Imperial Stock Ranch: Spinning a Good Yarn

This Field Note appears in the Design section of Modern Farmer (pg. 64):

Anna Cohen's lipstick red Charlie Dress, made of Oregon wool

Since 1999, rancher Jeanne Carver's Imperial Stock Ranch in central Oregon has spun spools of beautiful raw wool yarn. Dyed, carded, and spun on site, “Imperial Yarn” has fetched rave reviews from knitters, who love its natural softness and sheen as well as its spongy, lightweight texture. It was also the favorite domestic wool of designers at Ralph Lauren, who sought it out for the patchwork cardigans that Team U.S.A. wore at the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics. Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Carver has now teamed up with green fashion designer Anna Cohen to do a line of “ranch-to-runway” apparel. The collection, which debuts this fall, will have more than a dozen elegant pieces for women. Our favorite is the Stella Dress ($680), a sexy, geometric frock inspired by the work of midcentury modern great Frank Stella and the lipstick red Charlie Dress ($350), which wouldn’t seem out of place on Jackie O. (Suggested retail prices: check website for stores.)