and make cheese from East Friesian dairy sheep so although wool is only a small part of my income it's still good to see it coming back. This last year was the first time in a number of years that I sold my wool (commercially) at a profit.

Now let's see you folks support your local artisan cheese makers! And no, there is no such thing as yellow cheese (at least not bright yellow).

[formercia]

27. I remember in the 50's when margarine had a dye packet

and you had to mix in the yellow yourself. The Butter folks didn't like the competition.

Do you use Beta Carotene for the color?

[WranglerRog]

31. My cheeses are white and are shipped

in cheese wax.......They may be a pale yellow around the edges if they're a washed rind cheese but inside white.

I always tell folks that if you have a goat, cow or sheep that's producing yellow milk you're either milking the wrong gender or you need to get that animal to a vet ASAP! LOL.

[formercia]

39. A late Uncle used to feed his Cows Turnips in the Winter

They likes it, but the Milk had a distinctive color and taste.

[nevergiveup]

50. Oh my! I had forgotten all about that.

My grandmother would let me squeeze the packet and mix the dye. Damn, I am old.

[geardaddy]

29. Red Leicester?

[WranglerRog]

34. No,

Manchego, Osau-Iraty, Alucard (a Monostorer cheese from Transylvania, hence the name (you'll figure it out)), Blue Pyrenees and Ozark Farmhouse (pericano romano).

Blessed are the cheese makers.......Life of Brian.

[geardaddy]

36. I know naturally cheeses aren't yellow, but dyed with annatto to distinguish it from other cheeses.

That's how Red Leicester gets its name.

[knitter4democracy]

41. Do you sell to the handspinner market?

We pay more for good wool than the commercials do.

Nothing's better than a good sheep's milk cheese. Do you do on-line sales?

[eleny]

45. And I like to do needle felting with all sorts of wool including raw!

:fistbump:

[WranglerRog]

84. I sell the color wool in farmers markets.

commercially it's worth virtually nothing but as you know the hand spinners love the color wool. Friesians are predominantly white but I've specialized in color. Both solid black and spotted.

Web site will be up next spring. Shepherds Crook Dairy.

Don't want to break the rules here by "advertizing" so that's about all I can say on the subject. Except support you local markets.

[knitter4democracy]

92. *wipes drool from chin* Spotted Friesian.

I think I passed out a bit there. Um, kick me a PM here when that site's up and running, ok?

Btw, you would want to advertise on ravelry.com. Seriously. Tons of fiber people there, and good stuff, when advertised, tends to sell quickly there.

[efhmc]

70. I thought the same thing. Is their source of wool from the US?

[efhmc]

72. Looks like it is. That is awesome.

[Warpy]

77. I don't know anyone who spins that variety

Is it used mostly for rugs and the like? What sort of staple length, crimp and micron count? Curious spinners want to know everything.

Around here, it's mostly churro and Rambouillet, rarely Merino and Corriedale. My favorite is blue faced Leicester, a longwool that's soft enough to be worn next to the skin and with an amazing luster.

[Marrah_G]

91. I love love love local organic cheeses

we have a gem of a farm right behind Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA.

lawtonsfamilyfarm.com

Raw milk, fresh eggs, grassfed beef and cheese from grassfed beef.

They have been there a long time. If you live in the area I totally recommend them.

[glinda]

32. Actually considering the wool and also made in the US, it is reasonable. Very pretty.

[efhmc]

71. Great to hear. I just looked at the home page and did

not see that.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

37. Beautiful, but I'm allergic to animal hair, including wool.

Now if they were all cotton I would be interested.

They are gorgeous.

[AtheistCrusader]

52. Boy, you and me both.

I think it's the only damn allergy I have.
Sucks, these blankets are beautiful.

[Vinca]

40. Those are beautiful blankets and the price is reasonable, too, for the quality.

[Raine]

42. This makes me wish I needed a blanket

but I'm keeping them in mind because I'm sure eventually I will need another. :thumbsup:

[TBF]

43. Looks like great holiday presents! nt

[eleny]

44. I found a beautiful woolen blanket made there at our local ARC thrift store

It was some time ago. I researched the name and learned about it. At the time the mill was still functioning. I guess it closed down and has now reopened.

I'm so glad to learn this, thanks!

[cyglet]

46. K&R!

I'll probably get one of the plaid ones.

