Wool Clubs

Years ago, when my children were little, we joined a local food co-op that allowed families to share in local produce and products every two weeks.  We loved it as it satisfied three things:  (1) getting fresh food delivered directly to our town; (2) being part of a community and sharing a common goal; and (3) supporting local businesses.  A responsibility that everyone shared and did once a month was to meet the delivery truck, unload the pallets, and box up each families' portion.  It only took a couple of hours once a month but we felt a great sense of community whenever it was our turn.

TFA Yarns

In the last couple of weeks, I've happily come across some wool/yarn clubs that have a similar feel to my old food co-op, and as I'm participating in Wovember, it got me thinking about how much I want to fill my stash with true wool products and support small wool businesses when I can.  I also would love to hear if you participate in any or if you've come across others than the two I'm writing about in today's post.  


The first is the TFA Year in Colour Club 2012.  I've been a huge admirer of TFA yarns for a while but haven't had the chance to knit with them as none of my LYS carry this line.  I only discovered Tanis and her company in the last six months, and while I could have joined the second half of the 2011 club, my stash really couldn't justify it so I've been waiting for her to open the 2012 club.  I love the idea of being part of this talented community of knitters and designers and knowing that I'll receive a skein of TFA yarn and a pattern every two months next year.  It's a great incentive to cast on something new, something that is a surprise.

The other wool club is at Juniper Moon Farms.  This is a site that I started following only recently, but I love reading their blog, learning about their beautiful farm and sheep, and knowing that their products are made with such care and thoughtfulness.  Besides joining their shares club (as they call it), you can also inquire about a farm stay -- you know, for those of us who dream of owning our own herd of sheepy lovelies. 


TFA is based in Montreal, Canada, one of my absolute favorite cities in the world. Juniper Moon Farms is located in Virginia, and I really love the idea of knitting with American-produced wool.  So, that's my little wool love contribution for today.  Don't forget to let me know if you, too, participate in a wool club or have discovered any that you'd like to share!