At We-Z Farm, we raise the sheep and shear the wool that is knit into these unique hats and Christmas stockings, the original designs of Ellena Weston Zimmermann.
Ellena, the seventh generation of Westons to raise sheep in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire, has been knitting and handspinning wool into yarn since she was a child. After her first baby was born, she knew she needed to knit faster if she was ever going to complete a project again! She took lessons and learned to use a knitting machine. The knitting machine is a wonderful invention, powered entirely by hand, allowing her to concentrate on design while confident the machine will execute the knitting beautifully.
For the Westons, raising sheep has been a family tradition since 1820, when Grand-Sir Bill Weston bought 1000 acres of land in Antrim, NH and brought in 1000 head of Merino sheep. The Weston family has been raising sheep ever since, and retains the original farm in Antrim to this day. Today, they raise about 70 head of Shropshire, Southdown, and Romney sheep on a farm in neighboring Hancock acquired in 1867.
At We-Z Farm, we are proud to say that all of our products are knit from our own wool, which is processed at Bartlettyarns of Harmony, ME. Bartlettyarns, the oldest continually operating woolen mill in the United States, has been family owned and operated since 1821.