[freshwest]

47. K and R

[quakerboy]

48. Glad to see that

I have one of their old blankets, been in the family generations.

Glad to see them reopening. But next time I am in the market, I will probably stick with Pendleton here in Oregon. They have some amazing product. One blanket was so soft I could not believe it was wool. Nearly rabbit fur soft. And I take my soft serious. Plus machine washable eco-friendly wool.

[Botany]

49. My Xmas gift will be a wool blanket from Minnesota

[AllyCat]

51. Those are beautiful! And we need some new bedding for the winter months

bookmarking for slightly fatter wallet time :) Thanks!

[hlthe2b]

53. Not to take anything away, but Woolrich is US-made as well...

http://www.woolrich.com/

and Pendleton remains as well: http://www.pendleton-USA.com

Let's hear it for wool!

[Laluchacontinua]

56. actually, not all pendleton stuff is us made anymore.

http://www.importgenius.com/importers/pendleton-woolen-mills

i was very sad to learn this, as i had childhood memories of going to their oregon facility as school clothes time to buy coats.

[sammytko]

76. I was shocked to see a Made in China lable on a Pendleton sweater!

I also thought they were all american made.

[RedRocco]

55. it must be nice

to be able to support American industry by spending what, to me, represents more than a weeks take home pay from my fast food management position.

[locahungaria]

57. And you nailed THAT one on the head........

Many are cheering on these service sector/low wage jobs as "hey, at least it's a job, yada, yada, yada..." while failing to grasp the fact that these low wage jobs will hardly support demand for products that companies such as Faribault produce, thus destining them to failure.

There is a huge disconnect out there. You get it, I get it - when will this country as a whole start getting it? I think it takes having to actually LIVE on your type of wages to really understand.

[druidity33]

59. whereas

i would expect to pay about a weeks wages to buy a product that would provide comfort, warmth, decor for my family and i and that could easily last 50 or more years.

:shrug:

[harun]

73. For a renewable resource like wool, yes. I think the price is fair.

[sammytko]

75. well I think those of us who can afford should support - the more we buy, the price

will drop.

For example, the price of an ordinary fridge - no frills is still the same as it was 30 years ago - about $350. But back then the ordinary fridge was a major expense for a family. Of course if you want your super duper be prepared to start at $2K.

[Tumbulu]

78. That is the way it was when I was a new worker

the deal is things that are made to last do cost money. The idea that things should be so cheap is based on exploitation.

You try raising the sheep, shearing them, washing the wool, carding it, spinning it then weaving it then selling the blanket- each blanket represents a great deal of work. Each blanket has about one sheep's worth of wool- it takes the sheep an entire year to grow that wool....

Those prices are the fair prices when people are paid properly.

I am sorry that so many US jobs pay so little. And it will take a long time for things to normalize- the entire US economy now depends on things made by people in other countries that are exploited. And people are used to getting many things for very little money. Getting things made in the USA again will require a shift in priorities and real estate and housing can no longer be the lion's share of what our wages go towards covering.

[madokie]

58. Damn these tears keep popping out when I read what we can do

rather than what we can't or what we've lost

[glowing]

61. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to wool. If I am working with it while

knitting or crocheting, I have to wear gloves (boy is that tough)... I try not to work with it too often for obvious reasons. They look very nice though.

[swilton]

63. Duly noted

and subscribed. We need more of this!

[LWolf]

64. I'd like to know if they've opened as a union shop. nt

[ComtesseDeSpair]

79. I'm too poor to buy those blankets...

which just makes me angry and sad. :(

[jwirr]

80. I am delighted those blankets are historical part of the trading posts.

And they are absolutely beautiful. So glad they are back.

[Deep13]

81. Must be new demand with people unable to afford heating oil/gas. nt

[sammytko]

82. Hopefully those that are now working again at this mill will also be able to heat their homes again

You have a wonderful day. Keep smiling. It brings joy to all.

[Deep13]

85. It does, but I'm not going to be fake about it.

:7

[Hotler]

83. kicking. n/t

[AtomicKitten]

86. Really great news and I hope Americans support this business wholeheartedly.

[snappyturtle]

87. Great news!

Kick!

[tilsammans]

88. K & R! n/t

[easttexaslefty]

89. Nice!!!

Thanks for sharing!

[Marrah_G]

90. nice !