farm profile
Ewe-topia Acres
Where the grass is greener because the sheep refuse to eat the left side.
A family flock of 212 Rambouillet and Corriedale sheep (and one very opinionated sheep named Carl) on a hillside in Lower Fluffington, Vermont.
- Lower Fluffington, VT
- Est. 1987
- 212 sheep
- 2 humans
- 1 farm dog
- Rambouillet + Corriedale
- Where
- Lower Fluffington, Vermont
- The flock
- 212 sheep, give or take Carl
- Breeds
- Rambouillet & Corriedale
- Fiber
- 100% wool, mostly undyed
- Milled at
- Slow Your Roll Mill, 40 minutes down the road
- Shorn
- Every spring, by Hank (30 years, zero complaints, several side-eyes)
the story so far
Dot and Purl came for the vegetables. The sheep had other plans.
Dot and Purl Hendricks bought Ewe-topia Acres in 1987 with a plan to grow vegetables. Within a year, the vegetable garden was a sheep lounge. Thirty-some years later, they’ve made peace with it.
The flock grazes on rotational pasture, which is a fancy way of saying the sheep get a fresh salad bar every few days. Nobody here is in a hurry. Not the sheep, not the mill, and definitely not Carl.
Their five-year plan, in their words: “more naps.” We respect it.
Greetings from
Ewe-topia Acres
Dear knitters,
The sheep say hi. Well, Carl says “baa,” but in a tone.
Knit something cozy.
— Dot & Purl
meet the flock
The staff
Every skein starts with one of these characters. All 212 have names. Purl keeps a spreadsheet.
Senior Grump Officer
Carl
Refuses to be photographed from the front. Grows the squishiest fleece on the farm, out of spite.
Fastest in the pasture
Lambo
Zero to sixty in the time it takes to rattle a feed bucket.
Head of Napping
Doris
Has never once been on time for shearing. Has never once apologized.
Ballet enthusiast
Sir Fleece-a-Lot
Performs nightly at dusk. Attendance is mandatory.
pending
Head of Security
Biscuit
The farm dog. Not pictured because he was busy. Very good boy, fully employed.
the trail
From their pasture to your needles
The pastureLower Fluffington, VT. Grass, clover, and strong opinions.
The shearingEvery spring. Hank does it in one smooth pass. Carl does not make it easy.
The millSlow Your Roll Mill, where a carding machine named Gladys runs at “leisurely.”
Your needlesWherever you are. Cast on, and tell Carl he did good.
how we vetted them
Our notes from the barn
- Grown in the U.S. Lower Fluffington, Vermont.
- Milled in the U.S. Slow Your Roll Mill, also Vermont.
- Animal welfare We visited. The sheep were, frankly, spoiled.
- Honest dealing Hank gets paid on time, every time. So does the mill.
- Dyes Mostly undyed. The naturally dyed batch uses onion skins and a lot of optimism. We list what we know on each skein.
take some home
Shop Ewe-topia yarns
ask the farmer
Questions we asked so you don’t have to
Why “Ewe-topia”?
Dot lost a bet.
Do all the sheep really have names?
All 212. Carl has three, depending on his mood.
Can I visit?
Not yet. Doris needs advance notice to look this relaxed.
What makes their yarn special?
Slow pasture, slow mill, no shortcuts. Also Carl. Mostly Carl.
