When fiber science student Miriam Lourie saw cheerful sheep heading to pasture, she found inspiration for her own design — a green-and-white sock pattern textured like rolling hills. Lourie is one of nine students in the Knitwear Design and Other Applications course at Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology. Their mission: to collaborate with New York sheep farmers and wool processors to help revitalize the state’s local wool industry.
Challenges of New York Wool
Sheep farming in New York isn’t easy. Harsh winters and hay feeding can contaminate wool with bits of vegetation. Fine-wool breeds such as Merino and Rambouillet thrive better in dry regions, leaving New York with small fiber farms that cater mostly to boutique craft markets. Meanwhile, farms focused on meat production raise sheep whose wool is too coarse for industrial knitting.
Yet, through hands-on visits and experiments, students are learning to appreciate the unique texture and behavior of local wool.
“Understanding how the material travels from sheep to final garment creates a deep connection that shapes the design process,” said Melissa Conroy, senior lecturer in Human Centered Design and course instructor.
Turning Raw Wool Into Creative Design
Conroy and doctoral student Paige Tomfohrde secured a $10,000 grant from the New York Fashion Innovation Center to develop yarn compatible with industrial knitting machines. Students test these yarns and give feedback on texture, flexibility, and design potential.
“Usually, we start with a design idea and choose yarn accordingly,” Conroy explained. “This time, we let the yarn lead the way.”
Though unpredictable, New York wool’s artisanal quality gives each creation a handmade soul. “Yarn doing weird things is fun,” Conroy laughed. “It pushes discovery.”
Learning From the Source
Students toured farms and spinning mills such as Crooked Creek Sheep and Wool in Brooktondale and Battenkill Fibers in Greenwich. They studied every step of the supply chain—from shearing and cleaning to spinning and knitting—supported by a grant from the Cornell Center for Teaching Innovation.
Back in the classroom, students turned their custom-made Battenkill yarn into original sock designs inspired by their field trips.
Fashion design major Lucy Jones said fine-tuning the yarn tension took patience: “It’s a more human process. We met the sheep this wool came from.”
Another student, Liriana Nezaj, drew inspiration from the raw wood she saw on farms, designing mauve lace socks resembling natural grain patterns.
Sustainable Fiber With a Future
Wool remains one of the most efficient natural fibers — renewable, biodegradable, and fire-resistant. Beyond garments, it can serve as insulation, fertilizer, or even a weed barrier.
“The quality of wool reflects how farmers care for their sheep,” Lourie said.
As Dr. Amy Glaser of Crooked Creek Sheep and Wool put it: “Wool belongs everywhere — in your clothes, your home, even your walls.”
Exhibition of Student Works
From October 31 to November 13, the students’ socks and sketches will be displayed alongside pieces from local fiber processors and designers at the Jill Stuart Gallery in Cornell’s Human Ecology Building — celebrating a local material reborn through fashion innovation.
