Findings from The Museum Store

The events of 2020 have put much of normal life on pause. In fact, time seems to have slowed in general. Life in a pandemic has also pushed all of the staff at Hildene to delve headlong into creative thinking, problem solving, and brainstorming in truly amazing ways. Things that we’ve always wanted to try but never had the time to explore are suddenly at the top of our to-do lists. On a normal Tuesday, I would be greeting guests and members in person. Instead, I find myself writing to them, and to you. I have been challenged to find new opportunities to use my skills. For example, I've delved into the concept of slow knitting and how it integrates into Hildene's mission and signature products. 

Slow knitting evolved from the greater Slow Living movement that encompasses the concepts of slow food, slow fashion, and even farm-to-table cooking - a basic desire to participate in environmentally conscious and sustainable consumerism. When one knows the origin of the raw materials in the production chain of everyday needs, such as food and clothing, one can be confident that one is responsibly consuming. The fewer links in that chain, the more eco-conscious the final product is. Author and knitter Hannah Thiessen has outlined the tenets of slow knitting in two volumes: Slow Knitting, and a new release, Seasonal Slow Knitting. She outlines the fiber journey from start to end, interspersed with beautiful projects and helpful advice for more mindful creating. Thiessen's outlook falls echoes many of the initiatives that Hildene employs in our own farm-to-fiber-to-product program.

At Dene Farm, we are in a unique position to help educate guests about slow fiber practices. Our beautiful Corriedale sheep, alpaca, and angora rabbits, Sage and Beatrix, are year-round residents of the property's lower acreage. Shearing happens onsite which eliminates the use of fuel and emissions to transport animals as well as avoids travel stress that can be harmful to them. The fleeces are skirted and then sent to a local spinnery for cleaning, carding, and spinning. The spinnery, Battenkill Fibers, is conscious of its own practices as they relate to environmental sustainability. The exquisite yarns sold to our guests from The Museum Store have followed a process that puts our mission into action.

Last year’s production resulted in Hildene’s latest signature yarn collection. Aptly christened Farmscape, the five natural, undyed colors are inspired by the dene landscape: White Clover, Stone Wall, Cattail, Barn Board, and Terrain.

Not only has the addition of fiber animals helped to diversify the landscape of Hildene, it has also led to the expansion of our community. Some of our yarn is handed off to a growing group of volunteers (we've begun to call them “The Needlers”!) to be knitted into Railsplitter Caps, a custom pattern that highlights the overlap of the Lincoln legacy with Hildene’s mission. The cap was made  from Hildene's first yarn: Hildene Farm Twist. By utilizing volunteers to help produce a hand-knitted hat, the farm-to-product loop is complete. We couldn’t do it without our wonderful volunteers' enthusiasm and talent. Extra special for our newsletter fans only: we're testing interest in a kit to make the Railsplitter Cap at home. For advanced-beginner to intermediate knitters, we'll ship (curbside pick-up available) a kit with the Railsplitter Cap Pattern, yarn necessary, and a "Homemade from Hildene" button accent. There's no better time to pick up those knitting needles!

The shortening of days and the waning foliage of late autumn is always my annual reminder to begin on my winter crafting projects. It is also normally the time of year when Hildene’s annual fiber starts to make its way back from the spinnery and into the store. This year our fiber is going beyond yarn production and we can’t wait to unveil our newest fiber collaboration...stay tuned. Of course, in addition to our farm yarns, The Museum Store also has wool felting kits for non-knitters who still want to try their hand at crafting with wool.

Show us your projects! Have you made something with one of our signature yarns? Post your photos on Facebook or Instagram and tag them with #hildeneknits.

Visit The Museum Store or email themuseumstore@hildene.org for details.