Kentucky Wool Works, located just outside Millersburg, Kentucky, was founded by Shon Wylie and Kathy Meyer in 2019. Both farmers and shepherds, their idea was to connect farmers whose animals provide wool with fiber artists who could use the wool in their artwork.
Wylie and her husband, Jerry, became involved in sheep farming in 2012, when they bought their first sheep from Meyer. Starting with 12 sheep, the original plan was to raise lambs for food, but they soon discovered that they would need to diversify to stay solvent. The original sheep they bought were Texel, a “dual purpose” breed—they grow copious amounts of wool, and the lambs quickly grow quite large.
“Kathy and I both decided to cross some of our Texel ewes on Longwool rams, and we procured a couple of Cotswold/Border Leicester cross rams to see what kind of fleece the genetics would produce,” Wylie said. “Turns out, the fleece was really nice and readily accepted by hand-spinners, who seemed to love it.” This “new” fleece proved to be of excellent quality, and after brainstorming some ideas, Kentucky Wool Works was born.
They acquired some commercial machines and became very interested in felting after discovering they could create sheets of fabric with the fibers. Before long, they developed a number of products to sell. This is a part-time endeavor for both Meyer and Wylie; farming is their main pursuit. Their hope was to benefit their bottom lines, as well as those of other farmers in the region.
Wylie markets her fleece online and “guesstimated” that each ewe fleece sold every year would be like having an additional lamb from every ewe. She said she also has more marketable fleece to sell ahead of winter when demand for it is higher.
Both Meyer and Wylie are very interested in being eco-friendly and value including reclaimed fabrics in their goods. The pair hopes to generate demand for Kentucky-grown wool through their own felted products, while at the same time, teaching a new generation about the many benefits of wool and other sustainable fibers.
The main venue for selling their products is a cart provided by Art on the Town, a program sponsored by the city of Lexington, Kentucky. This program provides free mobile art carts for local artists to sell, demonstrate, or display their artwork in downtown Lexington during farmers’ markets, festivals, concerts, and other public events.
Wylie enjoys dyeing, and the wool of her long-wool sheep has become a highly valued product. The vibrant colors she produces are very popular.
Over time, their business model has expanded to include classes for people new to sheep farming (farming education and experiences), working with fleece, dyeing fibers, and felting processes, as well as offerings for school-age children. One of the popular kid-friendly classes is making Bird Balls to provide fibers for nesting birds. They never thought classes would be such a hit or as lucrative as they are—a nice surprise.
Kentucky Wool Works produces a high-quality, diverse line of wearables, goods for the home, and pet products. All materials and labor are locally sourced, and many of their pieces are one-of-a-kind.
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Barbara Delaney is a wordsmith, avid sewer, and quilter who makes her home in Massachusetts.
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