Northern Michigan mill's yarn to be used in Olympic clothing

http://www.stonehedgefibermill.com - Located in East Jordon, Michigan, near Charlevoix and Boyne City.

Stories from November 2013:

• http://www.upnorthlive.com/news/story.aspx?id=967236
• http://www.petoskeynews.com/featured-pnr/east-jordan-fiber-mill-furnishes-yarn-for-olympic-sweaters/article_ca9e16a8-4d37-11e3-b4a3-001a4bcf6878.html
• http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2013/11/michigan_fiber_mill_produces_y.html

The Stonehedge Fiber Mill in East Jordan, just finished making four thousand pounds of wool yarn that will be used to make sweaters by one of America's most famous designers, Ralph Lauren.

It all started two years ago, when a woman with big city style made a stop at their small yarn shop. She asked very detailed questions about their operation and the quality of yarn.

"Before she left she took some yarn with her and said she worked for a designer in New York and she wanted to see if they could use it in something," Deb McDermott, mill owner said.

Two months later, McDermott got an unusual phone call from a man in New York City interested in yarn samples.

"My husband was sitting behind me and my mouth just drop open," McDermott said. "I was just talking to Ralph Lauren and from there it just went on."

This small mill received a contract from Ralph Lauren to make four thousand cones of wool yarn in eight different colors.

During the whole process of making the yarn, they were told very little.

They had no idea what it was going to be used for until last week, when they saw their creation on revealed on national TV.

Their wool yarn, was used to create sweaters and hats that will be worn by hundreds of Team USA athletes during the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

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Debbie McDermott, owner of Stonehedge Fiber Mill, said clothing company Ralph Lauren enlisted her operation to provide 4,000 pounds of yarn in eight shades to be used for Olympic sweaters, as well as knit hats.

The McDermotts said the first step toward Stonehedge's involvement in the project occurred about two years ago, when a New York-based clothing designer working with Ralph Lauren saw a sign for the fiber mill and its yarn shop along nearby M-32 and decided to stop. She left with some yarn.

#yarn