The Vision

For 14 years now, Round Barn Merinos has been the foremost seller of Vermont raised, processed and produced Merino yarn and knitwear in the state. Now, I've added some new "exotic" animals to our family, these new additions make up what I like to call "the fiber zoo". Today, in addition to 150 purebred Merino sheep, I have "Ollie the Camel" (a bactrian camel), a few alpacas and some mohair goats. These animals are here to show visitors to our farm what real, fiber animals look and act like in a farm setting.

I use the fiber from our "exotics", combine it with merino wool to create luxury yarn blends. (Exotic fibers are smooth, more like hair than wool. For this reason I combine them with a small percentage of merino wool, which is very soft and has a very fine crimp. The crimp is what gives the wool "memory" a term used to describe how wool maintains its shape. By adding wool to an exotic yarn the result is yarn that has the beautiful characteristics of the exotics and holds it shape like the soft merino wool.)  Since I only produce a very limited amount of these luxury fibers I do purchase additional "exotic fiber when my own supplies runs out.

My vision of Round Barn Merinos is of an artistic work in progress. Nothing is mass produced, everything is part of a greater artistic vision, from the historic buildings, to the animals, through the hand-dyeing and knitting process. I am committed to educating the public about the beauty, value and history of natural fibers. In part I do this by encouraging folks to visit the farm, meet the animals and me. I also try to make information about the animals and their fiber available to you so you can learn more about what makes these animals so special and why no synthetic fiber will ever replace the beauty and elegance of natural fibers.

Hope you enjoyed this discussion of my project, please take a look at the beautiful yarn and knitwear products we produce and let me know what you think about our farm.

Thank you,

Judith E. Giusto

Fiber Artist & Shepherd