Blue Hen Blankets & Yarn, established in 2009, are made from wool shorn from the University of Delaware’s flock of Dorset sheep at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Wool is a natural, sustainable fiber that is strong and durable, lightweight and breathable, but warm enough for the chilliest of days. A truly renewable resource, wool is the only fiber that is naturally fire-resistant.
UD Dorset ewes are shorn each spring before going out to summer pasture. Each ewe produces about 7 to 8 pounds of wool. The wool is scoured (washed) and carded (combed) and can then be spun into yarn and woven into blankets.
Our lap throws each require 4 pounds of wool and our queen-sized blankets each require 12 pounds of wool. Yarn comes in 4 ounce hanks of either 2-ply 200 yard or 3-ply 126 yard lengths.
Profits from the sale of Blue Hen Blankets & Yarn help to support the undergraduate large animal teaching programs of the Department of Animal and Food Sciences.
