cestari field trip july 07

more than just yarn

Field Trip to Cestari, Ltd July 16, 2007 click on pics for larger version The field trip started with wanting to take Sonja, our intern, to a working sheep farm and mill to see the process of creating yarn. Being only 2.5 hours away, Cestari was the natural choice. We love to visit there to slow down a bit, see the family farm, watch yarn being made, feel the great yarn in the store, and to remind ourselves of their story.
Frances Chester took us around the farm with the old style tractor they keep running. In the fall, you can hop on and pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch.
This wool has been carded in the massive carding machines. It goes in as loose fiber, comes out the other end (I'm simplifying this) as pencil roving, ready to spin	Here the yarn is being plied: it's coming off these huge cones.	Y2Knitters touring the mill. We come in all sizes and ages!
	Fortunately, there was shopping available. The old barn has the shop on the main floor, the mill is on the lower level. It's a wonderful old barn. Not pictured is the sock making machine.
	When Chris Madeo, who is housing Sonja, found out we were going to Churchville, she said we had to stop at Kline's in Harrisonburg for homemade ice cream. Not pictured is Janice with her rapidly melting cone!