Yarn Review: Shepherd's Lamb Rambouillet

Today I am writing about Shepherd's Lamb's Rambouillet 2ply yarn. It is a DK weight yarn and comes in 180 yard skeins. It is a 100% American Rambouillet wool completely made in the USA. Shepherd's Lamb is a family owned and operated ranch in New Mexico that raises Rambouillet and Churro sheep for fiber, meat, pelts and blankets.

This yarn is 100% certified organic and dyed with natural dyes. I chose the color Victorian Rose which was dyed with cochineal. The yarn looks a bit rustic but it is soft enough. It feels wooly but not scratchy at all. I would describe it as a lofty yarn.

I chose to knit the Escalade Hat with the rambouillet yarn. I knew the yarn would give the 2 stitch cable a nice stitch definition. I knit the brim for 1.5" and repeated the hat chart 9 times, then proceeded with the crown shaping.

I washed the hat with a wool wash and blocked it over a balloon. The yarn fulled and bloomed nicely. 

As you can see, my daughter loves the new hat. I am sure she will be "borrowing" this from me. The temperatures have been in the teens and she could use some wooly warmth on her head. In fact, it was 14°F when we were outside taking these photos. She ran back in and made herself some hot cocoa.

The natural dye really shows beautifully in this rambouillet yarn. Take a look at all the colors you can choose from HERE. I fully support American made products and being able to knit with an American made yarn was a pleasure.

Seyon Lodge Fiber Professionals Retreat 2017

(Maureen Clark, Beth Brown-Reinsel, Heather Zoppetti, Rosann Fleischauer, Becky Herrick, Jennifer Dassau, Toby Roxane Barna, Lars Rains, Susie Allen, Chris Church, Mark Schuyler, Margot Schips, Lisa M. Barnes, Kathleen Dames, Simone Kereit)

In February, I attended the 3rd Annual Seyon Lodge Fiber Professionals Retreat in Vermont. Becky Herrick is the creator and organizer of this event. It is a low key retreat. You bring your knitting/crochet projects and sit around the fireplace to talk shop, play games, catch up with each other or talk about something else. You can sleep in, go snowshoeing, or get up early for a walk in the woods. In the past we have hired a yoga instructor and the last 2 years we have hired a masseuse. 

The retreat is held at the Seyon Lodge in Vermont. The lodge is a comfortable and quaint bed & breakfast operated by the Vermont State Parks. It is 1.5 hours from Burlington, VT, 3 hours from Boston, MA, and 5.5 hours from NYC. It's nestled in the 27,000 acre Groton State Forest (which is rural even by Vermont standards). There are 8 rooms, 14 beds, and plenty of shared baths. Along with the dining room there is a library, a common room with a fireplace, and a conference room.

The innkeepers always feed us well. Everything is locally sourced and cooked or baked at the lodge. You can tell them your dietary needs ahead of time and they can accommodate the menu to your needs. I always feel so spoiled by having all my meals cooked for me during the whole weekend. This year they baked this amazing chocolate cake for Friday night's dessert. They were so nice to share the recipe with me because I liked it so much.

This is the main room where we hang out. We can stay in our pj's and just relax in front of the fireplace. Since all of us come from different states, a lot of people bring adult beverages, snacks and treats to share. A lot of eating goes on during this weekend. 

 

The last 2 years, we have hired a certified massage therapist to come to the lodge for those that want a massage. Jessica of Luna Lotus Bodywork is amazing! She really takes all of my pain away. If she was closer, I would make regular appointments with her. Since it takes me 5 hours to get to Vermont, this will remain my yearly treat to myself.

(left to right) Heather Zoppetti, Toby Roxane Barna and Simone Kereit of OwlCatDesigns

This year the weather was perfect for snowshoeing. Some people brought their own or you can rent them from the lodge. The location is also perfect for knitwear photo shoots. All of us designers pitch in to model, style and shoot photos for our new designs if we happen to have them done and ready to go. It's a wonderful collaborate effort.

On the drive back, Heather and I stopped by The Green Mountain Spinnery. We also ran into our fiber retreat friends who had the same idea as us. If you are passing through Putney, Vermont, definitely make a stop there. Gorgeous yarns in so many beautiful colors.