IMPERIAL STOCK RANCH, EST. 1871, SHANIKO, OREGON
Founded on a 160-acre homestead claim by Richard Roland Hinton when he was just 19 years old, Imperial Stock Ranch is situated on Oregon’s desert-like Columbia Plateau, a landscape ideally suited for raising sheep. Today, many of the ranch’s original buildings are still in use, and the ranch continues to produce wool that reflects both a historical commitment to quality and a modern approach to sustainable production.
“We really fell in love with everything we saw from Imperial Stock Ranch. It has such an amazing story that everyone who works there is incredibly proud of and excited to share. Their wool yarns seemed like a great match for the knitting factory that would be making our sweaters in LA.” Kim
The yarn is much softer, but also more substantial than standard wool. It has a sturdiness to it that’s similar to what you’d see in homespun fibers, and it makes for a sweater that almost feels hand knit. A thick cable-knit sweater is just a staple that everyone should have. We knew these were going to be truly special pieces, so we wanted to make them with hefty three-gauge yarns in classic colors that would really last.
Once a year, we gently harvest the soft, versatile wool from the sheep and begin the process of transforming this naturally renewable resource into a wide selection of fibers and yarns. Removal of the wool is important to the health of sheep, and is done by hand picked shearers who have been coming here for decades. The wool goes exclusively through American processing and manufacturing into an array of beautiful and functional yarns and products. Tagged The American Wool Tradition TM, Imperial Yarns are specially milled with custom colors that reflect the ranch’s high desert landscape. Visit Imperial Yarn for an authentic American product.
“We really fell in love with everything we saw from Imperial Stock Ranch. It has such an amazing story that everyone who works there is incredibly proud of and excited to share. Their wool yarns seemed like a great match for the knitting factory that would be making our sweaters in LA.” — Kim
Today, whether it’s fashion, home goods, outdoor recreation, sports or craft, brands are finding their way to the heritage and sustainable appeal of the Imperial Stock Ranch wool program. Imperial Stock Ranch was honored to partner with Ralph Lauren in providing yarn for the Opening Ceremony uniform for Team USA to wear in the Parade of Nations at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. For more information or to begin a relationship with us, please contact us direct.
The term “sweater” is a catch-all for a variety of knit garments. Although the term often refers to a pullover, it can also refer to a cardigan, a garment that opens and fastens down the front.
This fall, the “Imperial Collection by Anna Cohen” is expected to be available on the racks of a handful of high-end retailers. The wool fabric has been grown on the ranch and the ranch has financed its processing, spinning, dying and weaving. Entering the apparel industry directly, even on a small scale, is a risk-filled venture for an operation that relies on beef, wheat and hay sales for more than two-thirds of its income.
The Imperial Stock Ranch Headquarters Complex is a historic district near Shaniko in Wasco County, Oregon, United States, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.