Brown Sheep Company: Legacy Yarn with Pride of Place

It is hard to imagine that any knitter in the United States isn’t familiar with Brown Sheep Company. If you’ve been part of the felting craze, you’ve surely used it! But how much do you know about Brown Sheep Company itself? Crafted in Mitchell, Nebraska, using American wool, Brown Sheep yarn reflects a century long family commitment to the land, sustainability, and ethical production, connecting knitters to a rich tradition. And no, there isn’t a “brown” sheep—it’s the family name!

This article tells the story of Brown Sheep Company, a family-owned spinning mill in Mitchell, Nebraska, and how it grew from a struggling sheep farm into one of the most recognized American yarn brands.

Subscribers can access Mary Lou Egan’s Blazing Star Mitts pattern, which uses Prairie Spun DK by Brown Sheep in the Farm & Fiber Knits Library.

About Mary Lou Egan: Mary Lou Egan has been designing and teaching knitting for many years. She teaches regularly at the Yarnery in St. Paul, Minnesota, and at shops and fiber festivals nationwide. The title of her last book, Drop-Dead Easy Knits (Clarkson Potter, 2016)—coauthored with Gale Zucker and Kirsten Kapur—sums up her knitting philosophy. Find her on Instagram @MLEganDesign.

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